With changing commodity prices and rising input costs, many farmers are taking a closer look at their crop plans for next season — what acres will go to soybeans and what acres will go to corn, for the second or third season in a row.
In 2025, 98.7 million acres of corn were planted — up 9% from 2024, according to the USDA. As inputs and commodity prices continue to change, there’s no doubt that those market conditions will lead to continuing corn-on-corn acres in 2026.
While growing corn-on-corn is a common practice, it comes with a specific set of nutrient management requirements needed to maximize yield potential.
“To get a good crop and good yield, there are a lot of things — fertility-wise — you have to get in line when you’re growing corn-on-corn,” says Austin Blair from Rockwell City, Iowa.
Blair grows corn and soybeans and also raises cattle and hogs. Most of his corn acres go toward feeding his livestock, so a quality crop and maximized yield are key to his bottom line across all areas of his operation.
“Between hogs and cattle, there are a lot of mouths around here to feed, so we need as many bushels as we can grow from our acres,” says Blair. “When you put the pencil to paper, even though it’s a higher input crop, corn still pencils better than a high-yielding soybean once you get your fertility figured out.”
The average corn yield for 2025 is expected to be 186.7 bu/ac, according to the USDA, a significant increase from 2024’s 179.3 bu/ac average. Based on our Nutrient Removal Calculator, a corn crop removes:
| Harvested for grain (190 bu/ac average) | Harvested for silage (20 tons/ac average) |
| 127.3 lbs/ac of nitrogen (N) | 194 lbs/ac of nitrogen (N) |
| 66.5 lbs/ac of phosphorus (P) | 62 lbs/ac of phosphorus (P) |
| 47.5 lbs/ac of potassium (K) | 146 lbs/ac of potassium (K) |
| 15.2 lbs/ac of sulfur (S) | 22 lbs/ac of sulfur (S) |
| 15.2 lbs/ac of magnesium (Mg) | 46 lbs/ac of magnesium (Mg) |
Not replenishing the soil with the nutrients that it needs year after year can create even more problems in the long run and could make it more difficult to rebound in the upcoming years. By ensuring every acre is fertilized each year, soil is set up to better support a growing crop — and maximize Return on Fertilizer Investment (ROFI).
“It’s important to remember what you’re removing from the soil every year. I’m not just throwing soybeans out and getting that nitrogen benefit,” Blair says. “I’ve also got to deal with more corn residue, which can tie up a lot of nutrients. It can get pretty tough.”
Cool, moist soils and with a heavier residue cover can suppress the uptake of P by corn and increase the likelihood of crop response to fertilizer. Addressing corn stalk residue while keeping sustainability and affordability in mind can make all the difference.
“Since we strip-till, we’ve implemented a stalk decomposition product to try to get that residue to break down and mineralize so the next corn crop can use it,” says Blair.
Today’s nutrient choices directly impact soil productivity for seasons to come. In a market where every input dollar needs to work harder, skipping fertility can cost more in the long run — especially on corn-on-corn acres. Acres left under-fertilized can take years — sometimes decades or more — to fully recover, risking future yield potential and ROFI.
