$174-Per-Acre Advantage Seen in Wheat-Doubling Soybean Crop Rotation

A new crop rotation strategy could potentially give Illinois farmers a $174-per-acre edge over corn in 2027, according to a recent analysis by farmdoc. The system involves planting wheat followed quickly by double-crop soybeans, which is expected to generate an operator and land return of $309 per acre.

This is significantly higher than the projected returns for stand-alone soybeans at $204 per acre and corn at $135 per acre.

The advantage of this system is not just due to wheat becoming exceptionally profitable on its own, but rather the combination of wheat and double-crop soybeans generating revenue from two crops on the same acreage during one production cycle.

While the projected returns are promising, they come with a narrower margin for agronomic error and require careful management, including timely planting and harvest, as well as precision agriculture decisions surrounding planting and harvest timing.