DOI: 10.5061/dryad.1zcrjdg4t
title: Sixty years of crop diversification with perennials improves yields more than no-tillage in Ohio grain cropping systems

description: Context Diversifying crops and reducing tillage can enhance the
 environmental health of agroecosystems, consequently improving crop
 performance over time. We report data from the Triplett-Van Doren
 No-Tillage and Crop Rotation Experiment, one of the longest-running
 replicated agricultural experiments in the United States, to evaluate the
 impact of no-tillage and crop rotation on corn and soybean yields over six
 decades. Objective To assess the long-term impact of crop rotation on crop
 performance in Ohio agricultural systems, and how these rotations interact
 with tillage practices. Methods This study was conducted at two sites with
 contrasting soil characteristics: Wooster (well-drained silt-loam) and
 Hoytville (poorly drained clay-loam). The experiment was a two-way full
 factorial design with three levels of tillage (Moldboard, Chisel, and
 No-Tillage) and three crop rotations (Continuous-Corn, a two-year
 Corn-Soybean rotation, and a three-year Corn-Forage-Forage rotation).
 Results Crop rotation was the main driver of long-term crop performance,
 with the most favorable responses observed when forage crops were included
 in the cropping system at both sites. Over 60 years of field data showed
 corn yield increases ranging from 12 % to 21 % when transitioning from
 Continuous-Corn to Corn-Forage-Forage rotation in Wooster and Hoytville.
 Crop responses to tillage varied by soil type. In the well-drained
 silt-loam soil of Wooster, no-tillage led to immediate positive responses
 in all crop rotation systems. However, in the poorly drained clay-loam
 soil of Hoytville, significant initial yield penalties of up to 20 % were
 observed for No-Tillage Continuous-Corn. These initial yield reductions
 were mitigated when soybean or forage crops were included in the system.
 Corn yields under No-Tillage increased between 6 % and 16 % in Wooster,
 with no significant change for Hoytville. Soybean yields under no-tillage
 increased by up to 15 % in Wooster and 4 % in Hoytville compared to
 Moldboard systems. Crop responses varied under extreme precipitation. In
 Wooster, corn rotated with forage, outperformed continuous corn in dry
 conditions, especially under no-tillage. In Hoytville, corn-forage
 rotations yielded highest under wet conditions, regardless of tillage.
 Conclusions Based on data spanning over 60 years of crop rotation and
 no-tillage practices in Ohio, rotations including perennial crops
 consistently showed significantly increased yields compared to monoculture
 corn and corn rotated with soybean, regardless of the tillage system.
 Furthermore, yield reductions associated with the transition to no-tillage
 were mitigated when forage crops were integrated into the cropping system.
 Implications By evaluating long-term trends, we found that no-tillage can
 be viable even in clay soils under temperate climates when perennial crops
 are included in the rotation system. Our results demonstrate that
 long-term crop yields can significantly benefit from the implementation of
 both practices adopted together in cropping systems.
description: 1.    Materials and Methods <strong>2.1
 Sites description</strong> The Triplett Van-Doren
 No-Tillage and Crop Rotation Experiment was established in 1962 in
 Wooster, Ohio, USA (40° 45′ N, 81° 54′ W) and 1963 in Hoytville, Ohio, USA
 (41°13'N 83°45'W). These sites include two contrasting soil
 types; at Wooster a silt loam (well-drained, fine-loamy, mixed, mesic
 Typic Fragiudalfs) (USDA-SCS, 1973), and at Hoytville, a clay loam (poorly
 drained, fine, illitic, mesic Mollic Ochraqualfs) (USDA-SCS, 1984). Both
 sites are located in a humid continental climate. Crop season (April to
 October) cumulative precipitation, and average, maximum, and minimum
 atmospheric temperature from 1962 to 2023 are shown in Figure 1a and 1b
 for Wooster and Hoytville, respectively.
 <strong>2.2 Experimental design and
 treatments</strong> The experiment consisted of a
 two-way full factorial with three levels of tillage intensity and three
 crop rotations deployed in a randomized complete block design with three
 replicates. The levels of tillage were: 1) No-Tillage; 2) Chisel; and 3)
 Moldboard. The No-Tillage treatment consisted of zero soil disturbance
 with all the residues from previous crop seasons left on the field. The
 Chisel treatment used a paraplow (1962-1983) and a chisel plow
 (1984-present) to till the soil while leaving at least 30% of the residues
 of the previous crop on the soil surface. The Moldboard treatment used a
 moldboard plow to invert the soil from 0-20 cm depth, with the majority of
 the crop residues buried in the soil profile. The Chisel and Moldboard
 treatments were performed in the spring at the Wooster site, and in the
 fall for the Hoytville site. Crop rotations were: 1) Continuous-Corn; 2) a
 two-year rotation of Corn-Soybean; and 3) a three-year rotation of
 Corn-Forage-Forage, with forage crops consisting of oats (<em>Avena
 sativa</em> L.) as a nurse crop seeded with a grass-legume mix
 including species such as orchard grass (<em>Dactylis
 glomerata</em>), tall fescue <em>(Festuca
 arundinacea)</em>, alfalfa (<em>Medicago sativa</em>),
 red clover (<em>Trifolium pratense</em>), and clover
 (<em>Trifolium repens</em> L.). Corn, soybean, and oat crop
 residues remained in the field post-harvest, whereas alfalfa, clover, and
 red clover were harvested 2-3 times annually for hay after the
 establishment year. The first years (1962-1963) of the experiment included
 numerous compromised stands as equipment and field operation were being
 refined. As such, these years were excluded from the analysis.
