STARKVILLE, Miss. -- As happens in every other industry, when costs rise and markets stay flat or decline, farmers look for ways to either cut costs or increase income.

At the Row Crop Short Course hosted in December by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, those in attendance heard about a double-cropping system not yet tried in Mississippi. One presenter gave research data on growing corn and then soybeans in South Carolina as a way to increase the annual income from the same acreage.

Double cropping -- a method of growing two consecutive crops on the same land in the same year -- is rarely practiced in Mississippi. When it is implemented, farmers grow winter wheat from about October to May and follow that harvest with late-planted soybeans.

Whitney Crow, MSU Extension entomologist and one of the Row Crop Short Course organizers, said innovation is essential for advancement.

“In a time when more must be done with less, these novel concepts offer solutions by enhancing efficiency and effectiveness,” Crow said. “University Extension and research scientists work diligently to deliver real-world solutions to major challenges facing row crop agriculture. It’s crucial to continue sharing the latest research, especially when it has the potential to make a significant impact.”

Michael Plumblee, Extension corn and soybean specialist and assistant professor at Clemson University and Row Crop Short Course presenter, shared the risks and rewards he has seen from three years of research on double-cropped corn and soybeans.

Plumblee showed data from 2024 calculating costs of growing irrigated corn or irrigated soybeans that year and the profit per acre shown. He then compared that data to the costs he incurred double cropping corn and then soybeans.

“There are several things you have to understand if you are going to double crop soybeans after corn,” Plumblee said. “Time is critical. Irrigation is recommended. Residue management can be a challenge, and corn must be cut at a high moisture content and then dried.”

Plumblee showed an irrigated corn per-acre profit of $262.07 and an irrigated soybean per-acre profit of $221.51. When he grew corn first and dealt with higher direct expenses related to an early harvest, he showed a reduced profit per acre of $243.80.

The double-cropped soybeans that followed this corn showed a per-acre profit of just $103.78, less than half the profit shown when grown in a traditional window.

“But when you look at them together, that is a total double crop profit of $347.58 per acre,” Plumblee said.

To successfully implement a corn/soybean double crop, the first step is to plant corn early in March. The crop is harvested at 20%-28% moisture rather than letting it dry down in the field and be harvested at a more normal 15%-18% moisture content. Increased costs are incurred with the additional drying time needed for this corn harvest.

“Then pick the best soybean variety you can for yield and plant height regardless of maturity group,” Plumblee said. “There is no benefit in planting soybean maturity group 4 beans.”

To succeed, plant soybeans as early as possible but not later than Aug. 7-10, Plumblee said.

“Use about 150,000 seeds per acre on 30-inch rows to achieve maximum yield,” he said.

In this scenario, soybeans are harvested around the first frost of the fall or mid-November in South Carolina in a typical year. This runs the risk of early frost damaging yields. That happened on Oct. 16, 2022, in Plumblee’s fields, but he said it caused yield loss of 10%-15% and not a total failure.

Growing soybeans late in the year also puts them at risk for tropical weather, but Plumblee said it generally reduces irrigation costs and does not always mean there will be problems with excessive water.

Erick Larson, MSU Extension corn specialist, said growing a soybean crop following corn pushes the possibilities for double-crop soybeans.

“Corn harvest in Mississippi usually begins in mid-August, and the August through October time period for the last few years has been exceptionally dry and stressful for crops during that time frame,” Larson said.

Larson said the traditional wheat double-crop soybean system features wheat harvest in late May to early June with soybeans planted immediately afterwards.

“This novel research explores the potential benefits and limitations for a much later time period,” Larson said. “Crop economics will also affect potential adoption, and unfortunately, the current outlook is rather meager.”