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News Column

Paul C Hay, Extension Educator

Crop Rotation Studies

Dryland crop rotation studies at the University of Nebraska - South Central Station are being evaluated for production and for profitability. The joint research project is being conducted by University Extension Specialist Roger Elmore, Fred Roeth, and Roger Selley.

The rotations being studied are milo-soybean-wheat, corn-soybean-wheat, and milo-soybean-covercrop (wheat killed in the early spring). Let's look at the production and profitability study results on each rotation separately.

The milo-soybean-wheat has three-year average yields from 1998-2000 of 107 bu/a milo, 45 bu/a soybeans and 43 bu/a wheat. It is clear that the wheat stubble no-tilled to milo has a prositive effect on the milo yields. The average return to land and management is $97 per acre. This figure should be used for comparative purposes only. Don't take it to the banker as a profit point because while the expense calculations were done on a comparative basis, land charges and management expenses have to considered before a profit could be estimated.

The corn-soybean-wheat has three-year average yields of 117 bu/a corn, 45 bu/a soybeans and 42 bu/a wheat. It is again clear that the corn no-tilled in the wheat stubble benefits greatly from the stored moisture. This is consistent with the farmer rotation data I have been collecting. Corn has a better upside yeild potential in the best situations like no-tilled into wheat stubble. The extra corn yields out-weigh the added costs and the return to land and management is #111 per acre. New technology is a definite factor in this study,because of the relative lower cost of herbicides for the Roundup ready corn used in this study. The corn herbicide costs reported for corn were less than half that reported for milo.

The milo-soybean-covercrop yields were 94 bu/a for milo and 45 bu/a for soybeans. The milo yield suffers some from the moisture loss from the growing wheat. It is critical in this rotation that the wheat die early in the spring. The soybean yields are relatively unaffected by these three rotation choices. Most farmers are well aware of the very strong correlation of August rain and soybean yield. That strong relationship overrides most other considerations. It even overrides the advantage of the wheat stubble which gives good response in yield to milo and corn. In my farmer yield data, sobyeans only have a one bushel per acre response in wheat stubble. We can grow grand beans, but August rains are a necessity. The return to land and management from this roation is $107 per acre. This is a staement of how bad the wheat business is, return is better if we kill it.

This study is continuing and we will have updated information following the 2001 harvest. Crop rotation is certainly a must for the dryland crop producer in Southeast Nebraska. The roation selection should include mainline crop like corn, soybeans, milo and wheat. We are forced to reduce wheat acres in times of low profitability, but it still gives us income at a different time of year, spreads workload, provides a different weed cycle, and certainly reduces the risk level for dryland corn and milo yields. While corn and soybeans have to be major choices we still need milo and wheat for diversity of weed, workload, weather and market.

View other Gage County News Columns & News Letters: http://gage.unl.edu/news/news.htm

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