New Jersey Corn Yield & Precision Agriculture Data 2025
New Jersey Corn yield reached 161.0 bu/acre in 2025 — 25.5 bu/ac below the US average of 186.5 bu/ac. State-level estimates, sourced directly from USDA NASS.
Corn yield trend
New Jersey vs the US average, 2020–2025 (6 years of USDA NASS data)
| Year | New Jersey (bu/ac) | US average (bu/ac) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 156 | 171.4 |
| 2021 | 163 | 176.7 |
| 2022 | 114 | 173.4 |
| 2023 | 168 | 177.3 |
| 2024 | 157 | 179.3 |
| 2025 | 161 | 186.5 |
How New Jersey compares
Top Corn-producing states, 2025 yield
| State | Yield (bu/ac) | vs US avg |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 251 | +34.6% |
| Oregon | 236 | +26.5% |
| Illinois | 214 | +14.7% |
| Iowa | 210 | +12.6% |
| Idaho | 209 | +12.1% |
| Indiana | 204 | +9.4% |
| Minnesota | 201 | +7.8% |
| Nebraska | 194 | +4% |
What this data means for New Jersey Corn farmers
New Jersey corn yields reached 161 bushels per acre in 2025, a modest 4 bu/ac improvement over the 157 bu/ac recorded in 2024 and a recovery from the drought-stressed low of 114 bu/ac in 2022. The five-year trend shows a broadly resilient production base, with yields ranging from 156 to 168 bu/ac in most seasons outside that 2022 anomaly. Even so, New Jersey still trails the national average by a significant 25.5 bu/ac, sitting at 161 bu/ac against the US benchmark of 186.5 bu/ac, a gap that represents real lost revenue on every acre planted across the state.
At the current cash price of $4.35 per bushel, closing even half of that 25.5 bu/ac yield gap would generate an additional $55.46 per acre for New Jersey growers, a meaningful margin improvement in a tight-price environment. Precision ag tools targeting variable-rate seeding, soil-moisture monitoring, and in-season nitrogen management are well-suited to address the sandy, variable soils common across much of the state, where uniform input application routinely leaves yield on the table. A grower farming 500 acres who captures a 12 bu/ac yield lift through prescription fertility and irrigation scheduling would add roughly $26,100 to gross revenue annually. With input costs already under pressure, that kind of data-driven return makes precision technology adoption one of the stronger investments available to New Jersey corn producers right now.
Precision ag platforms used by New Jersey Corn farmers
Overview of major platforms — features and fit for different operation sizes. No sponsored content.
Precision ag ROI calculator
Estimate annual savings for your New Jersey Corn farm based on acreage and current yield
Estimate the payback on variable-rate seeding, zone-based fertility, and overlap reduction for your farm.
Estimate only — based on industry-average implementation costs (variable-rate seeding $18/ac, zone-based fertility $22/ac, overlap reduction $9/ac; $12,000 fixed + $17/ac ongoing) and USDA yield benchmarks, not a quote.
Frequently asked questions — New Jersey Corn
Why does New Jersey corn yield at 161 bu/acre fall so far below the US average of 186.5 bu/acre?
New Jersey's corn yields are constrained by its humid Mid-Atlantic climate, fragmented farm sizes, and sandy coastal plain soils that have lower water-holding capacity and organic matter than Midwest corn belt soils. Pressure from fungal diseases like gray leaf spot and tar spot, combined with heat stress during pollination in July, further reduces yield potential compared to cooler, more continental growing regions. These structural and environmental factors make closing the 25.5 bu/acre gap with the national average a long-term agronomic challenge.
What is the potential ROI of precision agriculture tools for a New Jersey corn farmer at current prices of $4.35 per bushel?
At $4.35 per bushel, each additional bushel per acre gained through precision ag practices such as variable-rate fertilization, soil EC mapping, or drone-based scouting translates to $4.35 in gross revenue per acre. If precision inputs help a New Jersey grower close even 10 bu/acre of the gap versus the US average, that represents $43.50 per acre in added revenue, which can offset the cost of many precision ag subscriptions or sensor deployments within a single season. Given New Jersey's high land costs, maximizing yield efficiency through data-driven decisions is particularly critical to farm profitability.
Which USDA programs are available to New Jersey corn farmers looking to improve yields and manage production risk?
New Jersey corn growers can enroll in USDA's Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC-CO) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs through the Farm Service Agency to protect against revenue or price shortfalls relative to benchmark levels. The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) also offers the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides cost-share payments for conservation practices like cover cropping and nutrient management planning that can improve long-term corn productivity. Additionally, USDA Risk Management Agency crop insurance products, including Yield Protection and Revenue Protection policies, are widely available to help New Jersey corn farmers manage weather-related losses.
What local growing conditions in New Jersey most limit corn yield potential and how can farmers address them?
New Jersey's Outer Coastal Plain soils are often excessively drained and low in cation exchange capacity, causing nitrogen leaching and drought stress during the critical grain-fill period, while the Inner Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions offer heavier soils but face compaction and drainage challenges. High summer humidity increases disease pressure and can reduce pollination efficiency, making hybrid selection with strong disease resistance packages especially important for New Jersey producers. Farmers can partially offset these limitations through precision soil sampling to optimize lime and fertilizer applications, selecting drought-tolerant hybrids rated for the Mid-Atlantic region, and implementing irrigation scheduling based on evapotranspiration data where infrastructure exists.