Record corn yield, soybean production for 2017 in Illinois

Record numbers have been reported for the 2017 Illinois corn and soybean crops.

A 2017 Illinois crop production summary was released Jan. 12 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Heartland Regional Field Office in Springfield.

Corn: Planted area, at 11.20 million acres, is down 3 percent from 2016. 

Corn for grain was harvested on 10.95 million acres, down 4 percent from the previous year. 

The corn yield is estimated at 201 bushels per acre, up 4 bushels from 2016. Production is estimated at 2.20 billion bushels, down 2 percent from last year. This is a record high yield and fourth highest production on record.

Soybeans: Planted area, at 10.6 million acres, up 5 percent from 2016. 

Harvested area, at 10.55 million acres, is up 5 percent from the previous year. 

The soybean yield is estimated at 58 bushels per acre, down 1 bushel from 2016. 

Production is estimated at a record high 612 million bushels, up 3 percent from the previous year.

Sorghum: Planted area, at 17,000 acres, is down 6 percent from last year. 

Harvested area for grain, at 15,000 acres, is down 6 percent from 2016. The sorghum yield is estimated at 83 bushels per acre, down 10 bushels from last year. 

Production is estimated at 1.25 million bushels, 16 percent below the previous year.

Winter wheat: Harvested area in 2017 is estimated at 470,000 acres, the same as the previous year. 

The winter wheat yield is estimated at 76 bushels per acre, up 2 bushels from 2016. 

Production is estimated at 35.7 million bushels, 3 percent above the previous year.

Oats: Harvested area in 2017, at 20,000 acres, is the same as the previous year. 

The oat yield is estimated at 79 bushels per acre, down 2 bushels from 2016. Production is estimated at 1.58 million bushels, down 2 percent from the previous year.

All hay: Harvested area, at 490,000 acres, is up 2 percent from 2016. 

The all hay yield is estimated at 3.32 tons per acre, up 0.20 of a ton from the previous year. 

Production is estimated at 1.63 million tons, 9 percent above 2016.

Summer potatoes: Planted area, at 8,100 acres, is up 16 percent from 2016. 

Harvested area, at 7,600 acres, is up 10 percent from 2016. 

The summer potato yield is estimated at 410 cwt per acre, up 8 percent from 2016. 

Production is estimated at 3.12 million cwt, up 19 percent from the previous year.

Winter Wheat Seedings

The field office also reported that winter wheat seeded for harvest in 2018 in Illinois is estimated at 530,000 acres. 

The estimate is up 6 percent from 2017.