Pro Farmer Crop Tour 2026
The Pro Farmer Crop Tour provides insights into potential corn and soybean production and gathers scout reporting from 2,000+ fields across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota.
Watch Nightly Results
August 17-20, 2026: Tune in here to watch nightly results and analysis starting at 7:55 PM Central.
The Pro Farmer Crop Tour Route
The Pro Farmer Crop Tour 2026 takes place August 17-20, 2026. It simultaneously follows an Eastern and a Western route, with both scouting routes culminating in Rochester, Minnesota. Nightly meetings in each location review daily results, scouting observations and historical comparison data. Attend nightly meetings in person or watch the nightly broadcast online at AgWeb.com/croptour.
Pro Farmer Crop Tour News
Extreme weather situations, including the annual Derecho, hit regions on the eastern leg earlier this year. While the eastern Corn Belt isn’t as dry as its western counterpart, yield potential looks lower than 2021.
Tuesday’s Crop Tour trek through Nebraska and Indiana gave scouts a glimpse at the moderate to exceptional drought Mother Nature has brought down on soil and crops this growing season.
Pro Farmer estimates the U.S. corn crop at 13.759 billion bushels, with an average yield of 168.1 bu. per acre, and the U.S. soybean crop at 4.535 billion bushels, with an average yield of 51.7 bu. per acre.
USDA’s crop production report showed an increase in soybean yields, but a lower national corn yield. Analysts say Pro Farmer Crop Tour next will reveal more answers about this year’s crops and could be a market mover.
Get your day started with a brief rundown of key news.
Crop Conditions News
The Midwest crop is being pushed into black layer (R6) prematurely in some areas in ways that are easy to confuse with normal drydown factors.
The disease is causing turmoil for farmers who have a large crop in the making. In some cases, a Hail Mary fungicide application at R4 up to early dent (R5) might make sense this season, say agronomists.
On the heels of Crop Tour, Pro Farmer projects corn yields at 6.1 bu. below USDA’s August estimate, while soybean yield numbers are nearly aligned.
The Minnesota corn crop is going for gold. Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts expect the crop will reach a record 202.86 bu. average, if it can outpace southern rust and tar spot. Scouts peg the Iowa corn crop at a 198.43 bu. average, but it also faces disease challenges.
Iowa could be the nation’s top state this year for corn and soybeans, but both crops are in a race to beat disease pressure that’s gaining momentum. Illinois corn continues to ride the struggle bus, while the soybean crop there is positioned to deliver high yields.
Pro Farmer Analysis
EPA has already announced granting dozens of SREs and partial exemptions.
Combined, this rule will impact over two billion gallons of renewable fuels demand.
Oil prices have held fairly steady recently, thanks to a generally level supply and demand balance.
USDA’s September 2025 net farm income forecast projects net farm income will rise sharply from 2024.