Crop Tour Reveals Yield Losses Amid Opposite Weather Extremes
The Pro Farmer Crop Tour released its annual findings on August 17, revealing variable weather conditions that are affecting corn and soybean prospects in South Dakota and Ohio.
In South Dakota, hot and dry summer conditions damaged corn yields, with projected yields at 149.09 bushels per acre, sharply below the 174.18 bpa recorded in 2025 and its three-year average of 162.70 bpa.
Soybean conditions also showed deterioration, with an average of 945.98 pods in a 3-by-3-foot square, compared to 1,188.45 last year and a three-year average of 1,075.78.
In Ohio, excessive moisture rather than drought weighed on crop potential, projecting corn yields at 180.18 bpa, below 185.69 bpa last year and the three-year tour average of 184.31 bpa.
The contrast between Ohio and South Dakota highlights the central challenge of the 2026 growing season: yield losses emerging from opposite weather extremes, complicating national production estimates and risk-management decisions.