2026 Corn Crop Faces Variable Harvest Due to Early Season Stresses

As the 2026 corn crop nears harvest time, growers in parts of the Eastern Corn Belt are facing one of the most variable crops in recent memory.

The season's early- and mid-season stresses have left a much less uniform crop, with some fields struggling to recover from too much water and heat.

Ken Ferrie, a Farm Journal Field Agronomist working with growers across Illinois, estimates that corn yields are 20 to 40 bushels per acre below last year's levels.

Ferrie notes that dead corn can be a challenge for farmers to estimate accurately in their yield estimates. He says growers shouldn't simply count every plant equally when a field contains significant numbers of dead or severely compromised plants.

Field Agronomist Missy Bauer adds that disease pressure is also becoming increasingly difficult, with crown rot and tar spot infections on the rise in some areas.