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What’s Going on With Illinois Corn and Soybean Harvests?

Illinois corn and soybean harvests were slightly ahead of their five-year averages by October 4, 2026, though wet fields and crop conditions varied across regions.
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As of October 4, 2026, Illinois farmers had harvested 36% of the corn crop and 31% of the soybean crop. Both were ahead of their 2021–2025 averages, but conditions varied by region: wet fields were delaying some northern Illinois work while harvest was more active in parts of central and eastern Illinois. The latest available USDA report was released October 5, 2026.

How much of the Illinois crop was harvested?

USDA’s weekly estimate for the week ending October 4, 2026, shows corn harvest 6 percentage points ahead of its five-year average and soybean harvest 2 points ahead. The comparison is with each crop’s own 2021–2025 average; the percentages do not mean the crops are at the same stage or follow the same harvest schedule.

Crop Harvested by Oct. 4, 2026 2021–2025 average Other progress indicator
Corn 36% 30% 92% mature, versus an 88% average
Soybeans 31% 29% 87% had dropped leaves, versus a 90% average

These statewide figures come from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Illinois Crop Progress and Condition report released October 5, 2026. Crop maturity and soybean leaf drop are separate indicators, not direct measures of harvested acres.

What do crop condition ratings show?

The October 5 USDA report also rated crop condition. These ratings describe assessed condition, not harvested share or a final yield forecast.

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Condition Corn Soybeans
Very poor 3% 4%
Poor 9% 8%
Fair 30% 30%
Good 43% 44%
Excellent 15% 14%

Why does harvest look different across Illinois?

A statewide percentage averages over fields with different weather, soil access, maturity and crop conditions. Illinois Extension’s September 25 update described saturated soils and delayed fieldwork in DeKalb County after rain, and harvest in Grundy County that had paused because of rainfall. By contrast, corn harvest was in full swing in DeWitt, Macon and Piatt counties, where early-maturity soybeans had also begun to be harvested. These are dated county observations, not a statewide diagnosis.

Rain and cooler weather had slowed crop drydown in northern Illinois, according to that update. In visited Grundy County fields, corn was at or near black layer, with grain moisture in the upper teens to upper twenties; the report also noted wind-blown or lodged corn. In the central Illinois area it described generally good corn yields in local observations, though below the prior year in that account, along with lodging, stalk-quality problems in some May-planted corn and common kernel tip-back. It also noted above-average ear rot in northern fields. Those observations do not establish statewide yield or losses.

An earlier Extension update, dated September 18, reported harvest underway in Douglas County and rapid corn drydown in observations from Grundy County. It also described uneven soybean maturity, including in field areas that had been temporarily ponded or saturated. Taken together, the reports illustrate why farmers may prioritize fields differently as weather, field trafficability and crop readiness change.

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How should you read the weekly numbers?

USDA NASS says reporters estimate progress and conditions as of Sunday. Its weekly reports compare the current week with the previous week, the previous year where available, and a five-year average. NASS describes the survey as providing updates on farmer activity, crop development and condition; it is an estimate, not a final tally of harvested production. See the agency’s Crop Progress and Conditions Survey description.

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  • Use the dated harvest share to understand how far fieldwork had progressed statewide at that point.
  • Use maturity and leaf-drop figures as crop-development context, not as substitutes for the harvest percentage.
  • Treat county-level Extension reports as local snapshots from their stated dates, rather than evidence that every part of Illinois had the same conditions.
  • Do not read progress or condition ratings as final yield, production, or quality results.

The USDA ESMIS index listed the October 5, 2026 report as the latest release when checked and showed October 13 as the next scheduled release. Because progress changes weekly, figures should be dated and checked against the newest report when discussing later conditions: USDA ESMIS reports index.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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