 The size of the plots was 22.3 x 4.3 m in Wooster and 30.5 x 6.4
 m in Hoytville. Field operations not involving tillage or crop rotation
 were maintained consistently, so that fertility, pest, and weed management
 were similar across treatments. Historical agronomic management practices
 are part of The Ohio State University public resource and described in
 detail by Dick (2013). Crop varieties varied over the long-term experiment
 as genetic material was improved, but always represented widely available
 varieties that were typically planted by farmers in the region at the
 time. A list of the varieties used in the long-term experiment is provided
 for Wooster (Supplemental Table S1) and for Hoytville, Ohio (Supplemental
 Table S2). All phases of each crop rotation (corn, soybean, forage year 1,
 and forage year 2) and tillage treatments were present each year, allowing
 comparisons of corn yield under all the crop rotations and tillage
 treatments, and soybean yield under all tillage treatments.
 <strong>2.3 Field crop yields </strong>
 Corn and soybean were harvested from the center of each plot at
 physiological maturity with a small plot grain combine, and final yields
 were adjusted to moisture content of 15.5% for corn and 13.0% for soybean.
 The harvested plot area was used to determine annual yield per unit area
 (Mg ha<sup>−1</sup>).   
description: # Sixty years of crop diversification with perennials improves yields more
 than no-tillage in Ohio grain cropping systems Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.1zcrjdg4t](10.5061/dryad.1zcrjdg4t) ## Description of the
 data and file structure # Long-Term Effects (1962–2024) of Crop Rotation
 and Tillage on Corn and Soybean Yields in Ohio This dataset contains yield
 data from one of the longest-running replicated field experiments in the
 U.S. Midwest, designed to assess the effects of crop rotation and tillage
 practices on corn and soybean productivity. The experiment started in 1962
 (Wooster site) and 1963 (Hoytville site), and yield data has been
 collected through 2024. The experiment compares three rotation systems
 (continuous corn, corn–soybean, and corn–forage–forage) under three
 tillage practices (moldboard plow, chisel tillage, and no-tillage). The
 dataset supports analyses of long-term trends in crop yields under
 different management strategies and has been used to evaluate the
 productivity of grain cropping systems in Ohio. See the Methods section of
 the associated publication for full details of the experimental design and
 supplemental material for crop variety information used each year: de
 Camargo Santos, A., Culman, S.W., Deiss, L. (2025). Sixty years of crop
 diversification with perennials improves yields more than no-tillage in
 Ohio grain cropping systems. Field Crops Research, 109993.
 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109993](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109993) ### Files and variables #### File: deCamargoSantosetal_Corn_Hoytville.csv **Description:** Corn grain yield data for Hoytville - Ohio | *Variables:* | *Variable type:* | *Definitions:* | | :---------------------------------- | :------------------ | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Year | Numeric | Calendar year of the crop season (YYYY format; 1962-2024 for Wooster, 1963-2024 for Hoytville) | | Year # | Numeric | Sequential number for crop season (1-63 for Wooster, 1-62 for Hoytville) | | Plant Date | Date | Date the crop was planted that year | | Harvest Date | Date | Date the crop was harvested that year | | Site | Categorical | Experimental site: Wooster (silt loam) or Hoytville (clay loam) in Ohio | | Crop | Categorical | Crop: corn or soybean | | Plot | Experimental Design | Plot ID designating the experimental unit | | Repetition | Experimental Design | Block/replicate number (Randomized Complete Block Design) | | Rotation | Experimental Design | Crop rotation systems: CC = Continuous Corn, CS = Corn/Soybean, CFF= Corn/Forage1/Forage2 | | Tillage | Experimental Design | Tillage systems: MP = Moldboard Plow, CT = Chisel Tillage, NT = No Tillage | | Yield (Mg/ha) | Response | The weight of grain yield harvested from the plot and converted to megagrams per hectare | | Yield (bu/ac) | Response | The weight of grain yield harvested from the plot and converted to bushels per acre | | | | | | Note: Missing data are coded as "." | | | #### File: deCamargoSantosetal_Corn_Wooster.csv **Description:** Corn grain yield data for Wooster - Ohio | *Variables:* | *Variable type:* | *Definitions:* | | :---------------------------------- | :------------------ | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Year | Numeric | Calendar year of the crop season (YYYY format; 1962-2024 for Wooster, 1963-2024 for Hoytville) | | Year # | Numeric | Sequential number for crop season (1-63 for Wooster, 1-62 for Hoytville) | | Plant Date | Date | Date the crop was planted that year | | Harvest Date | Date | Date