Corn Rotation?

[Tree Spud]

Our soil is primarily loamy sand and do not support planting of corn every year. Seems like most in our area will plant corn 2-3 years and then alternate with other crops. I have seen wheat, oats, alfalfa, WR.

My question is, can soy beans be considered an alternating crop to corn? Will soy beans have the same soil impact that corn will?

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Short answer: Yes, No and Yes

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

The corn/soybean rotation is used by the majority of grain farmers in our area, so it is pretty standard here. Dairy farmers here generally skip the soybeans and use an alfalfa and corn rotation every few years.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Corn/soybean rotation is pretty common but with corn prices as low as they are there's a lot more soybean, cotton, and sorghum acres in my area . I haven't row-cropped corn on my farm since 2013.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Not rotating crops is just plain poor land use practices. There are fields in the general area that have been corn as long as I remember. Then the farmers wonder why they have pest problems. Not hart to figure out if you actually try or give a shit for that mater.

 

[Tree Spud]

Not rotating crops is just plain poor land use practices. There are fields in the general area that have been corn as long as I remember. Then the farmers wonder why they have pest problems. Not hart to figure out if you actually try or give a shit for that mater.

ST ... I understand the importance of rotation.

My real question was ... are soy beans as soil depleting as corn? I would assume not given the plant and bean pod vs corn cob output.

I am looking for corn rotation options that high food source options. Corn is not a high focus for me, but it is a good late season food source and screening of food plots areas.

 

[FarmerDan]

Spud, I'm not sure corn is more 'depelting' than soybeans -- in food plotting. Yes, corn requires a high level of nutrients but an acre of corn can produce as 25 tons or more of grain and forage. If we remove the crop from the field and carry it off for, let's say, livestock consumption, then, yes, absolutely the crop will remove more nutrients. Maybe 260 lbs of N, 40 lbs of P, 230 lbs of k, 23 lbs of sulfur and half a pound of zinc. Compare that to soybean total production of 3 or 4 or 5 tons per acre.

But, in food plotting, how much actually leaves the plot? Good question I cannot answer, but it's no where remotely close to what we carry out in production ag.
For food plots, I'm going to call it a draw.

Now, what is critical is having the right amount of nutrients in the soil for the growing crops. Corn still requires a lot more nutrients than soybeans - and that's what limits me growing food plot corn.

 

[j-bird]

crop rotation of corn/soybeans is pretty much the law of the land in my area for row crop farmers. Sometimes the market or other outside influence will change that, but for the most part.....what was corn last year is beans this year. Then more and more are also putting in a cover crop of cereal grains and or brassica as well. Nearly everything is no-till here as well.

From a plotting perspective it's less of a requirement in my opinion. So unless you have insect/disease issues, need to bank some N in your soil or some other actual NEED - I wouldn't worry about it too much. Keep doing your soil tests and lime and fertilize for that crop as needed.

I personally like to mix them every year if possible, but I understand lots of folks can't do that for one reason or another. I like the cover aspect of corn and the summer forage aspect of soybeans.....both produce a fall/winter grain that the deer love.

 

[sandbur]

Soybeans may add some nitrogen to the soil for the next year.

If you have loamy sand, medium red clover might be an option for you. Even mammoth red might work if you get the rain as part of the rotation.

 

[sagittarius]

Soybeans are not nearly as hard on soil as corn, and can add some Nitrogen for following crop. Crop Rotation is always good, but also consider your herbicide rotation. Going back and forth between RR corn and RR soybeans over and over is asking for gly resistance trouble. To mix it up you could spray 2,4-D on your corn for weeds, or a grass specific (Select 2EC) on your soybeans. Or rotate in a white clover mix for a few years and use 2,4-DB(Butyrac200), along with a grass specific (Select 2EC) as needed. There are other herbicides, and other forages one could plant. Point being, look at your problem grasses and weeds, and plan several years ahead to keep in control.