08/26/2026
Mclean County crop tour -First Mid Ag
1. Scope of Project – 1,570 samples from 157 locations; Samples taken on managed farms from every township in McLean County by ten First Mid Farm Managers.
2. Estimated Average Yield – 212.39 bushels/acre; This estimate is below the 5-year average of 230.02 McLean County Ag Stats yield. Sample yield estimates ranged from 153.75 bushels/acre to 268.80 bushels/acre. 71% of the locations returned a yield estimate over 200 bushels per acre, compared to 94% in 2025 and 89% in 2024. The majority of the samples were taken before the August 16th storms. The number of kernels around was 15.65 compared to the previous 5-year average of 16.45. Meanwhile, the average kernel length was 31.69 compared to the previous 5-year average of 34.13. The average number of kernels/bushel used was 80.07 thousand in 2026.
Conclusion:
•Overall yields are estimated below the 5-year average and below Actual McLean County Ag Stats Yield (NASS) 2025.
•The crop had noticeable tip back across the county.
•Disease pressure has shown up later and will be monitored to recognize its effect on final yield.
•Wind damage from the storms will negatively affect harvestability
•Weather until harvest will play a big factor in determining kernel weight.
