Building a Maximum Yield Cropping System for Corn, Wheat and Double-cropped Soybeans

IPNI-1990-USA-MD6

02 Mar 2000

1999 Annual Interpretive Summary

Building a Maximum Yield Cropping System for Corn, Wheat, and Double-Cropped Soybeans, 1999

A four crop/three year cropping system consists of no-till soybeans in corn stubble, followed by minimum till wheat, no-till soybeans, and then no-till corn the third year. The goals of this study are to develop a systems management program that increases crop yield level, input efficiency, and profit potential.

In the first year, the rotation improved corn yield by 14 bu/A and soybean yield by 5 bu/A. Specifically, full season soybeans in the new rotation yielded 37 bu/A. Corn yielded 174 bu/A in the new rotation system, while the conventional corn/soybean rotation yielded 144 bu/A.

A record yield of wheat for the region was harvested during 1997...151 bu/A as compared with the Maryland state average of 60, the highest farmer yield of 85 bu/A, and the highest previous research yield of 125 bu/A.

Narrow row corn studies with two hybrids (P-3394 and SS 682 each at 28,900 final stand) showed a 7.2 percent yield increase with 15-inch rows (193 bu/A) as compared to 30-inch rows (180 bu/A).

In 1998, corn yield increased from 44 to 127 bu/A with the application of 120 lb/A of N with no-till while yield response to N increased from 39 to 124 bu/A with 160 lb/A N under conventional tillage. In 1999, as in 1995-97, the top corn grain yields resulted from no-till corn in various rotation patterns with wheat and soybeans. Grain yields ranged from 151 to 158 bu/A. The goal for wheat yields in 2000 is 100 bu/A hard red winter wheat with a good test level and protein levels above 13 percent. MD-06F