Pro Farmer’s 2026 crop tour found corn and soybean conditions below last year’s results, three-year averages and, in several states, USDA’s August estimates. The findings point to yield pressure from heat and drought in western areas of the US Corn Belt, while excessive rainfall and poor pollination affected eastern fields.
Corn yield estimates were 149.1 bushels per acre in South Dakota, 180.2 in Ohio, 163.6 in Nebraska and 183.5 in Indiana. Ohio and Indiana results were notably below USDA projections of 195 and 206 bushels per acre, respectively. Illinois recorded 184.2 bushels per acre, with low grain counts per ear. Soybean pod counts also declined year on year, including a 20.4% drop in South Dakota to 946 pods per 3-by-3-foot area.
The tour challenged expectations for near-record US harvests and supported futures. November soybeans rose 1.7% to $454.5/t, while December corn gained 2% to $196/t. A sustained reduction in US output could tighten global feedgrain and oilseed availability, although the tour results remain an early production indicator for European and Black Sea traders.