Crop Mixed Bag: Soybeans are all over the board, cotton is “looking like cotton again,” agronomists say

As the season rolls on, agronomists are keeping a close eye on conditions.

While corn has been holding steady for most of the season, soybeans are telling a different story.

So the soybeans, they’re truly a mixed bag, because you may be one guy who planted early May and has a beautiful crop. Being the guy who planted a week later had a hard time getting a stand. It was beat down. Just very, very variable right now,” said Bayer Technical Agronomist Zach Webb.

On the cotton side, the outlook remains tough. Webb says growers have struggled from start to finish.

“The guys who planted late April have got a phenomenal crop right now. It looks beautiful. But May, as you may remember, was very wet, and wet and cotton planting do not go together. So we got off to a rough start with cotton. But we’ve had a lot of heat, which cotton loves. We’ve had ample moisture, and I’m telling folks now cotton is starting to look like cotton again.”

Despite current conditions, Webb says the cotton crop is starting to make a turnaround. USDA’s latest acreage estimates show U.S. growers planted around 10.1 million acres of cotton this year, which is down 10 percent from 2024.

Related Stories
The goal is to start conversations and connect farmers with help when they need it.
Seasonal pricing strength is lining up with crop stress, giving wheat producers another weather-driven marketing window. Shaun Haney joins us to discuss concerns from ag bankers on farm profitability.
March brought better prices for several commodities, but rising fuel and feed costs kept margins under pressure.
Corn and cotton gave the strongest signals this week, while soybean demand remained softer than in the previous report.
Ethanol demand held together last week, but lower production and thinner stocks put more focus on export strength. Production capacity is also strengthening over time and benefiting soybean farmers.
The farm bill is still moving, but the toughest amendment fights were pushed into today’s session. ASA President Scott Metzger joins us to discuss the risks of tariff actions on soybean exports, concerns over trade policy and production costs, and the importance of Farm Bill updates.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Katelyn joined us on Wednesday’s Market Day Report to discuss her upcoming episode of Dirt Diaries: The FarmHER + RanchHER Podcast and share her ag journey.
California rancher and former NCBA President Kevin Kester joined House Republicans on Tuesday to tout provisions in the Big, Beautiful Bill that support family ranches.
The EPA proposal laid out two options: fully reallocate all exempted volumes to the 2026–2027 standards, or reallocate half.
The Fertilizer Research Act, reintroduced by Sens. Grassley, Ernst, and Baldwin, would direct the USDA to study and publish public reports on competition and pricing trends in the fertilizer market.
Allowing year-round sales of E15 nationally could deliver billions in economic gains, according to a new study from the Renewable Fuels Association and National Corn Growers Association.
U.S. aquaculture may gain competitive ground as harmful subsidies are phased out abroad, but producers should monitor shifts in import supply chains and trade enforcement closely.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.