South Dakota's corn and soybean crops are heading into harvest carrying the damage of a dry summer. The USDA Crop Production report of 11 September forecasts the state's corn yield at 145 bushels an acre, 26 bushels below last year's 171, and its soybean yield at 42 bushels, five below the 47 of 2025.

On those yields the state would harvest 846.8 million bushels of corn from 5.84 million acres and 226.8 million bushels of soybeans from 5.4 million acres. Last year South Dakota produced 237.82 million bushels of soybeans on 5.06 million acres, so a larger planted area will not make up for the lower yield.

Crop condition tells the story. In the Crop Progress report of 14 September USDA rated only 36% of the state's corn good to excellent, with 14% very poor and 19% poor. Soybeans were rated 43% good to excellent, with 27% poor or very poor.

The US Drought Monitor map of 10 September showed just under 6% of South Dakota free of dryness. About a quarter of the state was abnormally dry, 38.8% was in moderate drought, 22.7% in severe drought and 7.4% in extreme drought.

The heat has hurried the crops along. By 13 September, 86% of the corn had dented and 38% was mature, against a five-year average of 26%, and 3% had already been harvested. Nearly half of the soybeans, 48%, were dropping leaves, eight points ahead of normal, and 1% had been cut.

Sorghum is further along still: 32% mature and 10% harvested, nine points ahead of the average pace, though the crop is rated only 33% good to excellent. Winter wheat planting for next year's harvest had reached 17%, up from 2% a week earlier and close to the usual 20%.

For the northern Plains the season is shaping up as the reverse of the eastern Corn Belt, where USDA has raised yield forecasts; the shortfall in states like South Dakota is part of why the department cut its national corn yield to 178.5 bushels an acre this month. Reporting by Kacey Birchmier.

Source: Successful Farming