Producers surveyed across the United States intend to plant a record high 91.0 million acres of soybeans in 2022, up 4% from last year, according to the Prospective Plantings report released March 31 by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Report Highlights

U.S.

Soybean acreage up 4%

Corn acreage down 4%

Wheat acreage up 1%

Nebraska

Soybean acreage up 2%

Corn acreage down 2%

Winter wheat acreage up 7%

Sorghum acreage down 14%

Planted acreage intentions for soybeans are up or unchanged in 24 of the 29 estimating states. The largest increases are expected in Illinois and Missouri, where producers in each state intend to plant 400,000 more acres than in 2021. If realized, the planted area of soybeans in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin will be the largest on record.

Corn growers intend to plant 89.5 million acres in 2022, down 4% from last year. Acreage decreases from last year of 200,000 or more are expected in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Record high acreage is expected in Nevada and South Dakota. Record low acreage is expected in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The Prospective Plantings report provides the first official, survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers’ 2022 planting intentions. NASS’s acreage estimates are based on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of March from a sample of nearly 73,000 farm operators across the nation. Other key findings in the report are:

• All wheat planted area for 2022 is estimated at 47.4 million acres, up 1% from 2021. This represents the fifth-lowest all wheat planted area since records began in 1919.
• Winter wheat planted area, at 34.2 million acres, is down less than 1% from the previous estimate but up 2% from last year. This is the 10th-lowest planted acreage on record.
• Area planted to other spring wheat for 2022 is expected to total 11.2 million acres, down 2% from 2021.
• Durum wheat is expected to total 1.92 million acres for 2022, up 17% from last year.
• All cotton planted area for 2022 is expected to total 12.2 million acres, 9% above last year.

Nebraska Prospective Plantings

• Nebraska corn growers intend to plant 9.70 million acres this year, down 2% from 2021, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
• Soybean planted acreage is expected to be 5.70 million acres, up 2% from last year and tying the 2017 record if realized.
• All hay acreage to be harvested is expected to total 2.55 million acres, down slightly from 2021. 
• Winter wheat acres seeded in the fall of 2021 are estimated at 980,000 acres, up 7% from last year.
• Sorghum growers in Nebraska intend to plant 275,000 acres, down 14% from a year ago. 
• Oat intentions are estimated at 120,000 acres, unchanged from last year.
• Dry edible bean acreage intentions are estimated at 105,000 acres, down 12% from 2021. 
• Sugarbeet growers expect to plant 45,000 acres, up 1% from last year.
• Sunflower producers expect to plant 38,000 acres, down 8% from 2021. Oil varieties account for 33,000 acres, down 6% from a year ago. Non-oil varieties made up the balance of 5,000 acres, down 23% from the previous year.
• Dry edible pea acreage intentions are estimated at 27,000 acres, down 7% from last year.

NASS also released the quarterly Grain Stocks report to provide estimates of on-farm and off-farm stocks as of March 1. Key findings in that report include:

• Corn stocks totaled 7.85 billion bushels, up 2% from the same time last year. On-farm corn stocks were up 1% from a year ago, while off-farm stocks were up 3%.
• Soybeans stored totaled 1.93 billion bushels, up 24% from March 1, 2021. On-farm soybean stocks were up 26% from a year ago, while off-farm stocks were up 22%.
• All wheat stored totaled 1.02 billion bushels, down 22% from a year ago. On-farm all wheat stocks went down 39% from last year, while off-farm stocks went down 17%.
• Durum wheat stored totaled 29.7 million bushels, down 30% from March 1, 2021. On-farm Durum stocks were down 44% from a year ago, while off-farm stocks of Durum wheat were down 13%.

The Prospective Plantings, Grain Stocks, and all other NASS reports are available online at USDA NASS.