Mississippi soybean, corn crops may set yield records

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- August would typically be too early to accurately forecast Mississippi’s soybean crop, but this year, it is a month ahead of schedule – far enough along to predict a promising harvest.

Mississippi State University Extension soybean specialist Justin Calhoun anticipates a state record-breaking yield in 2026. The previous record, 57 bushels per acre, was last reached in 2023.

Calhoun’s update was one of several shared by specialists and researchers with MSU Extension and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station during the annual Row Crop Field Day at the MSU R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Center Aug. 17.

The event gave producers, agricultural professionals and MSU graduate students an opportunity to tour research plots at the facility known commonly as “North Farm.” Participants heard the latest observations from agricultural specialists and researchers on crop progress, insect and disease management, and ongoing research projects.

Growers in the state planted about 2.3 million acres of soybeans this year. As of Aug. 17, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated 66% of the state’s soybeans are in either good or excellent condition, with another 31% described as fair.

Widespread early planting helped give this year’s soybean crop a head start, Calhoun said, and timely rainfall brought about the possibility of record-breaking yields.

“The Delta soybean crops look average. What’s really going to make up the ground, I think, is the beans on the eastern side of the state,” he said. “Most of that ground that has normally been planted in May, maybe even June, got planted in late March or early April, on into that optimal window of mid-April.”

He also discussed ongoing research at MSU examining planting dates, seeding rates and replant thresholds. One study is evaluating soybean populations as low as 45,000 seeds per acre to determine how effectively modern soybean varieties can compensate for thinner stands.

“We have been overseeding soybeans, especially with some of these newer, more aggressive varieties,” Calhoun said. “The recommendation of 130,000 to 140,000 seeds per acre is a little high. In some scenarios, different tillage practices, cover crops, the more factors we throw in there, we might have to adjust some, but we’re seeing some of those extreme low seeding rates being able to fill in.”

Cotton, corn crops approach finish line

Mississippi cotton acreage increased from around 300,000 acres last year to about 360,000 acres planted statewide in 2026, said MSU Extension cotton specialist Brian Pieralisi.

Most of the crop was planted during the preferred early May window, though roughly one-third was planted later because of weather and field conditions.

“Most of our early cotton is trying to finish out blooming, and we’re trying to get past the threat of insect pressure,” Pieralisi said. “I’d say two-thirds was planted during our optimum window of May 1-10 and another third was planted in late May or early June.

“There’s so many variables in cotton,” he said. “We can say we have a good crop out there and it’s looking really good, but you don’t know until the very end.”

Pieralisi highlighted several ongoing research efforts, including statewide variety evaluations, planting date studies and population trials designed to help growers balance seed costs with yield potential.

MSU Extension corn specialist Erick Larson said harvest is well underway, with producers gathering what he expects will be one of the state’s best corn crops on record. Part of that success is due to early planting.

“This is the first year in my career that we planted the entire crop during the month of March,” Larson said.

A mid-March freeze damaged some early-planted corn, and excessive rainfall during late May and early June around tasseling limited yield potential in some fields and created stress during a critical stage of kernel development. Researchers observed heat stress symptoms and kernel tip-back in many fields, despite adequate soil moisture.

Even so, abundant moisture and favorable growing conditions across much of the state are producing strong yields, enough for Larson to also expect a new state yield record average – well over 200 bushels per acre.

“Despite having all the dry conditions that we did throughout the early part of the growing season, our biggest limitation on yields is too much water,” Larson said. “It started raining Memorial Day, and we had very abundant rainfall during a time period that is probably when the plants are most sensitive.”

The field day also showcased corn hybrid demonstration plots that complement the university’s statewide variety trials and provide producers with side-by-side comparisons.

Insects, diseases remain limited

MSU Extension entomologist Whitney Crow said insect pressure has been relatively light across much of the state this year, although producers should continue scouting fields as crops mature.

In cotton, the primary concerns remain thrips, tarnished plant bugs and bollworms. Crow said growers have reported more questions about whiteflies this season, likely aided by hot, dry weather conditions that also favor aphid populations.

“We’re seeing more damage, so there are some things that are changing,” Crow said of recent bollworm activity. “Do I necessarily think it’s resistance? No, but we’re seeing more damage.”

Crow encouraged growers to use structured field counts when evaluating potential bollworm infestations and to report unusual feeding activity so researchers can continue monitoring populations for potential resistance issues.

In soybeans, she said loopers and stink bugs have been the primary insect concerns. Red-banded stink bugs, which can continue feeding later into the season than other species, have been reported in the east-central, south and Delta areas of the state.

MSU Extension plant pathologist Tom Allen said major disease problems have generally remained manageable in both corn and soybeans.

Although Mississippi’s corn crop often matures before the disease can significantly reduce yields, Southern rust remains a primary concern. Allen said Extension specialists continue monitoring disease movement and updating national disease tracking systems that help producers make fungicide decisions.

“From a corn hybrid, germplasm standpoint, a lot of our hybrids tend to be pretty tolerant of the Southern rust organism,” Allen said, “but you get some of the germplasm up in the upper Midwest, and many of those appear to be more susceptible to that particular organism.”

In soybeans, Allen said growers have continued asking questions about common foliar diseases such as frogeye leaf spot, Septoria brown spot and target spot, but disease development has varied widely depending on local weather conditions and variety selection.

Allen also highlighted ongoing research evaluating disease-resistant soybean varieties and monitoring stem and root diseases that can impact yield potential.

MSU Extension specialists also held a row crop field day at North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona Aug. 20.

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