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Photo Essay: USGC Farmer Leaders Share 2020 Corn Crop Progress

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2020 corn

Farmer leaders with the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) report good-looking corn crops with plenty of potential, but they are watching the skies for rain as crop development progresses. Online and through its overseas offices, the Council is sharing regular updates on how the 2020 corn crop is looking from farmers’ fields across the U.S. corn belt.

Overall, 69 percent of the U.S. corn crop is rated in excellent-to-good condition, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA’s NASS) report for the week ending July 12. That report showed a national average of 29 percent silking, slightly behind the five-year average but ahead of last year’s crop development pace.

corn field
Gene Baumgardner provided an update to an earlier report from the same corn field in southwest Ohio. Corn fields in his area cross the spectrum of stages of growth from the earliest planted fields tasseling to the latest planted just reaching knee-high. There is a mix of good and mediocre-looking corn, but he said all fields are in need of rainfall.
corn field
The corn was well past knee-high by Independence Day in central Minnesota. USGC Secretary-Treasurer Chad Willis and his father reported this field started shooting tassels a couple of days after this picture, early for his area. Willis sees great potential for this corn crop but agrees the quickly-growing crop could use rain during pollination.
corn tasseling
The corn is also starting to tassel and move into pollination in north central Iowa, where Deb Keller, past USGC chairman, says they have a good stand of corn with a nice, dark green color and even growth. Like the other farmers in this report, Keller agrees the corn needs rain, but she is optimistically watching the weather forecast for rain expected to fall this week.

The Council continues to track crop progress for corn, barley and sorghum throughout the year. These farmer reports provide a personal perspective to the weekly crop progress reports issued by USDA’s NASS.

Track these updates and more using the hashtag #plant20 or by following the Council’s feeds on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About The U.S. Grains Council

The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability. Detailed information about the Council and its programs is online at www.grains.org.