Effect of mono-, relay-, and double-crop systems on yield and profitability

Diversification and intensification of cropping systems are of interest due to the potential for increased farm income. However, yield and profitability of multi-crop systems need to be understood, especially in northern environments where the growing season is short. The objective of this study was to evaluate yield and profitability of monocrop (MC), relay-intercrop (RI), and double-crop (DC) systems. A 3-yr field study was conducted in northwest Ohio with nine cropping systems, including winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), red clover (Trifolium pretense L.), soybean (Glycine max L.), and oat (Avena sativa L.) grown in MC, RI, and DC systems. System yield was calculated by summing crop yield within a cropping year. Cropping system profitability was estimated by subtracting costs that varied across treatments from gross revenue. Winter wheat + RI red clover had the highest system yield (11.1-11.4 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1)). However, profit was the greatest with wheat planted in wide row (38 cm row width) + RI red clover cropping system ($1,252 ha(-1) yr(-1)) followed by wheat planted in narrow row (19 cm row width) + RI red clover ($1,140 ha(-1) yr(-1)) and MC soybean ($919 ha(-1) yr(-1)). This suggests that producers interested in diversifying their cropping systems may increase profitability with a winter wheat + RI red clover system, provided there is a market for red clover forage. However, if producers do not have a market for red clover, the MC soybean system would offer greatest profitability and reduce workload compared with a multi-crop system.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the yield and profitability of different cropping systems, finding that the winter wheat + relay intercrop red clover system had the highest system yield and was most profitable. Producers can increase profitability by diversifying their cropping systems with this approach.