Nebraska Farmers Breathe Sigh of Relief as Crops Weather Drought
South-central Nebraska farmers are breathing a sigh of relief as corn and soybean crops have weathered an extremely dry growing season, according to Chris Grams and Steve Nelson. The region's farmers started irrigation systems early this year due to the dry conditions at planting time.
Nelson, a past president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau, noted that 'you deal with Mother Nature and you can't control that.' He added that his family was among those who started irrigating ahead of planting and also used water to incorporate fertilizer and herbicides into their fields.
Despite the challenges, Grams expects a good but not record corn crop. Soybeans were more difficult to judge, with some farmers facing pollination issues.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service lists Nebraska's corn production at 10.75 million bushels planted in 2026 and soybean acre numbers at 4.85 million expected plantings in the same year.