4.5 Article

Soybean Spatiotemporal Yield and Economic Variability as Affected by Tillage and Crop Rotation

Journal

AGRONOMY JOURNAL
Volume 108, Issue 3, Pages 1267-1280

Publisher

AMER SOC AGRONOMY
DOI: 10.2134/agronj2015.0363

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  1. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University

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Tillage and crop rotations are practices that influence yields and economic returns. This study was conducted at seven locations in Iowa from 2003 to 2013 with a split-plot design. Tillage systems [no-tillage (NT), strip-tillage (ST), chisel plow (CP), deep rip (DR), and moldboard plow (MP)] were the main treatment and rotations [corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) (C-S), corn-corn-soybean (C-C-S), and continuous corn (C-C)] were the subplot. The objectives were to investigate: (i) annual soybean yield variability, (ii) appropriate tillage systems and crop rotations within location, and (iii) rotation effect on soybean yield and economic returns for the C-S cropping system. Soybean yield varied from 1.5 to 5.0 Mg ha(-1) across Iowa with 21% variability. The yield response to tillage systems at different locations was not significant and the economic return with NT ($1258 ha(-1)) exceeded that with conventional tillage ($1241 ha(-1)). Input costs excluding land rental and crop insurance were lower with NT ($463 ha(-1)) than with conventional tillage ($512 ha(-1)). The C-C-S rotation resulted in greater soybean yields (9%) and economic returns (11%) than the C-S rotation in five out of seven locations. The effect of C-S, C-C-S, and C-C was consistently higher in the southern locations (well-drained soils, warmer temperatures) than northern locations (poorly drained soils, cooler temperatures). Site-specific effects of rotation on soybean yield were greater than tillage system effects. Stable economic returns over time for corn and soybean were more associated with the C-S rotation than with C-C-S and C-C.

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