Immediate and second-year effects of preceding crops on wheat production in the Northern Great Plains
Wang, Z., F.C. Stevenson, R. M. Mohr, C. Willenborg, W. E. May and B. L. Beres. 2025.
Abstract
Growers in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) are increasingly adopting winter wheat
(WW; Triticum aestivum L.) into their crop rotations in years of ideal fall plant-
ing conditions due to its high yield potential. Our study evaluated WW responses
to rotational crops, soybean (Glycine max L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris L.), field
peas (Pisum sativum L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), canola (Brassica napus L.), flax
(Linum usitatissimum L.), and oats (Avena sativa L.), and to different wheat rotational
schemes following the rotational crop: WW-WW, hard red spring wheat (HRSW)-
WW, and WW-HRSW. Although canola is traditionally favored for its snow-trapping
benefits, soybean and lentil can achieve similar or superior results, enhancing both
WW grain yields and protein concentrations when grown immediately after these two
rotational crops. These benefits persisted in the second wheat phase in the WW-WW
and HRSW-WW systems, albeit with increased variability. Canola stubble, while
not offering immediate advantages for WW, contributed to high and stable yields in
WW and HRSW when planted in the second year. However, a wheat yield drag was
noted in the second year, especially affecting HRSW, indicating that monoculture
cereal rotations are more detrimental to HRSW than to WW. In-crop growth patterns
aligned with yield responses, with leguminous stubbles, especially lentil, promoting
superior in-season growth compared to canola, flax, and oats. This study underscores
WW as a viable option for cereal phases in the NGP cropping systems, contributing
to enhanced ecological benefits in the local environment. By adopting WW in their
cropping systems, growers can accrue synergistic benefits with multiple rotational
crops
