2026 Crop Conditions Tour Summary

Penn State Extension educators visited 46 corn and 39 soybean fields across 20 counties during our 2026 Crops Conditions Tour. In general, the southeast suffered for lack of rain this year, while the rest of the state came out ahead of average.

The tour took place during the first two weeks of September, so crop quality in your area may change by the time this report is published.

Background

Several distinct stretches of weather across the state have largely set the stage for our corn and soybean growing season. Portions of the state began accumulating growing degree days (base 50) as early as March of 2026, due to the extremely warm air masses introduced at the end of February. Sporadic rainfall events during March and April allowed some producers to prepare fields early, while others were forced to wait for fields to dry before winter forage harvest or spring planting could begin. A prolonged period of dry weather began in late May and continued to mid-July, which improved field access for planting and herbicide and fertilizer applications midway through the growing season. Though dry weather prevailed, temperatures did not rise to the extreme where they could cause crop injury, and plants were able to utilize moisture deeper in the soil to sustain their early-season growth. Beyond mid-July, rainfall returned to the state, with varying levels of intensity. Some portions of central and southeastern Pennsylvania received single-rainfall events that provided an excess of six inches of precipitation at a time! Recently, cooler temperatures have coupled with timely rains necessary to extend the grain fill period – our hope is that many fields had adequate moisture during the early reproductive stages to encourage favorable pod set, ear set, and grain fill.

At the Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Lancaster County, cumulative precipitation (Figure 1) roughly matched the 10-year average for the growing season, between May 12th (planting) and September 15th (current day). Rainfall accumulation for the period was approximately 0.05 inches (<0.1%) below the 10-year average. At the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, located in Centre County, rainfall totals (Figure 2) exceeded the 10-year average by about 6.77 inches (36 percent) during the same period. Rainfall events at the Centre County location may represent the central, northern, and western regions of the state, where rainfall timing and intensity, not rainfall totals, are the limiting factor in crop development.

Growing degree day accumulation is illustrated in the next series of charts from the same locations examined earlier; we use it to highlight the larger trends in seasonal temperature fluctuations. Although growing degree days have a greater influence on the rate of maturation in corn than in soybeans, identifying seasonal trends tends to signal periods of rapid or delayed growth. SEAREC (Lancaster County) accumulated 121 fewer growing degree days (base 50/86°F) than the 10-year average, while RELARC (Centre County) accumulated 24 more growing degree days than normal. An interesting trend is that the rate of accumulation has slowed in southeastern PA, while the central PA location has seen the same rate of growing degree day accumulation – meaning temperatures are still productive even recently in September.

Use caution when interpreting the values in the charts above; these sites are just two of the 85 fields that educators toured during the 2025 Crops Tour. Some of the local limiting factors beyond individual rainfall and growing degree day accumulations might include planting date, timing of rainfall, and onset of cool, fall weather (or frost). Individual crop stressors from pest pressure, soil depth and moisture capacity, nutrient application and timing, and individual hybrid or variety selection will vary from field to field.

Corn condition and outlook

The overall average tour-wide corn yield was 188 bushels per acre, up nine bushels or five percent from the 2025 tour. In the southeast, educators estimate close to average yields with lower-than-average quality. The outlook is better for the rest of the state, with better than average yields expected, especially in the west, and above average to very good quality.

Table 1 breaks the state into regions based on growing season and weather patterns. Average data and observations for other factors are listed by region below:

West

Included Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, and Washington Counties

• Planting date: ranged from May 5 to June 3
• Relative maturity: 105 days
• Plant population: 29,000 plants per acre
• Growth stage at time of tour: R4-R6
• Diseases – low level gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, one field with corn smut, one field with tar spot
• Pests –vertebrate damage noted in most fields (deer, bird, raccoon, bear); some corn earworm noted; weed escapes noted
• Abiotic issues – Some tipback and stalk lodging

