Bushels Per Acre Calculator
Calculate your corn yield in bushels per acre from your scale tickets and acreage records. The simplest, most accurate way to measure final yield.
Bushels Per Acre Inputs
Simple yield per acre calculation
From scale ticket
GPS-measured acres
Take multiple samples from different field locations and average them for the most accurate results. Avoid border rows and unusual spots.
All calculations use USDA-standard formulas. No registration required, works on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
What Is a Bushels Per Acre Calculator?
A bushels per acre (bu/ac) calculator is the simplest and most direct way to measure corn yield after harvest. By dividing your total harvested bushels by the number of acres harvested, you get the average yield per acre — the gold standard metric for comparing corn performance across fields, farms, and regions.
Bushels per acre is the universal yield unit in US agriculture. One bushel of corn equals 56 pounds at 15.5% moisture. Whether you're comparing your yields to the national average (177 bu/ac), to your neighbors, or to your own historical performance, bushels per acre is the language everyone speaks.
This calculator is perfect for post-harvest analysis. Use it with your scale tickets and acreage records to calculate field-by-field yield, compare hybrid performance, and identify management opportunities.
Bushels Per Acre Formula
The formula is straightforward:
Bushels per acre = Total bushels harvested ÷ Acres harvested
Example
You harvest a 160-acre field and deliver 28,800 bushels to the elevator. Your yield:
28,800 ÷ 160 = 180 bushels per acre
This is your final yield — already adjusted to standard moisture by the elevator. Use this number for hybrid comparisons, fertilizer planning, and farm financial analysis.
What Is a Good Bushels Per Acre?
Yield benchmarks vary by region, soil type, and weather, but here are general guidelines for US corn production:
How to Improve Your Bushels Per Acre
Soil Testing
Test every 2-4 years. Maintain pH 6.0-6.8, P 20-30 ppm, K 150-200 ppm.
Hybrid Selection
Pick 3-5 adapted hybrids with different maturities to spread risk.
Timely Planting
Plant in late April-early May for maximum yield potential.
Nitrogen Management
Apply 1-1.2 lb N per bushel expected. Split applications improve efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about corn yield calculation
A good corn yield in the US is 175-220 bushels per acre. The national average is around 177 bu/ac. Yields above 200 are considered above-average; above 250 is exceptional. Below 150 bu/ac may indicate soil, weather, or management limitations.
Corn yield in bushels per acre is calculated by dividing total bushels harvested by acres harvested. One bushel of corn equals 56 pounds at 15.5% moisture. Use scale tickets from the elevator for total bushels and GPS-measured acreage for accuracy.
Illinois consistently ranks among the top corn yield states at around 214 bu/ac average. Iowa is close behind at 204 bu/ac. Washington state has the highest yields on a per-acre basis for irrigated corn (220+ bu/ac), but produces far fewer total acres.
Iowa's average corn yield is approximately 204 bushels per acre, well above the US national average of 177. Top Iowa farms routinely exceed 250 bu/ac with optimal management, irrigation, and high-yield hybrids.
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