The results of the annual Pro Farmer/Doane survey indicated an increase in soybean acres and lower corn acres compared to 2025. Plantings of the two most widely grown crops in the U.S. are expected to total 180.25 million acres, an increase of 250,000 acres from the previous year. Combined acreage of corn, soybeans, cotton and wheat is expected to decrease 860,000 acres to 233.75 million acres.
USDA will release its 2026 Prospective Plantings report on Tuesday.
Corn acres expected to fall 2.8%
Our analysis of survey responses indicates producers anticipate planting 96 million acres of corn this year, down nearly 2.7 million acres from 2025. For all surveys, 35% of producers are lowering corn acres, 29% are planting more corn and 36% say corn acres would be unchanged.
Acres are expected to fall in all but one key state: Illinois. Planting intentions are down by 2% or more in Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska and South Dakota. States that saw big corn acres in 2025 in the Western Corn Belt are expected to see the biggest shifts away from the crop, particularly in the Plains. East of the Mississippi, producers are less inclined to switch to soybeans as Eastern Corn Belt states are down just 0.9% from last year. Surprisingly, corn acres are seen as falling in cotton states as well. That shift likely indicates producers are looking for less input-heavy crops.
While it is not a shock corn acres are expected to fall after the recent rise of nitrogen prices and planted acres hitting a 90-year high in 2025, our survey indications point to the decline being slightly less than most would expect. While crop rotations drove most acreage changes, some respondents did indicate input prices as the primary reason for less corn acres in favor of soybeans.
Soybean acres expected to increase 3.7%
Producers indicate they intend to plant 84.25 million acres of soybeans in 2026, up over 3 million acres (3.7%) from last year. For all surveys, 42% of respondents plan on increasing soybean acres, 22% are decreasing bean acres and 36% are holding acres steady.
Each of the eight top-producing states is expected to see an increase in soybean acres, with South Dakota anticipating the largest increase at 10%. Each region saw acreage gains from 3% to 4% aside from cotton states, which are expected to see an 11% surge in soybean acres as producers look for lower-input crops.
Wheat acres down across the board
USDA’s Winter Wheat Seedings report earlier this year indicated a slight drop in seedings from a year ago. Our survey showed a sharper drop more in line with the long-term decline of U.S. wheat acres. Wheat prices in the fall did little to encourage winter plantings. We anticipate acres will come in at 32.8 million, a few hundred thousand acres below USDA’s estimate of 32.99 million acres.
Our respondents not only showed a drop in winter wheat seedings, but also a drop in other spring wheat planting intentions. Other spring wheat plantings are seen at 9.5 million acres, below 9.99 million a year ago. Durum seedings are seen down 35,000 acres from 2025 to 2.1 million acres. Dry conditions in the Northern Plains could limit seedings further come spring, respondents said.
Cotton acres see slight decline
National cotton acres are expected to come in at 9.1 million, slightly higher than the National Cotton Council’s expectation of 9.0 million. If realized, this would be the second lowest cotton acres planted on record, only higher than the 2015-16 crop year that saw 8.58 million acres planted. Farmers indicating fewer cotton acres but steady total cropland acres showed a majority looked to transition toward corn and soybeans, with the split just slightly favoring corn. Responses for cotton were down from last year’s poll, potentially indicating a further acreage decline is possible due to fewer farmers including cotton in their rotations.
A limited look at ‘other’ crop acres
Respondents anticipated a cut in planted acres to sorghum, rice, canola, hay and sugar beets but anticipate increasing acres for barley, sunflowers and dry edible beans. Acreage cuts in most feed grains are not particularly surprising given the generally low commodity prices, pressured by an abundance of supply at the U.S. and global level for most crops in 2025. Several producers also noted they plan to return cropland to pasture, highlighting the disparity of profitability between the livestock and row crop sectors at this time.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out this year’s survey. Your contribution is what helps to make Pro Farmer what it is.