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U.S. Corn Stocks Rise as Soybean and Wheat Supplies Fall

U.S. Corn Stocks Rise as Soybean and Wheat Supplies Fall
Oct 01, 2026
By Farms.com

Corn inventories rose sharply as wheat production and stocks declined, while soybean supplies also moved lower compared with last year.

U.S. corn inventories increased significantly over the past year, while soybean and wheat supplies declined, according to the latest Grain Stocks report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

As of September 1, 2026, old-crop corn stocks reached 2.10 billion bushels, representing a 35% increase from the same date in 2025. Farmers held about 787 million bushels of the total, 22% more than a year earlier. Corn stored at off-farm locations totaled 1.31 billion bushels, rising 44% from the previous year.

Corn disappearance from June through August was estimated at 3.20 billion bushels, compared with 3.09 billion bushels during the same three-month period in 2025.

The report also included updated estimates for the previous marketing year. NASS revised 2025 corn production downward by less than 1%, while the estimate for soybean production was reduced slightly.

Soybean inventories were 3% below their September 1, 2025, level. Wheat supplies also declined. Total wheat stocks were estimated at 1.85 billion bushels, down 14% from a year earlier.

On-farm wheat inventories fell 21% to 547 million bushels, while off-farm stocks declined 10% to 1.30 billion bushels.

Wheat disappearance between June and August totaled 608 million bushels, a 14% decline from the comparable period in 2025.

Durum wheat stocks stood at 62.9 million bushels on Sept. 1, down 13% from the previous year. On-farm supplies decreased 15% to 43.8 million bushels, while off-farm inventories fell 6% to 19.1 million bushels. Durum disappearance during the three-month period was 35.4 million bushels, down 15%.

NASS also released its Small Grains Annual Summary. U.S. all-wheat production for 2026 was estimated at 1.53 billion bushels, down 23% from the revised 2025 figure. Harvested area declined 15% to 31.9 million acres, while average yield fell 10% to 48.1 bushels per acre.

Winter wheat production was 1.02 billion bushels, down 27%; other spring wheat totaled 450 million bushels, down 10%; and durum production reached 64.8 million bushels, down 24%.

Photo Credit: usda


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Supplemental Nitrogen on Soybeans: Can Early Nitrogen Increase Yield?

Video: Supplemental Nitrogen on Soybeans: Can Early Nitrogen Increase Yield?

Can supplemental nitrogen help soybeans reach higher yield potential? Technical Agronomist Tim Sickman walks through an ongoing trial at the Nutrien Innovation Farm in Owensboro, Kentucky, exploring whether a modest amount of nitrogen applied at planting can support higher-yielding soybean environments.

The trial compares 30 pounds of supplemental nitrogen across both 15- and 30-inch rows, along with treatments that include sulfur and micronutrients. Similar trials conducted in 2024 and 2025 delivered a six- to seven-bushel yield response, prompting the team to expand the research this season.

Early observations show that treated soybeans are slightly taller and averaging about two additional nodes on the main stem. These added nodes could create more opportunities for blooms and pods, but the true results will come at harvest when the team evaluates pod development, seed fill and final yield.

In This Video:

Why high-yield soybeans may need supplemental nitrogen

Results from the 2024 and 2025 trials

Nitrogen treatments in 15- and 30-inch rows

Fertilizer placement and application methods

Differences in plant height and node counts

Potential effects on pod development and yield