Double Crop Soybean in the Southern Great Plains.

The Southern Great Plains of Kansas and Oklahoma are known for being the wheat belt of the U.S. with roughly 16 million harvested acres. Wheat is an ideal crop to grow in this semi-arid environment. Summers are typically hot and dry, so a winter crop like wheat has an advantage because it determines yield during the cool and moist conditions of the fall and spring. Although there are a large number of crop acres in the region, many challenges for grain production exist, especially for soybean. However, with the sheer number of wheat acres in this region, an opportunity exists to increase double-crop soybean acreage in the heart of the U.S.

Dryland soybean yields in the Southern Great Plains average approximately 30 bu/acre and occurs primarily in areas that receive greater precipitation throughout the year. Annual rainfall is the big determination in crop production, and when trying to grow two crops in the same year it can be difficult in water limited environments. Consequently, much of the double crop soybean production occurs in areas that receive more than 30-inches of annual precipitation. However, the decision to plant double crop soybean occurs on a farmer-by-farmer and field-by-field basis and how much available soil moisture there is after wheat harvest, increasing the success of producing a second crop. Double-crop soybeans have been planted by farmers as early as the 1980’s. Although they yield considerably less than full season, producers can often accept a minimum yield of 15 bu/a to cover input costs.

The potential for the Southern Great Plains to produce additional soybeans as a double crop are immense. However, double cropping soybean after wheat is a risky proposition and often is at the mercy of the weather.