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Diverse Crop Rotations Confound Pests, Boost Profits
Astute no-tillers use unpredictable crop sequences to disrupt pest cycles and reduce pesticide needs.
Apr. 18, 2026 at 6:37am
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Diverse crop rotations create a complex, interconnected farming ecosystem that can confound pests and boost profitability.Pierre TodayDwayne Beck, the recently retired farm manager at Dakota Lakes Research Farm in South Dakota, says diverse and unpredictable crop rotations are key to reducing pesticide use and boosting profit potential beyond traditional commodity crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat. He warns that consistent two-crop rotations can lead to the development of genetic variants in pests like corn rootworm, and that even-year rotations don't allow enough time for weed seed banks to sufficiently decrease.
Why it matters
Relying on the same crop rotation year after year can lead to the evolution of resistant pests and weeds, reducing the effectiveness of pesticides and increasing input costs for farmers. Diversifying crop rotations is a proven strategy to disrupt pest cycles and reduce the need for chemical interventions, helping growers boost profitability and sustainability.
The details
Beck says even a corn, wheat, and soybean rotation practiced year-after-year leaves growers open to developing weed and insect problems. He notes that the worst rotations are always every-other-year, as there is not sufficient time for the weed seed bank to decrease sufficiently, with 20-30% of weed seeds remaining viable in the field. Tillage is not the answer, as buried seeds can remain dormant for many years.
- Dakota Lakes Research Farm has conducted rotation studies for 40 years.
The players
Dwayne Beck
The recently retired farm manager at Dakota Lakes Research Farm, near Pierre, South Dakota, who has extensive experience researching diverse crop rotation strategies.
Dakota Lakes Research Farm
A research farm located near Pierre, South Dakota, that has conducted long-term studies on the benefits of diverse crop rotations.
What they’re saying
“I'm not talking about a corn and soybean rotation, that's just an oscillation of a two-crop monoculture.”
— Dwayne Beck, Retired Farm Manager
“At one time growing corn-soybean instead of growing corn-on-corn got growers away from corn rootworm. Suddenly the western Corn Belt developed a genetic variant — extended diapause corn rootworm beetles — all because the corn-soybean oscillation was consistent in both its sequence and interval.”
— Dwayne Beck, Retired Farm Manager
“We've done rotation studies at the farm for 40 years and the worst rotations are always every-other-year rotations. They're bad because there is not sufficient time for the weed seed bank to decrease sufficiently. There is always 20-30% of whatever weed went to seed still viable in the field.”
— Dwayne Beck, Retired Farm Manager
What’s next
Researchers at Dakota Lakes Farm plan to continue studying the long-term impacts of diverse crop rotation strategies on pest management, weed control, and farm profitability.
The takeaway
Diversifying crop rotations beyond traditional two-crop sequences is a proven strategy to disrupt pest and weed cycles, reducing the need for pesticides and boosting farm profitability. Astute no-till farmers can stay one step ahead of Mother Nature by keeping their rotation plans unpredictable and diverse.
