'23 vs '22: One of these is not like the other.

Hind sight in this industry is not only a perfect 20/20, if you dig enough, but it's also really annoying.

For two seasons that share, well, almost every key characteristic..........there were two subtle differences.

1. Very similar planting dates. BUT:

   1. 2023: half of the late May planting window was a blast furnace. With very little germination rain to follow.

      1. Uneven emergence in corn reduces yield potential from the start, and may have been the culprit for why it took so long for soybean fields to fully mature.

   2. 2022: also a "late" start, but otherwise normal weather, AND it had an absolute textbook "germination" rain on May 30th.

2. Nearly identical rain totals for the growing season. BUT:

   1. 2022: roughly a half dozen, generally even rain events, to spoon feed the crops.

   2. 2023: roughly THREE distinct rain events, not at all even across the area, NOT to mention how many times you couldn't see 100 yards in one direction, but could see a full 10 miles in another.

3. OTHERWISE THEY BOTH HAD:

   1. Late May planting

   2. 2300 GDU's

   3. 10" of rain plus or minus a couple (all the difference in '23)

A FEW ITEMS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN LOOKING AT THE CHARTS:

1. BOTH corn AND soybean use 20+ inches of water to build a solid crop.

   1. Corn for example: 150 bu = 16" water, 200 bu = 20" water

2. PET = Potential Evapotranspiration:

   1. inches water evaporated from the soil surface + plant respiration.

3. https://www.pioneer.com/us/agronomy/corn-water-use.html

4. https://www.pioneer.com/us/agronomy/soybean-water-use.html

5. https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2017/06/corn-water-use-and-evapotranspiration#:~:text=Typically%2C%20a%20150%20bu%2Fac%20corn%20uses%2016%20inches,evapotranspiration%20corn%20yield%20increases%20by%20approx.%2017%20bushels.