Farmers pleased with soybean yields, disappointed in corn

FAIRFIELD – The 2025 harvest season has brought both good and bad news to farmers, as the fortune of corn and soybeans headed in opposite directions this fall.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Farm Management Specialist Paul Martin told The Union that early reports on the corn yield in Southeast Iowa have been disappointing. However, the soybean yield was a pleasant surprise. Corn yields for the whole state are projected at 219 bushels per acre, while soybean yields are estimated at 65 bushels per acre.

“We just had one of those perfect growing seasons for soybeans, especially if the land was well-drained,” Martin said.

Corn yields took a hit because of the disease pressure the crop was under, particularly from southern rust. Martin said some farmers may not have chosen to apply a fungicide, or may have done so too soon for corn, because some diseases that hit corn lingered, and southern rust came late in the season.

As the fall harvest comes to a close, farmers are looking ahead to 2026. Martin said that, as a general rule, high-yielding plants draw more nutrients from the soil, and farmers normally add extra fertilizer before planting to compensate for that nutrient loss. However, he warns farmers not to assume that a low-yielding crop only drew a small amount of nutrients from the soil, since the nutrients consumer late in the season might have been wasted fighting disease.

“I caution people not to take any shortcuts on phosphorous and potassium,” he said.

The Union asked Martin if farmers are more optimistic or pessimistic about their outlook in 2026, and he said the needle was somewhere in the middle. Martin said he himself is an eternal optimist, “always finding a silver lining in every cloud.”

“The main message I want people to understand is that cost containment should be a paramount thing,” he said. “As [farmers] are looking to the future, they should get the most out of the government programs that are offered, and though we can’t market our way out of a downturn, we can focus on tightening the purse strings.”

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

The winter is a great time for farmers to attend classes and conferences since they’re not busy in their fields. Martin wanted to highlight a couple of noteworthy programs, both of them to be held in Ottumwa’s Bridge View Center. The first of those is the Beginning and Intermediate Grain Marketing Workshop, to be held Jan. 6-7, 2026.

This two-day workshop is designed for participants with various experience levels, including those with limited and intermediate skills, as well as seasoned, successful grain marketers. Martin said the primary goal of the workshop is that any farmer, farm family member or employee will learn more about how to create successful grain marketing plans to improve selling price.

“There’s also value in getting away from day-to-day work and hearing from marketing experts,” stated a news release from ISU Extension.

According to the news release from ISU Extension, the workshop speakers will include:

• Gary Schnitkey, professor in agricultural and consumer economics and extension farm management specialist, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will discuss cost of production and marketing goals.

• Chad Hart, professor in economics and extension grain markets specialist, Iowa State University, will share a market outlook, teach lessons on options and how to utilize crop insurance in a marketing program.

• Logan Torrance, facility manager at Consolidated Grain and Barge Co., will speak about alternative grain contracts.

• Tim Christensen, Eric Weuve and Martin, farm management specialists with ISU Extension and Outreach, will discuss various marketing tools and activities.

Additionally, a panel of industry sponsors will respond to audience concerns and answer questions.

Registration and accommodations

Those who wish to attend the workshop must register online by Dec. 31, 2025. The registration cost is $100, and the workshop is limited to 60 participants.

This workshop will take place at the Bridgeview Center in Ottumwa, located at 102 Church Street, Ottumwa, Iowa 52501, and will begin at 9 a.m. Participants who require hotel accommodations can arrange lodging at the Cobblestone Hotel & Suites in Ottumwa, which is conveniently located adjacent to the Bridgeview Center. A group rate for the conference is available for guests who can contact the hotel directly at 641-244-3644 and book a room under the “ISU Grain Group.”

For more information, including a complete agenda, visit the Ag Decision Maker website or watch the workshop introductory video. For additional questions, contact Paul Martin at pmartin1@iastate.edu.

CORNBELT COW-CALF CONFERENCE

The other winter event to put on your calendar is the 54th Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference, to be held at the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa on Jan. 23-24, 2026 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.

According to the organization’s website:

“The Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference is one of the longest running and most successful conferences of its kind in the Midwest. For over forty years, the conference has provided an opportunity for producers, researchers, and over 100 industry representatives to come together to explore current topics and issues. This concentrated one-day conference focuses on management and production practices that contribute to making the cow-calf business profitable and competitive on a long-term basis.”

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com

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