Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Increase corn yields with the addition of wheat to your rotation

Follow this guide for planning your soybean crop prior to the wheat

By Patrick Lynch, CCA-ON
Farms.com

Depending on what research you look at, if you put wheat into your crop rotation you can increase corn yields by 10 to 20 bu/ac. (Indeed, I spoke with one grower this month who said on his farm there was a 20 bu/ac difference in a side-by-side comparison in 2016.)

If you believe this research, you need to plan now where you will plant wheat this fall. Once you have made this decision, you need to pick a soybean variety.

If the farm/field can be planted early, pick the best variety for that farm/field. If, for some reason, the farm/field will be planted later, then pick an earlier variety. You will give up yield on the soybeans but will have a corn yield increase the following year.

 

If you are in an area of 2,800 CHUs or more, you can consider double-cropping soybeans after the wheat crop. The total soybean yield over the two seasons will be greater than picking a long-season variety. In the latter case, you risk not getting wheat planted in a timely fashion this fall after the soybean harvest. 


Trending Video

Will a Weak U.S. High-Pressure Ridge = Summer Grain Rally?

Video: Will a Weak U.S. High-Pressure Ridge = Summer Grain Rally?


U.S. weather remains bearish through the 2nd - 3rd week of June but the forecast for a weak hot/dry weather forecast for the U.S. Western Corn Belt for end of June/July could see a late corn summer rally.
Where are the 90 trade deals in 90 days? Stocks continue to climb the wall of worry with U.S. Q1 earnings +13% better than expected!
A head and shoulders bottom in wheat looks promising ahead of the U.S. harvest.
The Sunday night weather forecast will become more critical over the next 10-12 weeks!