Crop Rotation Effects on Corn and Soybean Yields and Economic Returns in the Mid-South United States.

Abstract

Historically, cotton has been the dominant crop in the midsouthern United States and was regularly grown in rotation with soybean. However, over the past decade cotton acreage has decreased dramatically and has largely been replaced by corn. While the benefits of a corn-soybean rotation are well understood for other parts of the United States, the effects of a corn- soybean rotation on the yield and profitability of each crop in the midsouthern US have not been quantified. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the effects of different corn-soybean rotational sequences on crop yields and economic returns in order to identify most profitable crop rotation for corn and soybean producers in the midsouthern US. Field experiments were conducted from 2014 to 2016 at seven locations in Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The main-plots were crop rotations involving corn, soybean and grain sorghum under both irrigated and dryland conditions. Sub-plots included residue management treatments where the corn residue was either left in place or burned. The results from these multi-location experiments will be presented during the conference.