Crop Management · March 2025 · 5 min read
Double cropping turns one growing season into two harvests by planting a summer crop immediately after a winter crop is harvested. The wheat-soybean sequence is the most common system in the mid-South and mid-Atlantic regions, offering both revenue diversification and soil coverage.
Winter wheat is harvested in June, and soybeans are drilled directly into the stubble the same day or within a few days. Speed is critical because every day of delayed planting after mid-June costs roughly a half bushel per acre in soybean yield potential. No-till planting into wheat residue conserves moisture and reduces turnaround time.
Choose early-maturing soybean varieties in maturity groups suited to your latitude so the crop reaches physiological maturity before the first fall frost. Wheat varieties should be selected for early maturity as well, giving the soybean crop the longest possible growing window. Disease resistance packages matter in both crops since tight rotations increase pathogen pressure.
Double cropping spreads fixed land costs across two revenue streams, often making marginal land more profitable. Input costs for the second crop are lower since tillage is eliminated and some residual fertility remains from the wheat program. The key to profitability is achieving at least seventy percent of full-season soybean yields while keeping additional input costs modest.
🔄 Get rotation suggestions for your farm:
Try the Crop Rotation Planner