By Gary Schnitkey and Nick Paulson et.al
Corn is the primary grain crop in the US and soybeans are the primary oilseed crop. Corn and soybeans have become foundational crops in modern agriculture. Over time, a growing share of US acreage has been planted to corn and soybeans, particularly compared with other grains such as wheat, barley, oats, and rye. Corn yields have increased more than any other major crops grown in the U.S., increasing its competitiveness with the other major grains.
Acres in Major Program Crops
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides baseline projections over the next 10-years for eight major row crops. The farmdoc daily article from April 14, 2026 shows historical acreage from the 1930s to the present. In this article we focus on acreage changes from 1995-1997 to 2024-2026. The 1995 – 1997 period coincides with the passage of the 1996 Farm Bill, often referred to as Freedom to Farm, which eliminated most acreage constraints from previous farm bills. As a result, market forces have largely influenced acreage changes since the mid-1990s. A summary of acreage changes from 1995-1997 to 2024-2026 is:
- Corn acres increased from 77 million in 1995-1997 to 95 million acres in 2024-2026, an increase of 24%.
- Soybean acres increased from 66 million to 84 million, an increase of 29%.
- Wheat acres decreased from 71 million to 45 million, a decrease of 37%.
- Barley acres decreased from 7 million to 2 million, a decrease of 65%.
- Cotton acres decreased from 15 million acres to 10 million, a decrease of 34%.
- Oat acres decreased from 5 million to 2 million, a decrease of 56%.
- Peanut acres increased from 1.4 to 1.8 million, an increase of 24%.
- Rice acres decreased from 3.0 million to 2.7 million, a decrease of 11%.
- Sorghum acres decreased from 11 million to 6 million, a decrease of 41%.
Of those major crops, only three had increases in acres: corn (24%), soybeans (29%), and peanuts (24%). Of those three crops, corn and soybeans are much larger, respectively at 95 million and 84 million acres, compared to 1.8 million for peanuts.
Over time, corn and soybeans have become the two dominant crops in the United States. Corn and soybeans accounted for nearly 40% of the acreage in major crops in the 1930s (see Figure 1). That percentage increased to 55% in 1995 to 1997. Growth continued from 1995 onward, with that percentage over 70% from 2024 to 2026. The USDA began publishing a broader measure of total field crops in 1993 that includes grains, oilseeds, fiber crops, legumes and pulses, potatoes, and forages. In 1993, corn and soybeans were 42% of all field crops planted.
Source : illinois.edu