Double cropping of wheat and peanut can improve profit potential over monocropping

Summary

Experiments conducted in South Georgia have shown the potential to improve profitability of peanut production systems by including a winter wheat crop prior to planting peanut. In the first year, income was improved by $80 / acre, and the second year income was improved by $140 / acre by including wheat as a winter grain crop followed by peanut, compared to a monocrop of peanut alone. Environmental conditions can be a factor on timing of peanut planting, which can affect peanut yields. However, the inclusion of a double-cropped wheat system can offset potential yield reductions, while increasing total farm production and diversifying farm operations.

Situation

A growing global demand for food, coupled with increasing production inputs has many farmers searching for ways to improve the profit potential of their operations. In some cases, farmers already have fixed costs associated with land, machinery, and irrigation equipment and have the ability to alter their current monocropping strategies to multiple-cropping systems which can increase total food production while diversifying the whole farm portfolio. Instead of letting land and equipment sit idle during the winter months, the climate in South Georgia is conducive to more efficient land use by growing an additional crop. With multi-cropping, farmers can hedge against disastrous edaphic conditions destroying one of the crops, or possibly improving total income when good growing conditions prevail. Peanut has a typical planting window in early- to mid-May. Earlier plantings can increase pest pressures from thrips and tomato spotted wilt virus. Winter wheat is usually harvested in mid- to late-May in South Georgia, so following wheat with peanut would result in a late planting of peanut. Late peanut planting can result in situations of cool fall temperatures delaying or halting peanut maturity, which can cause yield and grade to be reduced compared to peanuts planted on-time. However, when fall temperatures remain warm, late planted peanuts can thrive.

Response

When wheat is harvested for grain and peanut is planted late, there is the potential for reduced peanut yield if cool fall temperatures occur prior to full maturity. However, the supplemental wheat harvest should provide income to offset the reduced yield/grade potential of peanut. But, when fall temperatures remain warm enough to complete peanut maturity, then a maximized peanut harvest can be achieved in addition to the wheat grain harvest, which can significantly boost the gross income and profit potential of the farming enterprise. Research experiments were established in 2009 in Tifton, GA and in 2010 in Plains, GA to evaluate the impact of double cropping systems of wheat + peanut compared to early and late-planted monocrops of peanut alone under irrigated conditions.

Impact

In 2009, cool fall temperatures occurred several weeks prior to the projected full maturity date of peanut. This caused peanut yields on average to be approximately 900 lb / acre lower for double-cropped peanut compared to earlier plantings of monocropped peanut in several tillage scenarios, and about 550 lb / acre lower than late planted monocropped peanut. However, when the income from wheat harvest is added, there were no differences between IAVC (income above variable cost) within a given tillage system for early vs late planted peanut, and the additional wheat crop increased IAVC by around $80 / acre compared to a monocrop of peanut also planted late. The results in 2010 were characteristic of warm fall temperatures, where the late-planted crop of peanut was able to progress to full maturity. In those conditions, late planted peanut yielded higher than the early planted peanuts in equivalent tillage systems (approximately 350 lb / acre), and slightly lower than the monocropped peanuts that were planted late. Although, the inclusion of the wheat yield on top of the peanut yield caused IAVC to be about $140 / acre higher than the late-planted monocropped peanuts, and around $280 / acre higher than the early planted peanuts within their respective tillage systems. Thus, based on these results, there is great potential for farmers to incorporate double-cropping systems of wheat with peanut into their management plans. The inevitable delay in peanut planting beyond the optimum planting timeframe can cause a yield reduction, but the farmer can be protected financially from this by gaining an additional crop on the same parcel of land within the same production year. Yet, in years when warm fall temperatures persist, the farmer can stand to benefit from a substantial economic advantage. Therefore, there is the possibility for a large advantage in some years, with only a relatively minor risk in other years.

State Issue

Agricultural Profitability and Sustainability

Details

• Year: 2011
• Geographic Scope: Multi-State/Regional
• County: Tift
• Program Areas:
  • Agriculture & Natural Resources