DOI: 10.5061/dryad.kwh70rzj3
title: Data from: Crop performance and profitability for the initial transition years of a regenerative cropping system in the Upper Midwest USA

description: The transition from conventional to more regenerative cropping systems can
 be economically risky due to variable transition period yields and
 unforeseen costs. We compared yields and economic returns for the first
 three years of the transition from a Business as usual (BAU) conventional
 corn (Zea mays)-soybean (Glycine max) rotation to an aspirational (ASP)
 five-crop (corn-soybean-winter wheat (Triticum aestivum)-winter canola
 (Brassica napus)-forage) rotation in the upper US Midwest. Regenerative
 ASP cropping practices included more diverse crop rotation, continuous no
 till, cover crops, precision inputs, and livestock (compost) integration.
 For the first two transition years, BAU corn yields were 8-12 % higher
 than ASP while in the third, 5 % lower. Soybean yields were similar for
 the first two years but higher in BAU in the third due to an ASP pest
 outbreak. Equivalent yields for other ASP crops were lower than BAU in the
 first two years but similar in the third, except for canola, which
 suffered from slug damage. Whole-system economic returns narrowed across
 years; by year three, whole system comparisons for the ASP corn and
 soybean entry points (corn-soybean-wheat and soybean-wheat-canola,
 respectively) showed equivalent economic returns for BAU and ASP, despite
 yield differences, owing largely to the ASP system’s reduced operational
 costs. Overall findings suggest that early regenerative systems can be as
 profitable as conventional with careful attention to rotation entry points
 and inputs.
description: # Data from: Crop performance and profitability for the initial transition
 years of a regenerative cropping system in the Upper Midwest USA Dataset
 DOI: [10.5061/dryad.kwh70rzj3](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.kwh70rzj3) ##
 Description of the data and file structure A field experiment was
 conducted from 2022 to 2024. Crop yield and economics data were presented.
 ### Files and variables #### File:
 Datta_et_al._Crop_yield_economics_Dryad.xlsx **Sheet descriptions:** 
 **Table 1.** Crop rotation phases by year; cover crops not shown. See
 narrative for further descriptions. **Table 2.** Production costs and sale
 prices for each system and rotation phase. BAU = Business as usual; ASP =
 Aspirational. **Table 3.** Absolute and soybean equivalent yields for
 2022-2024. Values are mean ± SE (n=4). Means within a column followed by
 the same letter are not different at p=0.05. **Table 4.** Mean economic
 performance across all years (2022, 2023, 2024) for cropping systems with
 corn or soybean entry points. B:C = benefit: cost ratio. Values are means
 ± SE (n=3 years). Means within a column followed by the same letter are
 not different at p=0.05. **Table 5.** Economic analysis for different
 cropping systems; wheat includes straw and cover crop forage sales. BAU =
 Business as usual; ASP = Aspirational. B:C = benefit: cost ratio. Values
 are means ± SE (n=4). Means within a column followed by the same letter
 are not different at p=0.05. For rotation sequence see Table 2. ##### ##
 Code/software #### Datta_et_al._Crop_yield_economics_Dryad.xlsx ###
 Changelog: October 14, 2025: corrected date range in README