Corn yields may be lower in 2026 thanks to rain, summer heat

MACON COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) – The fall harvest in Illinois is well underway, but the spring rains and summer heat are impacting corn yields.

Reagan Tibbs at the University of Illinois Extension Office in Lincoln tells WAND News he thinks yields will be slightly lower this year when compared to the 2025 crop.

Tibbs points to nice weather, which allowed some farmers to plant early. Farmers saw a lot of rain, especially in June, followed by more rain, heat, rain and heat again.

One Macon County farmer mentioned that the weather fluctuations in the spring may result in his farm seeing lower yields.