Crop Rotations to Enhance Profitability in Western Kansas.

Research on 1 to 4 year crop rotations with wheat, corn and grain sorghum was initiated at the Kansas State University (KSU) Southwest Research-Extension Center (SWREC) near Tribune in 2008.  The crop rotations are continuous grain sorghum, wheat-fallow, wheat-corn-fallow, wheat-sorghum-fallow, wheat-corn-sorghum fallow, and wheat-sorghum-corn-fallow.  The objective of the study is to identify cropping systems that enhance and stabilize production in a semi-arid environment.  Wheat yields tended to be slightly less in four-year rotations than in two- and three-year rotations.  Corn and grain sorghum yields were about twice as great following wheat than following corn or grain sorghum.  Grain sorghum yields were greater than corn in similar rotations.