Kacey Birchmier

Drought is intensifying across Minnesota, with nearly 45% of the state now classified as severe drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). Over the past 30 days, most areas in a band from north-central Minnesota through northern Wisconsin recorded less than 25% of normal precipitation, with many locations reporting several tenths of an inch at best during that period, according to the USDM. “We’re in need of some rain,” said Dave Legvold, Northfield, Minnesota, farmer.

According to the 2026 Crop Production report published by USDA Aug. 12, Illinois farmers are expected to harvest 2.3214 billion bushels of corn across 10.95 million acres. In 2025 the USDA reported 2.354 billion bushels of the crop were produced across 11 million acres. The agency forecasts an average yield of 212 bushels per acre in Illinois. Last season, the state’s average yield was 214 bushels per acre, USDA reported.

The season’s first case of tar spot in Delaware has been confirmed in Kent County according to the latest map published by the Crop Protection Network. The foliar disease was first reported on Aug. 5. All three of the state’s counties have a history of tar spot since it was first detected in Delaware in 2023. Cases have also been reported this year in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.