Extension Agronomist Jeff Graybill was recently asked for the average yields for Lancaster county corn from the recent past. Graybill was able to find the average corn yields from 1960 through 2014. The data is very telling and shows consistently increasing yields.
The county average corn yield was 75 bu/a. in 1960. The first time the county average crossed the 100 bushel threshold was not until 1970, at 101.7 bu/a. Interestingly, we did not attain 100 bushels again until 1979: Imagine that!
The 150 bu/a. mark was not reached until 2004, but with a whopping 184.5 bu/a. In fact, 9 of the last 10 seasons the county average yield has now exceeded 150 bu/a.; with the 2014 average being our highest ever at 196.7 bu/a! Consider just how productive US agriculture has become in the past 75 years. In 1935 the average national corn yield was 24.2 bu/a. The country was growing about 83 million acres of corn for a total production of about 2 billion bushels of production. Last year the US average yield was 171bu/a. and farmers grew an amazing 14 billion bushels on the same 83 million acres. That’s 7 times the amount of corn on each acre.
Lest we become too proud: As yields increase, the difference in yields can swing wildly. In 2002, the last significant drought year, the county average yield was only 72.5 bu/a.; However, just 2 years later in 2004 we harvested 184.5 bu/a.
What’s responsible for such an amazing increase? There are a number of factors which have contributed to this increased productivity. Improved genetics through breeding and bio-technology; increased management in the form of improved fertility, weed, disease and insect control; the increase in No-till production; and improved planting and harvesting machinery are some of the more important factors. However, Graybill feels the most credit should go to the American farmer and his love of the land, commitment to protecting it, and hard work and dedication to efficiently feed a hungry world.