Improving Kentucky\u27s Winter Wheat and Double Crop Soybean Rotation

The winter wheat double crop soybean rotation is an economically viable rotation for Kentucky farmers. Recent decreases in commodity prices has warranted the need to evaluate intensive management practices that can increase yields and profitability in this crop rotation. There were three goals of this dissertation: 1.) identify management practices that would decrease deoxynivalenol (DON) in harvested wheat grain and increase wheat heading and anthesis uniformity, 2.) evaluate double crop soybean planting timing and identify intensive management practices to increase seed yield, and 3.) determine the profitability of these management options. These studies were conducted in Princeton KY between 2016 and 2019. In-furrow phosphorus did not decrease DON or heading and anthesis uniformity. Increased seeding rate decreased the number of days to beginning anthesis (Zadoks 60) in late planted wheat, however did not decrease DON contamination. Harvesting wheat at 20 to 22% grain moisture increased grain quality, but also increased DON contamination compared to harvesting at 13 to 15% grain moisture. Harvesting at 20 to 22% grain moisture, enabled an earlier planting timing of double crop soybeans which resulted in soybean yield increase. Increased seeding rate and the use of prophylactic R3 foliar pesticide application increased double crop soybean yields respectively. The use of seed treatment did not increase seed yield. Partial budget analysis indicate that the wheat intensive management treatments had negative net benefits, and that only the increased seeding rate and the use of prophylactic foliar pesticide application had positive net benefits. Overall, intensive management options were identified that increase yield and profitability for Kentucky’s winter wheat and double crop soybean rotation