Nebraska custom rates, 2026 survey
Sigurd Lindquist, CCA · numbers from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Center for Agricultural Profitability
What farmers and custom operators in Nebraska said they charged or paid for custom work, as the 2026 Nebraska Agricultural Custom Rates (Nebraska Extension EC823, April 24, 2026) printed it. Rates are survey averages; your local custom operator may charge more or less.
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| Job | Average | Range | Answers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land tillage | |||
| Disk harrowing, primary (heavy) | $20.69 per acrerange $7.00 to $30.00 | $7.00 to $30.00 | 27 |
| Disk harrowing, finishing (light) | $19.47 per acrerange $7.00 to $26.00 | $7.00 to $26.00 | 29 |
| Harrowing, spike or spring tooth | $14.75 per acrerange $8.00 to $28.00 | $8.00 to $28.00 | 8 |
| Chisel plow for primary tillage | $25.75 per acrerange $17.00 to $36.00 | $17.00 to $36.00 | 8 |
| Deep chisel | $36.00 per acrerange $28.00 to $60.00 | $28.00 to $60.00 | 8 |
| Subsoil or rip | $27.40 per acrerange $15.00 to $35.00 | $15.00 to $35.00 | 15 |
| Field cultivator | $19.28 per acrerange $9.00 to $26.00 | $9.00 to $26.00 | 16 |
| Vertical or turbo tillage | $21.31 per acrerange $14.00 to $28.00 | $14.00 to $28.00 | 18 |
| Strip tilling | $25.67 per acrerange $14.00 to $36.00 | $14.00 to $36.00 | 9 |
| Strip tilling with fertilizer application | $26.71 per acrerange $18.00 to $36.00 | $18.00 to $36.00 | 14 |
| Rolling stalk chopper, not PTO driven | $15.29 per acrerange $12.00 to $20.00 | $12.00 to $20.00 | 7 |
| Cultivation tillage, conventional | $21.33 per acrerange $12.00 to $40.00 | $12.00 to $40.00 | 6 |
| Cultivation tillage, handling residue | $18.75 per acrerange $12.00 to $26.00 | $12.00 to $26.00 | 8 |
| Cultivation tillage, hill or ditch | $21.62 per acrerange $12.00 to $50.00 | $12.00 to $50.00 | 13 |
| Planting and post planting | |||
| Drilling small grains, conventional drill | $17.86 per acrerange $10.00 to $25.00 | $10.00 to $25.00 | 14 |
| Drilling small grains, no-till drill | $22.55 per acrerange $15.00 to $40.00 | $15.00 to $40.00 | 31 |
| Drilling soybeans, conventional drill | $22.33 per acrerange $18.00 to $25.00 | $18.00 to $25.00 | 6 |
| Drilling soybeans, no-till drill | $24.02 per acrerange $15.00 to $40.00 | $15.00 to $40.00 | 26 |
| Seeding CRP ground | $30.00 per acrerange $15.00 to $45.00 | $15.00 to $45.00 | 8 |
| Seeding cover crops, drill | $22.27 per acrerange $15.00 to $30.00 | $15.00 to $30.00 | 28 |
| Planting row crops, no coulters, with band applicator | $26.36 per acrerange $15.00 to $49.00 | $15.00 to $49.00 | 14 |
| Planting row crops, no coulters, without band applicator | $29.19 per acrerange $20.00 to $44.00 | $20.00 to $44.00 | 8 |
| Planting row crops, coulters, with band applicator | $30.01 per acrerange $20.00 to $50.00 | $20.00 to $50.00 | 20 |
| Planting row crops, coulters, without band applicator | $25.95 per acrerange $18.00 to $36.00 | $18.00 to $36.00 | 15 |
| Ridge planting, with band applicator | $28.26 per acrerange $20.00 to $42.00 | $20.00 to $42.00 | 17 |
| Ridge planting, without band applicator | $29.14 per acrerange $20.00 to $45.00 | $20.00 to $45.00 | 11 |
| Haying and baling | |||
| Mowing hay | $18.71 per acrerange $10.00 to $25.00 | $10.00 to $25.00 | 7 |
| Raking hay | $8.17 per acrerange $5.00 to $12.50 | $5.00 to $12.50 | 15 |
| Swathing with crushing/crimping | $19.26 per acrerange $14.00 to $25.00 | $14.00 to $25.00 | 17 |
| Raking cornstalks | $9.67 per acrerange $4.00 to $15.00 | $4.00 to $15.00 | 6 |
| Baling large round bales with net wrap | $17.88 per balerange $12.00 to $25.00 | $12.00 to $25.00 | 26 |
| Baling cornstalks, large round bales with net wrap | $21.22 per balerange $18.00 to $27.00 | $18.00 to $27.00 | 9 |
| Loading and moving large round bales | $4.82 per milerange $2.00 to $7.00 | $2.00 to $7.00 | 11 |
| Small grain harvest | |||
| Combining small grains (no hauling), flat rate | $47.39 per acrerange $36.00 to $65.00 | $36.00 to $65.00 | 9 |
| Combining small grains, minimum rate (plus an average $0.24 a bushel above 24 bushels) | $33.57 per acrerange $30.00 to $45.00 | $30.00 to $45.00 | 7 |
| Hauling small grain to local storage | $0.21 per bushelrange $0.15 to $0.33 | $0.15 to $0.33 | 11 |
| Application of fertilizer | |||
| Dry fertilizer solid broadcast, including labor and applicator | $9.66 per acrerange $8.00 to $17.00 | $8.00 to $17.00 | 14 |
| Dry fertilizer, variable rate | $12.48 per acrerange $9.00 to $22.00 | $9.00 to $22.00 | 12 |
| Liquid fertilizer, constant rate, labor and applicator | $12.82 per acrerange $8.00 to $25.00 | $8.00 to $25.00 | 22 |
| Liquid fertilizer, variable rate, labor and applicator | $15.25 per acrerange $9.50 to $23.00 | $9.50 to $23.00 | 18 |
| Anhydrous ammonia, knife with coulters | $19.69 per acrerange $10.00 to $25.00 | $10.00 to $25.00 | 16 |
