Crop yields improve in 2013

March 14--BLOOMINGTON -- Central Illinois farmers had a healthy harvest last year.

Average corn and soybean yields in Central Illinois increased in 2013, compared to 2012's "abysmal" numbers, said Dennis Bowman, University of Illinois Extension commercial ag-field crops unit educator.

Corn yields in McLean County were 188.6 bushels per acre in 2013. In 2012, McLean County corn produced an average of 109.5 bushels.

"Compared to the year before (2012) which has the worst drought in 10 years, it was a much nicer year in 2013 with harvest," Bowman said.

Last year wasn't without challenges for farmers, he said. They recovered from 2012's drought with a wet first six months of the year, that then turned extremely dry.

"There were all kinds of planting delays, things got planted in less-than-optimum conditions. But we still did well despite the fact that the rain cut off in June," he said.

Corn yield averages in Livingston County also increased significantly from 2012, when yields were 83.3 bushels per acre. The 2013 average jumped 53 percent to 179.1 bushels per acre, according to numbers released by the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

McLean County was the top county in production for both corn and soybeans. In 2013, the county produced more than 16 million bushels of soybeans and more than 63 million bushels of corn, according to NASS estimates.

The top yielding corn county last year was Carroll in northwestern Illinois, with an average yield of 200 bushels per acre. For soybeans, DeKalb County had the highest yields with 58.4 bushels per acre, according to NASS.

Dennis Haab, who farms corn and soybeans near Forrest in Livingston County, said he had yields of about 150 bushels per acre of corn last year, and 45-50 bushels per acre of soybeans.

"We were just extremely dry. Most farmers I've talked to were pleasantly surprised we came in where we did because we were that dry," Haab said. "Soil type and rainfall makes a big difference."

Haab said yields can vary drastically even throughout one county. In Livingston County, he said there are areas where yields reach 200, while there are other parts that drop down to 50 bushels per acre.

John Hawkins, spokesman for the Illinois Farm Bureau, said the improvements between yields in 2012 and 2013 can be attributed to rain.

"When you have fairly timely planting and good rains throughout the season, you get good yields. We've had better, but for what the growing season was last year, it was a darn good year," Hawkins said.

In a perfect year, there would be cooler than average temperatures and an inch of rain every 1-2 weeks during the growing season.

"Weather that's not too hot and not too cold, it's the Goldilocks syndrome," he said.

Hawkins said good corn yields are between 190-200 bushels per acre; and ideal soybean yields are 55-60 bushels per acre.

Soybean yields in McLean County were 56.5 bushels per acre last year, up from 52.3 in 2012 and the highest since 2010 when yields were 58.5. Livingston County yields jumped from 41.2 bushels per acre in 2012 to 55.2 in 2013.

Champaign, Iroquois, Logan, Macon, Tazewell and Woodford counties also had increased corn and soybean yields in 2013 compared to 2012. Information for DeWitt County was not available.

The average county yields are used each year to figure farm rent benchmarks, farm programs and insurance decisions, Bowman said.

"There are a lot of economic decisions that are based on the county average yields," he said.

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