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Biology

Corn yield estimator calculator

Estimated corn yield in bushels per acre using the ear-count yield component method.

What this calculator does

Corn yield estimator works out estimated corn yield in bushels per acre using the ear-count yield component method. Enter your own figures above and the answer updates as you type: nothing is fixed in the code, so the result reflects exactly the numbers you supply.

The formula this calculator evaluates is printed under the tool and explained below, so you can check the working by hand or reuse it in a spreadsheet.

The formula

FormulaYield (bu/ac) = ears per 1/1000 acre × avg. kernels per ear × 1000 / kernels-per-bushel factor (Purdue/Iowa State yield component method)

The inputs explained

FieldWhat to enter
Ears counted in a 1/1000-acre sample rowA number. Starts at 28.
Average kernels per earA number. Starts at 500.
Kernel size factorChoose from Small (120,000 kernels/bu), Medium (90,000 kernels/bu, typical), Large (80,000 kernels/bu).
Field size (0 to skip total) (acres)A number, measured in acres. Starts at 0.

Worked examples

Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.

How the answer changes with ears counted in a 1/1000-acre sample row

Every other input is held at the calculator’s starting values while ears counted in a 1/1000-acre sample row varies. Select any row to load that scenario into the calculator.

How the answer changes with ears counted in a 1/1000-acre sample row
Ears counted in a 1/1000-acre sample rowEstimated yieldTotal kernels in sample × 1000Kernels-per-bushel factor used
1478 bu/acre7,000,00090,000
21117 bu/acre10,500,00090,000
28156 bu/acre14,000,00090,000
42233 bu/acre21,000,00090,000
56311 bu/acre28,000,00090,000
84467 bu/acre42,000,00090,000