Pre-Harvest Corn Yield (Yield Component Method)
An in-season corn grain-yield estimate from three field counts, weeks before harvest (the yield component / ear-count method). Count the ears in 1/1000 acre (17 ft 5 in of a 30-in row), then on a representative ear the kernel ROWS around and the kernels per row. bu/ac = ears x (rows around x kernels per row) / factor, where factor = thousands of kernels per 56-lb bushel, ~90 average, 75-80 big kernels (raises the estimate), 95-100 small. 32 ears x 16 x 35 / 90 = 199 bu/ac; a thinner 28-ear, 480-kernel stand ~149. Average several counts across the field and pick representative ears; roughest before kernels finish filling (R5-R6). A pre-harvest estimate; the harvested, moisture-corrected yield (crop-yield) is the real number, and the combine and scale govern.
Formula and source
kernels_per_ear = kernel_rows_around x kernels_per_row; bushels_per_acre = ears_per_thousandth_acre x kernels_per_ear / kernel_factor. Ears counted in 1/1000 acre (17.5 ft of 30-in row); kernel_factor = thousands of kernels per 56-lb bushel (~90).
Pre-harvest corn yield, the yield component (ear-count) method (Purdue / Iowa State University Extension), by name; the harvested and moisture-corrected yield is the real number, and the combine and scale govern.
Audience
This tile is built for agriculture and the adjacent professions in the Agriculture and Forestry group. The interactive calculator runs entirely in your browser. No account, no fee, no advertising, no tracking.
Related tools
Posture
Rough Logic answers the math question the working professional asks on the job. The site is a calm, fast, ad-free, account-free, ever-free reference. It does not interpret code. It does not replace the licensed professional. It does not store your inputs. The Authority Having Jurisdiction governs all installations and inspections.