Wet Harvest Means It’s Time to Scout

The 2026 growing season has had a unique weather pattern, and it looks like fall harvest is not going to be any different. It has been several years since we have had a wet harvest, and hopefully this dries up soon and we have several more years before we see another one. The last two to three weeks have not shown this to be likely, with rain keeping soils saturated across our trade territory.

Many corn fields were in the 20% to 30% moisture range before this rain and have not progressed much farther with all of the heat and humidity. Soybeans had, and many fields still have, a lot of green and yellow foliage left on them. Early planted varieties are rapidly losing leaves during this wet spell, and a few fields in our territory have lost all of their leaves during this weather event.

With this weather, it is going to be important to get out in the fields when they dry up enough to do so and check for stalk strength and grain quality issues that may have developed or worsened with the damp soil. Do push tests to check for crown rot and other stalk rot issues. A push test is simple. Grab the stalk just above the ear and push the plant toward the next row, then let go. If it breaks off, there is an issue. Fields that do not pass the push test should be prioritized in your harvest schedule.

While you are in these fields looking at grain quality, it is also a good time to assess any disease damage, such as sudden death syndrome in soybeans, crown rot and anthracnose top dieback in corn, just to name a few that I have found as of late. Having this information can help you make seed selections for the next growing season. You can look for hybrids and varieties that have better resistance to these diseases or make sure to add a seed treatment to help prevent them.

Talk with your local SFG agronomist about any of these issues, and we will be happy to help you find seed that is a better fit for your farm.