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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Agroecosystem Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #314390
Title: Long-term corn and soybean response to crop rotation and tillage

Author
item Sindelar, Aaron
item Schmer, Marty
item Jin, Virginia
item Wienhold, Brian
item VARVEL, GARY - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/11/2015
Publication Date: 8/28/2015
Citation: Sindelar, A.J., Schmer, M.R., Jin, V.L., Wienhold, B.J., Varvel, G.E. 2015. Long-term corn and soybean response to crop rotation and tillage. Agronomy Journal. 107(6):2241-2252. DOI: 10.2134/AGRONJ15.0085.

Interpretive Summary: Long-term agronomic studies are valuable sources of information for understanding crop responses to agronomic management decisions over a wide range of weather conditions. An on-going long-term study in Nebraska was used to evaluate the effects of 28 years of crop rotation and tillage selection on corn and soybean grain production and yield stability. The study found that crop rotation had a larger degree of influence on corn production than tillage selection, as corn grown in rotation with soybean yielded more than when grown continuously in all responsive years (19). However, this yield advantage decreased as the environmental yield potential increased. A similar response was observed for soybean, as yields were greater when rotated with corn than when grown continuously in all 18 responsive years. Tillage selection had a lesser degree of influence on corn and soybean production. However, the data suggested soybeans grown under no-tillage yielded better than the other tillage systems after an approximate 11-year lag period. For corn, no apparent rankings existed, which indicates corn production can be maximized with any tillage system when managed properly. Overall, these results indicate that crop rotation has a larger degree of influence than tillage selection on corn and soybean production across a wide range of weather conditions over a 28-year period.

Technical Abstract: Crop rotation and tillage system selection can affect corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production. Long-term experiments are essential to understand how crop rotation and tillage practices affect crop production and resiliency to variable weather conditions. A 28-yr rainfed experiment was conducted in Nebraska to evaluate the effect of crop rotation (CC, continuous corn; CS, corn phase of corn-soybean rotation; SS, continuous soybean; SC soybean phase of corn-soybean rotation) and tillage system (CH, chisel; DK, tandem disk; MP, moldboard plow; NT, no-till; RT, ridge-tillage; ST, subsoil tillage) on grain yield and yield stability. Corn grain yield differed between CS and CC in 68% of cropping yr, with CS yielding more than CC in all responsive yr. However, the corn grain yield advantage in CS decreased as CC yield increased. Soybean grain yield with SC was greater than SS in 67% of cropping yr, and similar in the remaining 33%. All crop rotation and tillage system combinations, except CH for soybean, were determined to produce stable grain yields across a range of environmental yield levels based on stability analyses. Corn grain yields were affected by tillage in 29% of cropping yr. Soybean in NT resulted in consistently high and stable grain yields following an initial 11 yr lag period. These results indicate crop rotation has a greater impact on corn and soybean production than tillage system in the western Corn Belt, though nearly all combinations can produce stable yields if well-managed.