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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Agroecosystem Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #211349
Title: Comparing production practices and costs for continuous corn and corn-soybean cropping systems: A National Survey of 2005 corn-for-grain producers

Author
item DABERKOW, STAN - USDA ERS
item PAYNE, JAMES - USDA ERS
item Schepers, James

Submitted to: Crops and Soils
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2007
Publication Date: 6/1/2007
Citation: Daberkow, S., Payne, J., Schepers, J.S. Comparing production practices and costs for continuous corn and corn-soybean cropping systems: A National Survey of 2005 corn-for-grain producers. Crops and Soils 40(2):4-7.

Interpretive Summary: The emphasis on ethanol production from corn grain has resulted in an increase in grain prices and anticipated increased profitability for producers involved in the production of corn. This trend is causing a considerable diversion in the land area planted to corn for the 2007 growing season. It is estimated that an additional 12 million acres of corn will be planted in the U.S. in 2007. In many cases, traditional crop rotations will be sacrificed or at least put on hold for at least one year until the supply and demand for corn grain reaches a new equilibrium level. Many scientists and agricultural consultants are cautioning producers that they should expect a yield decline if corn is planted on the same land area for two or three years in a row. Others who have been growing continuous corn (without rotation to soybeans or other crops) have not experienced the hypothesized yield reductions when corn follows corn. National field-level survey data for 2005 were analyzed to determine if the cautions could be justified. Despite concerns about higher input costs for continuous corn compared to corn-soybean rotations, the 2005 survey data did not reveal consistent national or regional cost differences between the two cropping systems.

Technical Abstract: Forecasts for increased corn acreage will likely lead to an increase in continuous corn cropping systems which may require producers to adjust their production practices compared to the more widely practiced corn-soybean rotation system. Using 2005 field-level data from a probability-based national survey of 1,044 corn-for-grain producers, this study compared the use of nutrient, pest, seed, and residue management practices as well as the resulting yields and input costs for these two dominant cropping systems. While previous studies have reported that yields and nitrogen requirements are much different for these two systems, this survey did not find statistically significant differences. However, certain practices that appear related to residue management, such as no-till tillage systems, number of tillage operations, planting date, and fall nitrogen application were significantly different between the two cropping systems. Significant differences were also reported for certain pest management practices such as paid crop scouting, insecticide use, and Bt seed. Despite concerns in the literature about higher input costs for continuous corn compared to corn-soybean rotations, the 2005 survey data did not reveal consistent national or regional cost differences between the two cropping systems.