Are You Ready for the 2026 Growing Season?
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By Cutting Edge Consulting
Equipment is being prepped, operating lines have been renewed, and inputs such as seed, chemicals, fuel, and crop insurance are either already checked off or soon will be. But have you considered the attitude, mindset, and demeanor of yourself and your team?
Character is most clearly revealed during difficult times. True integrity shows when we choose courage over comfort.
Thankfully, raising profitable soybeans is now more achievable, as improved prices over the past month or two have brightened the outlook. The following table provides a clear benchmark of the yields you'll need at various production costs per acre to ensure profitability.
Soybean production costs/Acre:
(seed, chemistry, fertilizer, equipment, interest, land, fuel, labor, insurance)
| Cost/Acre | Price | Bushels to Breakeven |
| $600 | $11.50 | 53 bpa |
| $650 | $11.50 | 57 bpa |
| $700 | $11.50 | 61 bpa |
| $725 | $11.50 | 63 bpa |
| $750 | $11.50 | 66 bpa |
| $775 | $11.50 | 68 bpa |
| $800 | $11.50 | 70 bpa |
We’re concerned that soybeans often don’t receive the same attention to detail or level of standards as corn. Too often, we see soybeans quickly planted, with less care taken for consistency in planting depth (ideally 1.75–2"), uniform spacing, and ensuring proper seed-to-soil contact. Another common gap in our crop plan is not taking full advantage of elite seed treatments for seedling diseases, insects, inoculants, growth promoters, and products to manage SDS, especially in earlier-planted soybeans. This oversight can be costly.
There’s a myth that soybeans will “adapt” to less-than-ideal planting conditions. While it’s true that soybeans have the ability to adapt, that often means they settle for just average yields, not the high yields we’re aiming for. To push for higher-yielding soybeans, consider these strategies:
- Plant early/timely into fit conditions
- Invite your AgVenture representative to verify the planting process
- Adopt more aggressive fertilization for phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, boron, manganese, molybdenum, etc. (maintain a 1:7 ratio of P:K and aim for 4% K on the B Sat Chart)
- Track the ratio from planting population to stand count, and compare full producing plant count to stand count - it’s often eye-opening
- Utilize foliar nutrition of potassium, sulfur, nitrogen, humates, and micronutrients
- Apply insecticide and elite fungicide with a nutritional treatment at R3
- Harvest soybeans above 13% moisture with a draper head
- Spread residue evenly across the entire width of the header (especially difficult on 45’ heads)
By focusing on these tactics, we can close the gap between average yields and exceptional soybean performance.
The USDA Corn Report caught most of us off guard a few months ago.As we looked more closely at the data, it became clear that yields in much of Nebraska, parts of Kansas, Iowa, northern Missouri, a large portion of Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, most of northern Indiana, and west and northwest Ohio were significantly higher than the national average in the mid-180s.
It’s hard for us to imagine enough acres in Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Delta/Mid-South, or the Dakotas yielding below 150 bushels per acre when so many major regions produced 200–220+ bushels per acre.
On a positive note, corn exports are surging, thanks to a shrinking dollar and the current corn price. Ethanol use is strong, and livestock sectors are posting good numbers. We see $5.00 corn on the board as entirely possible.
To achieve financial success in 2026, it’s vital that we execute our corn and soybean production plans with precision. Let’s make sure we’re using all the resources available for guidance, advice, and motivation, so we’re ready to maximize our opportunities.
Opinions expressed are of those of Cutting Edge Consulting and its employees.