Title: Rotation Effects of Corn and Sorghum in Cropping Systems
Abstract: Crop rotation, as opposed to continuous cropping, contributes to greater crop yields by improving soil structure, disrupting insect and disease cycles, and enhancing water and land use. The objective of our analysis in this chapter is to evaluate rotation effects of corn (Zea mays subsp. mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor L.) in crops common to the Great Plains. The data for this analysis were assembled from a survey of farmers conducted in 2007, from rotation studies conducted across the Great Plains, and from crop water use, planting and harvest dates, and long-term weather information. Survey results indicated that rotations of corn or sorghum with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), and with each other were among the most common rotations in the region. Specific crop sequences included W-C/GS-F, W-W-C/GS-SB, and C-GS-SB. Among many other factors, soil moisture and pest and weed management options were consistently the most important factors that dictated rotation systems of respondent farmers. Analysis of available research data by comparing the effect of corn and sorghum on wheat or soybean yield in equivalent 2-, 3-, and 4-year rotation systems found no difference in 7 out of 10 studies, but greater wheat or soybean yields following corn in three studies. Rotational studies indicated that more nitrogen fertilizer (>90 lb acre−1) was required for equivalent or better yield when wheat was planted after sorghum compared with planting after corn. From the perspective of crop water use and optimal planting and harvest dates for each crop, planting wheat in the same season after corn harvest was relatively more compatible than wheat after sorghum. However, the same analysis indicated that double-cropping sorghum rather than corn after wheat harvest better optimized water use and available growing season. This review shows that both corn and sorghum have a fit in rotations common to the Great Plains depending on a number of environmental and economic factors.
Publication Year: 2014
Publication Date: 2014-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 10
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