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Crops

2027 Crop Cost & Return Guide

Purdue’s first 2027 crop budgets provide a starting point for estimating crop costs, revenues and returns. Use the accompanying spreadsheet to adjust the assumptions for your own farm.

August brings late-summer weakening while Iowa soybean basis surges

Corn basis has weakened across much of the Eastern Corn Belt since late July, while soybean basis has taken a very different path. The biggest surprise? Iowa, where soybean basis strengthened sharply despite seasonal trends that pointed toward weakening.

Do Cover Crops Pay?

Michael Langemeier gave a webinar entitled “Does Cover Crops Pay?” as part of Soil Health Nexus Digital Café on August 19, 2026.

Comparison of Long-Run Rates of Return for Crop and Livestock Farms

Have crop farms or livestock farms generated better long-run returns? Michael Langemeier compares rates of return for beef, dairy, diversified, and crop farms from 2007–2025, revealing why recent livestock price strength hasn’t translated into a clear long-run advantage.

Organic Farming Pays More… So Why Aren’t More Farmers Switching?

Organic crops often generate higher profits—but that doesn’t mean every organic farm succeeds. In this Purdue Commercial AgBrief, Purdue ag economist Michael Langemeier analyzes five years of FINBIN enterprise data to compare the profitability of conventional and organic crop production.

July Crop Basis Update: Strengthening Continues, But Seasonal Decreases Loom

Corn and soybean basis continued strengthening across much of the Eastern Corn Belt through mid-July, although some local markets have already begun to soften. See where basis is strongest, where it’s weakening, and what seasonal trends suggest for the weeks ahead.

Corn Basis Is Doing Something Unusual This Summer

Corn and soybean basis strengthened across much of the Eastern Corn Belt over the past month — a surprising shift from the typical seasonal pattern of basis weakening heading into June. Josh Strine breaks down the latest corn and soybean basis trends, how current basis levels compare with historical averages, and what strengthening basis could mean for grain marketing decisions heading into July.

Brazil’s 2027 Corn & Soybean Crop May Fall Short of Expectations

Brazil, the world’s largest soybean producer and a major corn exporter, is facing a more complicated production outlook for the 2027 crop year. Low commodity prices, high fertilizer costs, tighter credit conditions, and El Niño conditions, already present and expected to strengthen later this year, are all weighing production prospects. In this Purdue Commercial AgBrief, Joana Colussi looks at the key factors that could influence Brazil’s next crop season, and what it could mean for U.S. corn and soybean producers.

June Crop Basis Update: Region-Wide Strengthening Continues

Corn and soybean basis strengthened broadly across the Eastern Corn Belt over the past month, breaking from typical seasonal trends. Indiana and Ohio continue to show some of the strongest basis levels in the region, while recent gains in Iowa have narrowed historical gaps. Use the Purdue Crop Basis Tool to monitor local opportunities as summer marketing decisions approach.

Conventional and Organic Enterprise Net Returns

Higher prices don’t always guarantee higher profits. New Purdue research examines the tradeoffs between organic and conventional crop production, including yield differences, cost structures, and the factors driving farm-level profitability.

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