WASHINGTON D.C. — The amount of corn and soybeans planted in 2020 is projected to be much higher across the country than last year when record spring rains left many acres unplanted.

The prediction is from the National Agricultural Statistics Service under USDA.

According to NASS, 97 million acres of corn are expected to be planted nationwide, an increase percent increase over 2019.

83.5 acres of soybeans or 10 percent more than 2019 are projected to be planted in the U.S. this year. Planted acres of corn is expected to be up or unchanged in 38 of the 48 estimated states, NASS said.

According to NASS, the amount of soybeans in the ground is anticipated to be higher or equal to last year in 22 of the 29 estimated states. The projections vary in states including those in the Midwest.

In Indiana, 5.8 million acres of corn or 16 percent more than last year are projected to be planted while soybeans are estimated to be the same as the 5.4 million acres planted in 2019.

A 25 percent increase in both corn and soybeans planted in Michigan is projected for 2020. Michigan hit especially hard by waterlogged fields last year is expected to have 2.5 million acres of corn and 2.2 million acres of soybeans in the ground for the upcoming season, according to NASS.

Illinois growers are expected to plant 11.3 million acres of corn and 15.5 million acres of soybeans this year. That would mean an 8 percent increase in corn and 6 percent hike in soybeans from last year in the state, NASS said.

Farmers in Ohio also hit especially hard last year by spring rains are projected to have 32-percent more corn in the ground this year and 12 percent more soybeans. Total planted acres in Ohio for 2020 are estimated at 3.7 million for corn and 4.8 million for soybeans, NASS said.

In Kentucky, 1.5 million acres of corn or 50,000 fewer acres than 2019 and 1.8 million acres of soybeans or 6-percent more than last year are forecast this year. David Knopf, director of the NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Office in Kentucky, pointed out farmers in the state planned to follow a typical crop rotation this year based on their responses to surveys in March. “A typical crop rotation is corn one year and soybeans the next and this report shows corn moving down and soybean acreage up,” he stated.

According to NASS, the amount of winter wheat seeded in the fall nationwide was down from 2018 by one-percent at 30.8 million acres. 

Seeded winter wheat in Kentucky, though, was up by more than 17 percent at 540,000 acres in the fall. There were 340,000 acres of winter wheat seeded in the fall in Indiana, an increase of 3 percent from the previous year.

Michigan at 520,000 acres saw a 4-percent drop in seeded winter wheat from 2018 while the 570,000 acres of seeded winter wheat in Illinois was 12 percent less than the previous year. 

Ohio at 510,000 acres of seeded winter wheat a 2 percent increase over the previous year.