Corn Yield Projections Cut

Crop Consultant Dr. Michael Cordonnier cut his U.S. corn yield projection by 1.5 bu. to 177 bu. per acre given the much-slower-than-average planting pace so far. He notes corn yield potential declines about 0.3% for each day planting is delayed in early May and that increases to about 1% per day at the end of the month. For Iowa and Illinois, yield potential for corn planted on May 15 is generally about 95%; around 92% of normal on May 20. But weather during pollination is the most important factor for final yields. Because a lot of corn is going to be planted in a tight window after the delays, pollination will be tightly clustered. Cordonnier notes, “Pollinating in a tight window could be beneficial or detrimental depending on weather.” He also cut his planted acreage estimate by 500,000 acres to 90.0 million acres.