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.

Soybean seed diseases are showing up across Iowa, which isn’t surprising considering the wet weather experienced in parts of the state over the past month (Fig 1). The rain is a double whammy for farmers this time of year as it favors continued fungal development and keeps combines from getting in the field. Some of the primary seed diseases showing up are purple seed stain and Diaporthe seed decay.