Economics of pulse crop frequency and sequence in a wheat-based rotation

Pulse crops (PC) have become an essential part of cropping systems in the northern Great Plains. Despite agronomic benefits of rotating pulses with cereal crops, knowledge of the economics of PC frequency and sequence in a rotation is limited. A field study was conducted from 2010 to 2014 at three locations in western Canada to evaluate the effects of rotating a cereal crop with a range of PC at different frequencies and sequences on the economic returns and risk of both the entire rotation and each individual crop. Crops in rotation included spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (W), field pea (Pisum sativum L.) (P), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) (C), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) (L), and Oriental mustard (Brassica juncea L.) (M). Thirteen 4-yr-cycle crop rotation treatments, along with a continuous wheat treatment as a baseline, were included. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates at each site-year. The net revenue (NR) was defined as the income remaining after paying all monetary, land and ownership, and labor costs. Crop rotation had a significant effect on average annual NR. The most profitable rotations were L-L-L-W and P-M-L-W. These rotations provided CAN$330 and $235 yr(-1) ha(-1) higher NR, respectively, than the baseline, and were most preferable by risk-averse producers. The economic ranking of the rotations remained the same with different crop price scenarios. Preceding PC also had a positive impact on the succeeding wheat crop NR.