The 2026 US corn harvest has spread to 12 of the 18 largest producing states, USDA said in its Crop Progress report of 14 September, and in two of them more than half the crop is already out of the field. Texas stood at 73% harvested and North Carolina at 54% as of 13 September, both slightly ahead of their five-year averages.

Tennessee had cut 44% of its corn against a normal 28%, Kentucky 32% against 21%, Kansas 29% against 18% and Missouri 23% against 13%. Further north the season is just opening: Illinois at 8%, Nebraska and South Dakota at 3%, Indiana and Iowa at 2% and Wisconsin at 1%. No harvest had been reported in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio or Pennsylvania.

The yield picture is uneven. In its 11 September Crop Production report USDA cut its forecast for Kansas to 121 bushels an acre, 24 below last year, for Nebraska to 177 from 183 a month earlier and 194 last season, for South Dakota to 145 from 151 in August and 171 last year, for Illinois to 209 from 212 and for Indiana to 200 from 206. Texas is expected to average 114 bushels against 135 in 2025 and North Carolina 120 against 144.

Iowa moved the other way, raised to 219 bushels an acre from 216 in August and 210 last season. Tennessee was lifted to 181 from 163 in August and Kentucky is forecast at 191 against 167 a year ago, with Beck's agronomist Rob Nalley reporting harvest progressing well there despite spotty rain.

Agronomists in Illinois described highly variable results. Drew Beckman of Beck's said many yield reports were 10 to 15% below earlier expectations, and Wyffels agronomist Robby Meeker said early reports suggested the state's crop would be off by more than the 10% growers had hoped. Ryan Gentle of Wyffels in eastern Illinois said fields that died early from crown rot were running 190 to 200 bushels while fields that stayed green were making 230 to 260.

Condition ratings mirror the geography: Iowa has 76% of its corn rated good to excellent and Kentucky 77%, while North Carolina has 52% rated poor or very poor and Texas 35%. In Iowa, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said another wet week would limit fieldwork, and Beck's agronomist Lee Koenigsfeld urged farmers to harvest as soon as they could because disease was starting to weaken stalks.

Taken together the state figures explain USDA's decision this month to lower the national corn yield to 178.5 bushels an acre and production to 15.8 billion bushels. Reporting by Natalina Sents Bausch.

Source: Successful Farming