Pro Farmer Crop Tour shows mixed corn and soybean results in Minnesota and Iowa

The final day of the 2026 Pro Farmer Crop Tour highlighted divergent crop conditions across the Upper Midwest. In Minnesota, corn averaged 199.0 bushels per acre, a 1.9% decline from 2025 but still 8.7% above the three-year average, while soybean pod counts rose 0.8% to 1,257.8 per 3-by-3-foot square, 15.4% above the recent average. USDA’s August outlook projected a modest 1.5% drop in corn yield to 197 bushels per acre and an 8.7% decline in soybean yield to 48 bushels per acre.

Iowa’s corn average came in at 194.0 bushels per acre, down 2.2% from the prior year yet 1.4% above the three-year norm, contrasting with USDA’s expectation of a record 216 bushels per acre. Soybean pod counts fell 1.6% to 1,362.9 per 3-by-3-foot square but remained 5.2% above the three-year average, while USDA forecast soybean yields at 62 bushels per acre, a 2.4% decrease.

Tour scouts noted variable conditions within each state. In western Minnesota, observers reported uneven grain length, occasional dryness, and early disease signs in beans, while eastern Minnesota showed stronger corn maturity. Iowa’s eastern leg found the best corn and soybean samples of the week, with minimal disease pressure, though hail damage and sudden-death syndrome were observed in some fields.

Overall, corn yields across the surveyed Corn Belt states fell short of USDA projections, prompting a rally in corn futures that pushed the December contract above $5 per bushel for the first time since May. Soybean markets saw modest price movements, with pod counts staying above the three-year average, leaving the crop’s final outcome dependent on late-season weather.

Pro Farmer will release its national corn and soybean estimates at 1:30 p.m. CT on Friday.