Alternative intensive cropping with corn

Abstract

Corn (Zea mays L.) was continuously cropped in seven systems, with or without irrigation. Baseline irrigated corn yields of 200- 210 bu/acre were reduced 65-75 bu/acre by not utilizing standard rotational practices. The best continuous corn yields were from systems with disking in some phase of the operation. The only follow-crop to consistently approach an economically attractive level was sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), but continuous corn yields remained depressed in this system. Corn yields benefitted from soybean (Glycine max L.) as a follow-crop, but soybean itself yielded well only 1 of 4 years. In the absence of a follow-crop, delaying disking until immediately before spring corn planting yielded as well as any other treatment compared