Does dual cropping in the southern USA work? eg cotton-wheat, soy-wheat, milo-wheat?

Question

Just wondering if you could get a higher return per acre in the south with higher land utility.

Answer 1

Yes, it does work.  There are some things that you have to consider when you are double cropping, however.  

1. What kind of moisture will your crop demand next year?  If it is a crop that puts a higher demand on moisture in the following year, go for a lighter demanding second crop.

2. What kind of root structure does the first crop have, shallow or  deep?  If you are double cropping into a grass plant, go with a deep rooted plant the will get moisture from where the other plant didn't.  I know in Kansas, Sunflowers are an option because the go get water up to 30 ft down.  

3.  Do you have no-till equipment?  Can you get it?  In a dry climate requires no-till at least on the second time.  Either rent or secure that.

Does it pay?  Yes, going by my figuring here in the extreme north here is what a soybean and wheat rotation will do financially.

Soybean-  45 (average farm yield)bushel per acre @ 8 dollar net profit. Is 360 dollars an acre.

Sp. Wheat- 30 bushels ( half of full season yield) @ 3 dollar profit.  Is 90 dollars an acre,

360 + 90= 450 acre net profit.

THAT IS A NICE CHUCK OF CHANGE!  Hope this helps.

Answer 2

There is alot of double-cropping going on in the southern U.S., but not cotton where I'm at. Maybe farther south. Our farmers will plant corn, harvest it in the fall then plant wheat, harvest it in June, and plant a shorter season corn. Milo will work also with less irrigation, but less options for weed control. There is alot of wheat following cotton, if it is stripped early enough.

Answer 3

HERE IN ARKANSAS RICE AND WHEAT ARE COMMON WINTER WHEAT OF COURSE. AND SOY BEANS AND WINTER WHEAT. LOTS OF COMBINATIONS.

Answer 4

Kentucky, and yes you can double crop wheat and soybeans or wheat and milo. Whether you get higher return per acre depends on a lot of things. If you let your wheat grow to maturity, then you will be planting late soybeans, which means lower yields of beans in most years. Sometimes the value of the wheat is less than the beans you lose, so it doesn't pay. On a good year the late beans will yield about as much as regular beans and you will do very well. Wheat-milo usually do well in yield, but the price for milo is usually not too good compared to beans or corn. Often we use the wheat as a green manure crop and plant beans early.

Answer 5

The Madd Texan answered just about like I will.... dual crops are routine practice in our area, Tennessee.  Corn followed by winter wheat.  Locally, one or two large farmers control most of the crops.  They'll rotate as well... the corn and wheat one year, then cotton.  The crops use different nutrients from the soil and deposit different nutrients that complement the growth of the other, so the soil is replenished by rotating.

Dual crops allow the farmer to utilize the land year-round and to not "put all his eggs in one basket."  In a season with poor corn crop, he can perhaps make up the difference with a better wheat crop.

Answer 6

Changing/ rotating crops allows for not only a natural reduction of pests over that of cropping the same product year after year, but also allows for picking and choosing a crop whose returns are greater in any given year. Splitting your fields up give you the best of both worlds and reduces cost and dependence on some pesticides.