Every growing season brings its own challenges and lessons. One day you celebrate an effective management strategy, and the next you sit defeated, thinking, “We’re not doing that again next year.”

The 2026 season delivered the most unique situation for farmers in recent memory. Weather extremes made consistency hard to come by, with some areas facing excessive rainfall and flooding while others endured prolonged drought and persistent heat. Those conditions created a wide range of challenges throughout the growing season and, for many growers, complicated the start of harvest. As combines continue to roll, now is an important time to reflect on what worked, what didn’t and what lessons from 2026 can help shape a stronger management strategy for 2027.

One lesson that stood out this season was the value of starting with a strong weed control program.

“We saw the value of using a strong preemergence herbicide program with multiple effective modes of action,” said Jason Gibson, technical field agronomist, Corteva Agriscience. “When you start clean and put effective residuals in place, you give yourself some breathing room. The weather doesn’t always cooperate when it’s time to make that postemergence application, and this year was a good reminder that you don’t want your entire weed control program depending on getting back into the field at exactly the right time.”

Joe Bolte, technical field agronomist, Corteva Agriscience, saw that play out firsthand. In some areas, rainfall after planting made timely postemergence applications difficult. He noted farmers who utilized an effective preemergence weed control program were seeing fewer and smaller weeds to manage once the fields had dried out.

“A wet May really put some of those early residuals to the test, especially because cooler conditions slowed crop development and delayed canopy closure,” Bolte said. “Growers who built a strong program up front and then incorporated an in-season residual were in a much better position. It reinforced the importance of building a weed control program that can withstand normal weather delays rather than relying on everything going according to plan.”

The inverse was equally true. Gibson noted that waiting for new weeds to emerge before making postemergence applications created their own set of problems. Due to the variety of weather conditions narrowing application windows, it gave weeds the opportunity to grow larger and more resistant to control.

Again, the season reinforced the notion that the details within an herbicide program are what matter.

In fields of Enlist E3® soybeans, Bolte witnessed stronger pigweed control when growers used Enlist One® herbicide plus glufosinate compared with glufosinate alone. Grass control demonstrated another lesson: growers who used the upper end of the labeled rate range of grass herbicides saw greater efficacy.

“We talk a lot about choosing the right products, but rate, timing and the number of effective sites of action matter just as much,” Bolte said. “There are different grass herbicide formulations on the market with different amounts of active ingredient per gallon. Knowing what you’re applying and making sure you’re using the proper labeled rate can make a noticeable difference in the field.”

Bolte saw greater weed control in corn from two-pass programs compared to single-pass approaches. When brought together, these observations make one principle explicitly clear: The weather can’t be controlled, but farmers can build flexible programs for those uncooperative conditions.

Weeds were not the only malignant force demanding attention this year. The western bean cutworm in corn and Japanese beetles in soybeans were identified by Gibson as the top insects in his area. On the other side, Bolte saw relatively low insect pressure apart from alfalfa aphids being significant early in parts of central Kansas, and southern Illinois experiencing isolated aphid pressure.

Disease varied, with Gibson having tar spot and southern rust on his radar in corn, alongside frogeye leaf spot in soybeans. Bolte had gray leaf spot as his primary corn disease concern, with patches of southern rust and tar spot appearing.

Bolte highlights the fact that disease pressure shifts, and that scouting what is happening in the field and thinking about fungicide options that effectively control multiple diseases is what farmers should keep note of.

As the upcoming season is fast approaching, turning these lessons into actionable plans is key.

“The combine cab is one of the best places to start planning for next year, because you’re seeing the results right in front of you,” Gibson said. “Identifying those challenges now gives us an opportunity to build solutions into the plan for 2027.”

The lesson? Be proactive. Strong herbicide programs, timely applications, careful rate selection, and consistent scouting can help farmers prepare for whatever the next growing season brings.

™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. The transgenic soybean event in Enlist E3® soybeans is jointly developed and owned by Corteva Agriscience and M.S. Technologies L.L.C. Following burndown, Enlist Duo® and Enlist One® herbicides with Colex-D® technology are the only herbicides containing 2,4-D that are authorized for preemergence and postemergence use with Enlist® crops. Consult Enlist® herbicide labels for weed species controlled. Enlist Duo and Enlist One herbicides are not registered for use or sale in all states and counties; are not registered in AK, CA, CT, HI, ID, MA, ME, MT, NH, NV, OR, RI, UT, VT, WA and WY; and have additional subcounty restrictions in AL, GA, TN and TX, while existing county restrictions still remain in FL. All users must check “Bulletins Live! Two” no earlier than six months before using Enlist One or Enlist Duo. To obtain “Bulletins,” consult epa.gov/espp/, call 1-844-447-3813, or email ESPP@epa.gov. You must use the “Bulletin” valid for the month and state and county in which Enlist One or Enlist Duo are being applied. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency if you have questions about the registration status of Enlist® herbicides in your area. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW TO USEANY PESTICIDE PRODUCT OTHER THAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS LABELING. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. USE OF PESTICIDE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, 2,4-D- CONTAINING PRODUCTS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE WITH ENLIST CROPS, MAY RESULT IN OFF-TARGET DAMAGE TO SENSITIVE CROPS/AREAS AND/OR SUSCEPTIBLE PLANTS, IN ADDITION TO CIVIL AND/OR CRIMINAL PENALTIES. Additional product-specific stewardship requirements for Enlist crops, including the Enlist Product Use Guide, can be found at www.traitstewardship.com.

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