| Insect, disease and weed control | |||
| Spraying weed control, self-propelled sprayer | $9.85 per acrerange $7.00 to $12.50 | $7.00 to $12.50 | 29 |
| Crop spraying by drone (fungicides, insecticides and/or herbicides) | $15.17 per acrerange $13.00 to $20.00 | $13.00 to $20.00 | 6 |
| Harvesting grains and soybeans | |||
| Combining irrigated corn, flat rate | $50.70 per acrerange $25.00 to $82.00 | $25.00 to $82.00 | 30 |
| Combining irrigated corn, flat rate | $0.32 per bushelrange $0.26 to $0.45 | $0.26 to $0.45 | 8 |
| Combining dryland corn, flat rate | $49.29 per acrerange $30.00 to $82.00 | $30.00 to $82.00 | 42 |
| Combining high moisture corn, flat rate | $58.60 per acrerange $47.00 to $75.00 | $47.00 to $75.00 | 10 |
| Combining high moisture corn | $0.34 per bushelrange $0.26 to $0.45 | $0.26 to $0.45 | 8 |
| Combining soybeans, flat rate | $50.87 per acrerange $28.00 to $85.00 | $28.00 to $85.00 | 38 |
| Hauling operations | |||
| Hauling irrigated corn, field to local storage (15 miles or less) | $0.14 per bushelrange $0.05 to $0.28 | $0.05 to $0.28 | 31 |
| Hauling dryland corn, field to local storage (15 miles or less) | $0.15 per bushelrange $0.06 to $0.28 | $0.06 to $0.28 | 39 |
| Hauling high moisture corn, field to local storage (15 miles or less) | $0.15 per bushelrange $0.10 to $0.25 | $0.10 to $0.25 | 15 |
| Hauling soybeans, field to local storage (15 miles or less) | $0.15 per bushelrange $0.06 to $0.27 | $0.06 to $0.27 | 34 |
| Grain from combine with tractor and grain cart to edge of field | $5.83 per acrerange $4.00 to $8.00 | $4.00 to $8.00 | 6 |
| Grain with truck to storage or elevator, flat rate | $0.16 per bushelrange $0.07 to $0.30 | $0.07 to $0.30 | 22 |
| Other custom services | |||
| Grain bin storage, no air or electric charge included | $0.02 per bushel a monthrange $0.01 to $0.04 | $0.01 to $0.04 | 7 |
| Grain bin storage, with air or electric charge included | $0.03 per bushel a monthrange $0.01 to $0.06 | $0.01 to $0.06 | 6 |
| Mowing grass (CRP or pasture) | $154.29 per hourrange $100.00 to $250.00 | $100.00 to $250.00 | 7 |
| Checking pivots during irrigation season | $14.19 per acrerange $5.00 to $35.00 | $5.00 to $35.00 | 9 |
| Closing pivot tracks | $161.11 per hourrange $50.00 to $250.00 | $50.00 to $250.00 | 9 |
| Closing pivot tracks | $357.14 per pivotrange $100.00 to $1,000 | $100.00 to $1,000 | 7 |
| Tractor rent, greater than 250 hp | $158.57 per metered hourrange $85.00 to $400.00 | $85.00 to $400.00 | 7 |
| Custom contract farming | |||
| Dryland soybeans (average 6.8 trips over the field; no input costs) | $125.00 per acrerange $100.00 to $180.00 | $100.00 to $180.00 | 6 |
108 responses; rates reflect late winter 2025 and early 2026. Reported rates include charges for equipment, fuel, labor, and supplies such as baling wire or twine. Seed, fertilizer, and chemical costs are not included unless otherwise specified. Rows are from the report's State Summary (operations with six or more answers). The range is the lowest and highest answer.
The State Summary's dryland corn contract farming row repeats the CRP mowing row's numbers exactly and has no matching detail table, so it is left out. The summary labels small grain hauling "cents per bushel"; the detail table says "flat rate per bushel" and shows dollars, so it is listed per bushel.
Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Center for Agricultural Profitability, the survey. AGSIST did not set these rates and does not adjust them. Bordering states with a survey here: Iowa (2026), Kansas (2026), Missouri (2023).
Questions
What does custom combining cost in Nebraska?
In the 2026 Nebraska Agricultural Custom Rates (Nebraska Extension EC823, April 24, 2026), combining corn averaged $50.70 per acre ($25.00 to $82.00, 30 answers) and combining soybeans averaged $50.87 per acre ($28.00 to $85.00, 38 answers). Rates are survey averages; your local custom operator may charge more or less.
What is the custom planting rate in Nebraska?
Planting row crops, no coulters, without band applicator: $29.19 per acre in the 2026 survey ($20.00 to $44.00, 8 answers). The survey's other planting lines are in the table above.
What does custom spraying cost in Nebraska?
Spraying weed control, self-propelled sprayer: $9.85 per acre in the 2026 survey ($7.00 to $12.50, 29 answers). Chemical is not included.
Who set these rates?
Nobody set them. They are averages of what farmers and custom operators told University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Center for Agricultural Profitability they charged or paid. AGSIST copied them from the survey and links it. Your local custom operator may charge more or less.
What is included in a custom rate?
Reported rates include charges for equipment, fuel, labor, and supplies such as baling wire or twine. Seed, fertilizer, and chemical costs are not included unless otherwise specified.
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