Idaho grain crops fare better than expected following harsh winter
Juliet Marshall, extension specialist and associate director of the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station, holds up a soft white winter wheat variety while discussing results of her 2026 variety trials at the University of Idaho’s Aberdeen Research and Extension Center. University of Idaho photo
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — The 2026 growing season has brought devastating losses for many grain farmers across southern and eastern Idaho. Still, overall damage could have been much worse, according to a University of Idaho researcher.
The combination of drought stress, frost damage and elevated pest and disease pressure following an unusually warm, dry winter forced many regional farmers to mow down large acreages of fall wheat and barley rather than continue raising them. Other cereal fields, however, have recovered surprisingly well.
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