Yield advantages of different long-term dryland crop rotations involving winter wheat were evaluated in study using long-term research plot data from 2000 to 2016 collected at Kansas State University’s Southwest Research-Extension Center near Tribune. One to four year rotations involving winter wheat, corn, grain sorghum, soybean, sunflower, and/or a fallow period were studied.
The study found that summer crops (corn, grain sorghum, soybean and sunflower) yielded higher when they followed winter wheat rather than another summer crop. Winter wheat had higher yields in a three year rotation with one summer crop followed by a fallow period than in a four year rotation that involved two summer crops followed by a fallow period.
The study found that wheat yields were lower when following sunflower as opposed to following corn, soybean, or grain sorghum. Grain sorghum was found to have the highest yield advantage when following wheat and corn. Wheat rotations followed by sorghum were highest yielding.
Publication: Schlegel, A. J., Y. Assefa, L. Haag, C.R. Thompson, and L. R. Stone (2019). Yield and Overall Productivity under Long-Term Wheat-Based Crop Rotations: 2000 through 2016. Agron. J. 111: 1 – 11.