Crop rotations in Manitoba have shifted significantly in the past 5 years with the rapid expansion in soybean acres. This raises important questions about the opportunities and implications on how to optimize soybean in rotation with other crops, such as canola, wheat, and corn, as well as its potential negative impacts.
The proposed 5-year rotation study will build on an established 4-year rotation study to continue evaluating the impact of the frequency of soybeans in rotation at two locations in central Manitoba on soybean and canola production, economic return, and soil health. This experiment will also serve as a field laboratory for other multidisciplinary studies including soybean and canola pathology, and the impact of flooding on soil rhizobia populations. This information can be utilized directly by farmers and agronomists across central Manitoba in planning crop rotations to optimize the short and long term profitability of soybeans as they move from being a new to an established crop in Manitoba crop rotations.