the crop was harvested that year | | Site | Categorical | Experimental site: Wooster (silt loam) or Hoytville (clay loam) in Ohio | | Crop | Categorical | Crop: corn or soybean | | Plot | Experimental Design | Plot ID designating the experimental unit | | Repetition | Experimental Design | Block/replicate number (Randomized Complete Block Design) | | Rotation | Experimental Design | Crop rotation systems: CC = Continuous Corn, CS = Corn/Soybean, CFF= Corn/Forage1/Forage2 | | Tillage | Experimental Design | Tillage systems: MP = Moldboard Plow, CT = Chisel Tillage, NT = No Tillage | | Yield (Mg/ha) | Response | The weight of grain yield harvested from the plot and converted to megagrams per hectare | | Yield (bu/ac) | Response | The weight of grain yield harvested from the plot and converted to bushels per acre | | | | | | Note: Missing data are coded as "." | | | #### File: deCamargoSantosetal_Soybean_Hoytville.csv **Description:** Soybean grain yield data for Hoytville - Ohio | *Variables:* | *Variable type:* | *Definitions:* | | :---------------------------------- | :------------------ | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Year | Numeric | Calendar year of the crop season (YYYY format; 1962-2024 for Wooster, 1963-2024 for Hoytville) | | Year # | Numeric | Sequential number for crop season (1-62 for Wooster, 1-63 for Hoytville) | | Plant Date | Date | Date the crop was planted that year | | Harvest Date | Date | Date the crop was harvested that year | | Site | Categorical | Experimental site: Wooster (silt loam) or Hoytville (clay loam) in Ohio | | Crop | Categorical | Crop: corn or soybean | | Plot | Experimental Design | Plot ID designating the experimental unit | | Repetition | Experimental Design | Block/replicate number (Randomized Complete Block Design) | | Rotation | Experimental Design | Crop rotation system: CS = Corn/Soybean | | Tillage | Experimental Design | Tillage systems: MP = Moldboard Plow, CT = Chisel Tillage, NT = No Tillage | | Yield (Mg/ha) | Response | The weight of grain yield harvested from the plot and converted to megagrams per hectare | | Yield (bu/ac) | Response | The weight of grain yield harvested from the plot and converted to bushels per acre | | | | | | Note: Missing data are coded as "." | | | #### File: deCamargoSantosetal_Soybean_Wooster.csv **Description:** Soybean grain yield data for Wooster - Ohio | *Variables:* | *Variable type:* | *Definitions:* | | :---------------------------------- | :------------------ | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Year | Numeric | Calendar year of the crop season (YYYY format; 1962-2024 for Wooster, 1963-2024 for Hoytville) | | Year # | Numeric | Sequential number for crop season (1-62 for Wooster, 1-63 for Hoytville) | | Plant Date | Date | Date the crop was planted that year | | Harvest Date | Date | Date the crop was harvested that year | | Site | Categorical | Experimental site: Wooster (silt loam) or Hoytville (clay loam) in Ohio | | Crop | Categorical | Crop: corn or soybean | | Plot | Experimental Design | Plot ID designating the experimental unit | | Repetition | Experimental Design | Block/replicate number (Randomized Complete Block Design) | | Rotation | Experimental Design | Crop rotation systems: CS = Corn/Soybean | | Tillage | Experimental Design | Tillage systems: MP = Moldboard Plow, CT = Chisel Tillage, NT = No Tillage | | Yield (Mg/ha) | Response | The weight of grain yield harvested from the plot and converted to megagrams per hectare | | Yield (bu/ac) | Response | The weight of grain yield harvested from the plot and converted to bushels per acre | | | | | | Note: Missing data are coded as "." | | | ## Code/software No code is included in this dataset submission. However, data were analyzed using SAS (version 14.1). Relevant scripts and analysis pipelines may be made available upon request or in future public repositories. ## Access information This dataset is associated with the following publication: de Camargo Santos, A, Culman, SW, Deiss, L. 2025. Sixty years of crop diversification with perennials improves yields more than no-tillage in Ohio grain cropping systems. Field Crops Research, 109993. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109993](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109993)  **Statement on Data Sharing and Ethics** We recognize the importance of archiving and sharing large datasets to advance scientific research. Successful and sustainable data sharing requires ethical conduct from all individuals involved in data acquisition, archiving, and use. Specifically, it is crucial to acknowledge the contributions of those who designed and created the studies. As a condition for using this dataset, users are requested to: * Acknowledge the original researchers and long-term contributors who designed and maintained the field trials. * Cite the source publication (de Camargo Santos et al. 2025) in any derived work or publication that utilizes this dataset.