If you look at Corn yields at a national level you'll notice a familiar bell curve.
Comparatively to a lot of other data points graphed on the site, its not all the time we come across what looks to resemble a normal distribution. I'm not just stating this by looking at the picture, I have the numbers to support it. In the graphic above the x-axis represent bushels per acre and the y-axis counts how frequent it was reported. It peaks around 150. If you go visit our Corn Yields dashboard, you'll find the average is around 146, while the mean (average) is about 150. While this does have a slight left skew, its much more normal then other data sets.
There is one point of clarification. This is on a national level. I have not done the analysis on a state by state level, or county level. I don't know what to expect if we dive in, but I'm sure some inferences can be made.
What does this mean and why do I think this is occurring?
I think first off it means that in the US there is a level at which yields for corn reach a maximum. Yields are not controlled by demand or supply. It is nature. How much the land produces and how good your seeds are have a limit. Land will only yields so much. Unlike the price per acre that could go up as demand spikes.
I think this also shows that nationally you can definitely say what is a good yield. Again, on a state basis there will be different standards, Texas doesn't produce what Iowa could, but you can compare your land nationally to see if you are average or above average.
What do you think?