JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (DTN) -- The 2026 DTN Digital Yield Tour kicks off Monday, Aug. 10. For the first time, DTN will release national corn and soybean yield estimates alongside figures for 11 individual states.

For the third consecutive year, DTN's proprietary yield models are the driving force behind the tour. The DTN team combines the data-driven, view-from-above forecasts with boots-on-the-ground insight from farmers, agronomists and other experts to paint a picture of corn and soybean yield potential as the crops push toward the season's finish line.

Throughout the week, DTN will publish details about the corn and soybean crops according to this schedule:

-- Monday, Aug. 10: National Overview, Illinois, Wisconsin

-- Tuesday, Aug. 11: Iowa, Minnesota

-- Wednesday, Aug. 12: North Dakota, South Dakota

-- Thursday, Aug. 13: Indiana, Ohio

-- Friday, Aug. 14: Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri

-- Saturday, Aug. 15: Best of the Rest (Short summaries of Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas)

ABOUT THE MODEL

DTN's yield models forecast at the field level using a wide array of publicly available data, such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maps, growing degree days, USDA crop condition reports and more. They also include DTN's proprietary weather and soil data, making them unique.

The DTN data science team rolls those granular forecasts into county, state and national averages.

DTN's model methodology is also unique in that the models are trained on USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) yield data rather than on monthly estimates prepared by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). RMA's data is compiled using crop insurance data, while NASS surveys farmers to build its county yield estimates. RMA's county yields tend to be higher than those reported by NASS, but the differences vary by county and region. By using RMA data, DTN can generate countywide forecasts for places with limited crop production.

The 2026 DTN Digital Yield Tour estimates are based on yield models as of Aug. 1. The models update every two weeks and do not incorporate weather forecasts.Hear more about plans for the 2026 tour in this entry from the DTN Reporter's Notebook: https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Jason Jenkins can be reached at jason.jenkins@dtn.com

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