Page 18 2026 Spring Farm Outlook LINCOLN DAILY NEWS March 2026 The ripple effect According to the February 2026 drought report from NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, the states of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio saw below-average precipitation. This means that a moderate to extreme drought persisted in this area, with new areas of extreme drought emerging in southern Missouri. Regarding our faithful farmers of Logan County, the bottom line is that with no precipitation the effects are much greater than just crops not growing well. The movement of crops includes harvesting, storing, and transporting the finished product and what is not easily known is those extra costs when a drought happens. Let’s look at some of the other effects that a Logan County resident that is not normally associated with farming life may not realize impacts farmers. Effects on crop production – How the soil moisture stress reduces the yield and plant development According to Drought.gov, 100% of Logan County is currently affected by drought, with conditions ranging from moderate to severe. Below normal precipitation has reduced both the topsoil and the subsoil moisture, which limits root growth and nutrient uptake. Since corn and soybeans are especially sensitive to moisture stress during the reproductive stages, this will increase the risk of reduced kernel filling in corn and poor pod development in soybeans. The University of Illinois Extension field observations for Logan County report moderately dry soils, visible plant stress, and uneven crop maturity within fields. While field edges may appear ready for harvest, the interior areas remain green and underdeveloped due to uneven moisture availability. This variability complicates yield expectations and field management decisions. Extension reports note that soybeans have been more heavily affected than corn in Logan County, with many plants losing green leaf area early because of the prolonged dryness. This limits photosynthesis late in the season and reduces final seed size and weight. Delayed or staggered harvest timing Although drought can speed crop dry down, in parts of Logan County the uneven plant maturity has slowed harvest progress. Extension specialists observed that rainfall events, even the smaller ones, temporarily halted harvest while drought stressed fields matured inconsistently. This forced producers to harvest fields in multiple passes rather than all at once.
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