2026 Soybean Projected Cost of Production

Mar 27, 2026

By Jonathan LaPorte and Eric Anderson

Farm profitability is a bottom-line priority for farmers and is a challenge in any year, but particularly in times when input costs are on the rise and grain prices are flat or falling. When margins are tight, farmers need to know their cost of production to determine what inputs and practices are profitable and which ones may need to be put on hold. The new MSU Extension 2026 Projected Cost of Production for Soybeans tool is intended to serve as a starting point for discussions on both expected income and expenses for individual farms.

There are three versions of the cost of production tool included in a single downloadable Excel file:

The Base Projection version provides an estimate for farms seeking to minimize costs without sacrificing yield. It uses a yield goal of 50 bushels per acre with aligning chemical plans and assumes a fertility plan based solely on rate of nutrient removal.
The Build-Up version is the same base model as the Base Projection but includes added fertility based on soil test results that recommend additional fertilizer inputs to build up soil test levels.
The Push Production version provides an estimate for farms seeking to push maximum yield output. It uses a yield goal of 75 bushels per acre with aligning chemical plans and fertilizer inputs based solely on rate of nutrient removal.

Income values are derived from price projections from composite grain buyers across Michigan and yield data for Michigan from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Expenses are based on the latest Illinois production costs report from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), compositive prices from Michigan retailers, five-year average benchmark data from the FINBIN database (finbin.umn.edu), and current price trends.

Source : msu.edu

Video: Our Own On-Farm Research Is the Best Source - Managing White Mold in Northeast Nebraska

If you assumed Nebraska was too hot and dry for white mold to be a problem in soybeans, think again.

This week we're featuring Galen Samuelson, a farmer and dealer from Wakefield, Nebraska, who knows all too well how devastating white mold can be.

"We don't have it consistently every year, but with our temperature and humidity, it can hurt us quite bad," Samuelson says. Looking for alternatives, he explains, "What I like about Heads Up is that it's non-harmful to the beneficial fungal colonies in the soil." Galen has been using Heads Up for several years now, after first hearing about it through a small ad in a regional newspaper. Watch below to hear about his journey.

When asked to write about Samuelson Seed, Galen said the following:

"Samuelson Seed is a 4th-generation, family-based company. It started with my grandfather, and I'm now starting to pass the torch to my son, Caleb."

"In the early 1990s, I started working with a company whose focus was on plant and soil health before those benefits were widely known. I've continued to keep plant and soil health the main focus in our farming operation decisions."