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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Morris, Minnesota » Soil Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #375451
Research Project: Optimizing Oilseed and Alternative Grain Crops: Innovative Production Systems and Agroecosystem Services

Location: Soil Management Research

Title: Specialty oilseed crops in rotations could improve corn and soybean yields

Author
item Scott, Drew
item EBERLE, CARRIE - University Of Wyoming
item Gesch, Russell - Russ
item Schneider, Sharon
item FORCELLA, FRANK - Retired ARS Employee
item Weyers, Sharon
item Johnson, Jane
item Riedell, Walter
item THOM, MATTHEW - Bergen County Technical Schools

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/11/2020
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Crop rotation has long been recognized as a management practice that increases yields. Extensive use of the Zea mays (corn)- Glycine max (soybean) rotation throughout the Midwest USA has decreased agricultural diversity, which could threaten cropping system sustainability. Using specialty oilseeds crops in rotation with corn and soybean may improve their yields while promoting sustainability. We tested whether oil crops in rotation can improve corn and soybean yields. Borago officinalis (Borage), Calendula officinalis (calendula), corn, Crambe abyssinica (crambe), Cuphea viscosissima X Cuphea lanceolata (cuphea), Echium plantagineum (echium), Linum usitatissimum (flax), Pisum sativum (pea), Camelina sativa (spring camelina), Brassica napus (spring canola), soybean, and Helianthus annuus (sunflower) grown in 2013 at Brookings, SD, and Morris, MN, were followed the next spring in 2014 with corn (n = 90) and soybean (n = 90). Yield responses of corn and soybean, to previous crop were analyzed using the nlme package of R. Environments (i.e., site-years) were treated as a random effect. Corn yield was higher with a previous crop other than corn. Soybean yields were higher with spring camelina rather than soybean as a previous crop. Our study indicates that inclusion of a specialty oilseed crop provides similar yield to corn-soybean rotation with possible environmental benefits, but long-term effects need further study.