Improving Soybean Yields with Crop Rotation

The goal of this project is increase soybean yields and profitability in Kentucky. Specifically we will examine the yield of double-crop soybean following three winter annual crops: barley, canola, and wheat. Wheat is known to produce chemical compounds that negatively affect seed germination of succeeding crops. Identifying if yield reductions due to the preceding rotational crop exist and the extent of those yield reductions of double-crop soybeans will allow producers to choose more profitable cropping systems in Kentucky. It may also allow agronomists to develop management strategies to overcome or compensate for the yield reductions thus increasing overall profitability. The objectives of the proposed project are to determine the: 1. Difference in emergence, plant populations, and yield of double-crop soybeans when planted after canola, barley, and wheat. 2. Emergence and biomass of soybeans grown in rhizosphere soil when grown in greenhouse and cold chamber environments. Rhizosphere soil will be harvested from fields after canola, barley and wheat have been harvested