The data provides useful ‘real-life’ data on crop sequencing performance
Crop rotation tables:
back by popular demand
by Anastasia Kubinec, oilseeds crop specialist, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
F
armers enjoy flirting with sexy new varieties and
new or improved products, but when it comes to
tried-and-true production strategies, crop rotation is the steady standby.
The tables on the following page are some of the most
requested pieces of information that Manitoba Agricultural
Service Corporation (MASC)/Manitoba Agriculture, Food
and Rural Development (MAFRD) receives.
The popularity of these charts relates to the fact
that they are useful agronomic ‘real-life’ management
information. Over your fields and others in Manitoba,
we consistently see some crops performing better when
planted after others.
These charts provide trends that can be used to help
with crop choice planning, whether it’s deciding how to
sequence your tried-and-true or new crops you are plugging into your field cycle.
The crop rotation charts in this article look at the
Regardless of the timeline for the crop rotation chart,
these trends have stayed the same:
• Crop on same crop stubble — yield lost 10-15 per cent
(see Tables 1 and 2)
Potential reasons: Diseases overwintering on crop
stubble and then affecting the next perfect host crop.
Examples are blackleg (canola), FHB (wheat, barley,
oat, corn), wheat streak mosaic (winter wheat or spring
wheat on winter wheat).
Exception: Soybean results were positive in 200012, but negative in 2008-12 dataset. The reasons the
yield decline is not higher is soybean is a relatively new
crop in many areas and the diseases overwintering on
stubble may not be present yet. Another reason could
be the benefits of black soil for a second soybean crop
and potentially higher populations of rhizobium after
the first crop, both making yield loss due to disease
less obvious. Proceed with caution in
the future, as the more soybean crops
planted, more pests will occur and
build up.
The tables on the following page are some of the
• I nfluence of arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi on next crops
— yield loss of two to 12 per cent Agricultural Service Corporation (MASC)/Manitoba
(Tables 1 and 2)
Potential
reasons: Arbuscular
Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) receives.
mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are those
symbiotic fungi in the soil that greatly
assist crops such as flax and corn
with early-season phosphorus uptake,
yields and frequency of planting for a long period of
which is needed to get the crop to a good start and yield
2000-12 and then the shortened 2008-12 timeline.
potential. They help cereals as well, but not to the same
The reason for the split focus was the change in the
extent. Canola though does not need the AMF and in a
composition crop types planted in Manitoba in 2008
canola crop year, the AMF numbers decline.
and afterwards, specifically that of increased soybeanThis means the population of AMF is not there early
corn, and decreased peas-flax.
on for the next crop and if they need it. The obvious
Both charts offer a snapshot of the impact of the
result is yield loss, but also delayed maturity and higher
previous year stubble type on present year crop yields.
moisture grain at harvest. So for the 20 per cent of
Average yields and acreages for the crop types have also
fields in which Manitoba farmers are planting corn after
been included to provide more information. Remember,
canola, try another crop because this could be bumping
these numbers are based on the information MASC
up your drying costs in the fall!
contract holders provided back to MASC on the annual
yields and previous crops planted. It only includes information on fields over 120 acres.
