Harvest is underway across Iowa, and one of the biggest surprises this season may not be on the yield monitor. It is at the fuel pump. Diesel prices have increased sharply ahead of the 2026 harvest season, substantially increasing operating costs, making every tillage pass more expensive than budgeted for last winter. Harvest fuel costs are unavoidable; however, you may not need as much fall (or spring) tillage as you think to prepare for the 2027 growing season. 

Iowa rainfall in 2026 has arrived in “big buckets”, with above average temperatures and rainfall raising concerns about crop quality and post-harvest storage. Nearly three-quarters of Iowa’s weather stations reported at least 4 inches of rainfall or greater in September, according to ISU’s Mesonet data. As fields begin to dry out, several concerns have emerged about grain quality, both in-field and post-harvest.

Persistent rainfall across much of the Corn Belt have slowed both field operations and natural corn grain drydown this fall. As farmers evaluate harvest timing, the Iowa State University Corn Drydown Calculator can help estimate how quickly grain moisture will decline and support harvest scheduling decisions.