Northern Tier

• Tour included Carbon and Wyoming Counties
• Planting dates: ranged from early to late May
• Relative maturity: 99 days
• Plant population: 28,000 plants per acre
• Growth stage at time of tour: R4-R5
• Diseases – Heavy gray leaf spot in one field
• Pests – severe bird damage in one field, some weed escapes
• Abiotic issues – tipback and spotty pollination in one field

Central

• Tour included Centre, Columbia, Perry, and Schuylkill Counties
• Planting dates: ranged from April 25 to late May
• Relative maturity: 107 days
• Plant population: 29,000 plants per acre
• Growth stage at time of tour: R4-R5
• Diseases – low level gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, and tar spot; one location with smut
• Pests – Japanese beetle and sap beetle larva
• Abiotic issues – minimal tipback

Southeast

• Tour included Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Montgomery, and York Counties
• Planting dates: April 7 to June 16
• Growth stage at time of tour: R4-R5
• Relative maturity: 110 days
• Average plant population: 30,000 plants per acre
• Diseases – Widespread gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, minor tar spot, corn smut in few fields
• Pests – some stinkbug, corn earworm, slugs, deer damage, some weed escapes
• Abiotic issues – Some greensnap, tipback, poor pollination

Please note that our corn yield estimates have historically been slightly higher than USDA NASS annual report values, though our estimates reflect the same up-and-down trends shown by USDA NASS.

Soybean condition and outlook

Educators noted that overall, soybeans had moderate pest and disease issues. Similar to the rainfall gradient trend we saw in corn, pod counts were much better than last year and better than average in the West, Northern Tier, and Central regions, while pod counts were the lowest they have been since 2022 in the southeast. We use pod counts due to inaccuracy of soybean yield estimates at this time of year. In areas that received higher than average rainfall, taller than normal soybeans were noted, alongside some significant lodging.  Table 2 breaks the state into regions based on growing season and weather patterns. Average data and observations for other factors are listed by region below:

West

Included Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Indiana, and Washington Counties

• Planting date: ranged from April 11 to May 12
• Maturity group: 3.0
• Growth stage at time of tour: R5-R7
• Diseases – widespread brown stem rot, otherwise very little disease
• Pests – Deer, groundhog, or bear damage in several fields, weed breakthroughs in several fields
• Abiotic issues – lodging

Northern Tier

• Tour included Carbon and Wyoming Counties
• Planting dates: ranged from late April through May
• Maturity group: 2.9
• Growth stage at time of tour: R5-R6
• Diseases – light septoria
• Pests – light stinkbug, grasshopper, deer pressure
• Abiotic issues – some tall beans at risk of lodging

Central

• Tour included Centre, Columbia, Perry, and Schuylkill Counties
• Planting dates: Early May
• Maturity group: 3.3
• Growth stage at time of tour: R6
• Diseases – low levels of white mold, downy mildew, frogeye and septoria leaf spot
• Pests –Japanese beetles, green stinkbugs, grasshoppers, marestail and pokeweed break throughs
• Abiotic issues – Undescribed physiological disorder noted in one field

White mold in soybeans in central PA. Photo Credit: Adriana Murillo-Williams, Penn State Extension

Southeast

• Tour included Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Montgomery, and York Counties
• Planting dates: April 13 to May 20
• Growth stage at time of tour: R5-R7
• Maturity group: 3.6 (2.9-3.9)
• Diseases – widespread downy mildew, septoria
• Pests – Mexican bean beetle and green stinkbugs noted at multiple fields, low level widespread level grasshopper and stinkbug feeding, deer pressure at some fields
• Abiotic issues – none listed

While much of the state is optimistic about yields this year, weather, pests, and diseases can still reduce test weight and seed quality, so maintain optimism, but temper expectations for this year's soybean crop.

Special thanks

Thank you to all the educators who participated in this effort: Justin Brackenrich, Stephen Campbell, Zack Curtis, Andrew Frankenfield, Anna Hodgson, Ashley Isaacson, Erin Kuprinka, Tosh Mazzone, Dwane Miller, Adriana Murillo-Williams, Heidi Reed, and Del Voight.

Lastly, thank you to all the farmers who cooperated with educators, allowed access to fields, and shared crop data with our team.