It’s Go Time in WI… What Crop Do I Plant First Soybean or Corn?

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Over the past decade, soybean agronomists have strongly advocated for the practice of early soybean planting, backed by extensive data supporting its benefits in terms of yield and economic profitability. This effort has led us to the point where farmers are asking, “OK SOYBOY, if you’re so smart, what do we plant first then..corn or soybean?” That’s a great question!

To address this, we published an article titled Corn and Soybean Planting Order Decisions Impact Farm Gross Revenue. In short (and for the detailed explanation, please refer to the research paper), we aimed to identify a “flip date”—the point at which corn planting should take priority over soybeans. This determination was based on 2023 average crop input costs and commodity prices.

While the article includes a national map illustrating this concept, it may appear somewhat vague. To provide more targeted information for Wisconsin farmers, we developed a revised map using county averages below (Figure 1). Although this map isn’t field specific, it offers farmers a closer idea of planting priorities at the county level. Figure 1 below uses average input prices for 2023 under various input intensity scenarios: high for both crops, low for both crops, high for corn and low for soybeans, and vice versa. We also assumed commodity prices of $5 for corn and $12 for soybeans. The map’s color variations by county indicate the planting date at which corn should take precedence over soybean. For example in Dane county that flip date is the 117th day of the year (April 27th) which means if you can plant soybean before this flip date let’er rip.

It’s important to note that several factors can influence these decisions:

  • Input costs vary from farm to farm and can influence the results. The map shows results for constant costs which we know is not realistic for the entire state.
  • Soil readiness “fit” for planting
  • Crop insurance coverage dates
  • Your dad insisting it’s crazy to plant soybeans first.

Given the current commodity prices, we re-ran the scenario using input costs similar to those we used in 2023 and adjusted the prices to $4 for corn and $10 for soybeans. The conclusion? Follow your dad’s advice and prioritize planting corn first!

If you’re interested in running these scenarios for your specific fields, we have a grant funded through the NCSRP where we are using Agroptimizer as a tool for recommendations.

Figure 1. Day of year that corn planting should be prioritized over soybean planting for maximum gross farm revenue. Scenario 1 $5 corn and $12 beans and 2023 input prices.

Figure 2. Day of year that corn planting should be prioritized over soybean planting for maximum gross farm revenue. Scenario 2 $4 corn and $10 beans and 2023 input prices. In counties with grey color, corn planting should be prioritized over soybean over the entire planting season.