Continued on page 22
most requested pieces of information that Manitoba
20
yield manitoba
2014
Table 1: Relative Yield response (per cent of 2000-2012 average) of Manitoba crops sown on previous crops (stubble >120 acre)
Crop Planted
Winter
Spring
Grain
Previous Crop
Wheat
Wheat
Barley
Oat
Canola
Flax
Field Pea Soybean Sunflower
Corn
Winter Wheat
Spring Wheat
Barley
Oat
Canola
Flax
Field Pea
Soybean
Sunflower
Grain Corn
Yield (bu/ac)
67
89
88
88
104
86
NSD
NSD
NSD
NSD
60
83
88
90
89
103
96
103
105
97
NSD
43
102
100
87
87
105
106
104
107
102
102
61
101
101
93
84
104
99
106
102
94
108
88
95
104
100
92
84
100
102
87
NSD
104
32
106
103
98
95
88
77
117
99
NSD
NSD
20
99
103
97
95
92
89
82
NSD
NSD
NSD
103
102
95
104
102
89
NSD
104
97
98
28
98
100
99
101
84
101
NSD
86
95
103
1389lb
84
96
87
97
97
NSD
NSD
98
100
89
89
Table 2: Relative Yield response (per cent of 2008-2012 average) of Manitoba crops sown on previous crops (stubble >120 acre)
Crop Planted
Winter
Spring
Grain
Previous Crop
Wheat
Wheat
Barley
Oat
Canola
Flax
Field Pea Soybean Sunflower
Corn
Winter Wheat
Spring Wheat
Barley
Oat
Canola
Flax
Field Pea
Soybean
Sunflower
Grain Corn
Yield (bu/ac)
78
86
83
76
104
102
NSD
NSD
NSD
NSD
65
74
85
89
90
102
98
100
106
99
NSD
47
106
98
84
86
103
110
104
106
102
101
62
100
101
93
82
104
97
98
105
96
106
95
97
104
100
92
85
104
104
98
NSD
104
34
107
104
96
95
88
73
124
100
NSD
NSD
20
107
103
101
97
92
101
NSD
NSD
NSD
NSD
101
103
100
99
101
96
NSD
95
99
107
32
97
101
97
100
95
98
NSD
92
88
112
1521lb
Table 3: Previous crop (stubble) distribution (%) of large acreage fields (>120 acres) sown to the major field crops
in Manitoba during the period 2000-2012
Crop Planted
Winter
Spring
Previous Crop
Wheat
Wheat
Barley
Oat
Canola
Flax
Field Pea Soybean Sunflower
Winter Wheat
Spring Wheat
Barley
Oat
Canola
Flax
Field Pea
Soybean
Sunflower
Grain Corn
Yield (bu/ac)
1
2
4
4
69
1
NSD
NSD
NSD
NSD
268,600
4
10
2
3
57
6
3
2
3
NSD
2,316,700
4
24
9
5
35
4
1
2
4
1
676,700
3
23
6
4
36
4
1
8
3
1
617,900
4
51
11
7
5
2
5
2
NSD
1
2,488,900
6
55
11
9
5
<1
NSD
1
NSD
NSD
266,400
8
56
10
6
5
1
1
NSD
NSD
NSD
6
23
4
14
18
1
NSD
13
2
3
309,700
11
38
8
18
1
2
NSD
2
<1
3
148,600
Table4: Previous crop (stubble) distribution (%) of large acreage fields (>120 acres) sown to the major field crops
in Manitoba during the period 2008-2012
Crop Planted
Winter
Spring
Previous Crop
Wheat
Wheat
Barley
Oat
Canola
Flax
Field Pea Soybean Sunflower
Winter Wheat
Spring Wheat
Barley
Oat
Canola
Flax
Field Pea
Soybean
Sunflower
Grain Corn
Yield (bu/ac)
22
1
1
3
3
71
1
2
NSD
NSD
NSD
330,100
yield manitoba
4
5
1
2
63
4
1
4
3
NSD
2,109,600
2014
6
17
7
5
41
4
1
3
5
1
450,000
4
14
4
3
42
3
7
14
4
1
485,400
5
48
9
7
7
2
1
3
NSD
1
2,946,400
3
50
9
11
8
<1
NSD
2
NSD
NSD
168,200
10
45
9
9
10
1
NSD
NSD
NSD
NSD
7
22
3
14
21
1
NSD
15
2
3
555,300
14
31
8
20
2
1
NSD
4
<1
4
108,600
87
100
99
93
95
NSD
NSD
103
99
87
95
Grain
Corn
3
11
4
5
18
NSD
NSD
11
4
9
152,400
Grain
Corn
4
10
4
5
22
NSD
NSD
16
3
8
184,600
Continued from previous page
• O ilseed-pulse on cereal and vice versa = a four per cent loss to 10 per cent gain
Potential reasons: Rotating between a broadleaf crop to
a grass and vice versa is one of the best options for yearafter-year planting. Between the two plant types, diseases
and other pests differ, which increases chances of yield
boost as pests.
Exceptions: It’s not only pests that cause an increase
or decrease in yield. Other factors occurring in crop can
carry over to the next crop such as herbicide residues,
excess stubble trash reducing plant establishment the next
spring.
The above are the obvious items we can explain that
influence yields of the next crop on stubble. There are
many less obvious ones that have a large contribution to
the next crop as well that need to be managed:
• Trash remaining from last crop affecting emergence
and establishment of next crop;
• Over- or underfertility in previous crop affecting the
next crop;
• Herbicide carry-over in the soil affecting the next
crop;
• Water use or depth of use impacting the next crop.
These too need to be considered before coming to the
final conclusion of what crop you are going to plant on
which stubble left over from the previous year.
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yield manitoba
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