Success in any venture depends either on a sturdy foundation or on luck. Stephen Leacock wrote,"The harder I work, the more luck I have."

Determining the correct rotation for your farm is the basis of profitable crop rotation, yet considering and weighing all the factors which may make up your optimum rotation can be a formidable task, especially given that the exact crops and varieties to be included constitute an ever-changing scenario. Price changes between crops and improvement in varieties are constantly changing factors which affect your decision.

The factors which will help to determine crop rotations include:

1. Relative crop prices
2. Relative crop yield on your farm
3. Risk - both production and financial
4. Ability to switch from one Crop to another
1. knowledge, expertise, desire, machinery availability and/or affordability, registered crop production products.

Since 1990 research has been conducted by Ag-Quest, lnc. at the Conservation Tillage Productivity Center at Minto, MB on the, interactions between tillage, fungicide use and crop rotation and on how these influence crop yield and economic return.

Sumrnaries of multi-year experience and specific results by year are presented in Appendices 1-3inclusive.

Rotation x Tillage x Fungicide (1990-1996)

A 4--replicate trial consisting of three crop rotations, three tillage systems and four fungicide treatments was established in 1990 and continued through 1996.

Tremendous gains in economic return were obtained using zero tillage to enhance crop available soil water. When zero tillage crop production techniques were combined with a diversified rotation (50% cereals versus 75-100% cereals) profitability gains ranged from 4 to 8 times the profits achieved with conventional tillage systems; 1.6 to 2.8 times the profitability achieved with minimal tillage systems and as much as 9 times the profitability of zero tillage systems using a 100% cereal rotation (Appendix 1,Table 13).

Fungicides used both as seed treatments and foliar treatments were found to be effective in enhancing profitability in many of the rotation/tillage scenarios. The greatest gains from fungicide applications were made when used in the diversified zero tillage system. Again, zero tillage provided the extra moisture necessary for higher yield potential, while diversified rotation, fungicide treatment and zero tillage itself helped to reduce disease pressure and release the higher yield potential.

While fungicides were shown to produce significant economic gains (as much as 1100-1200 kg/ha or 16-18 bu/acre in 1994) under some conditions such as low disease pressure or drought conditions, application of foliar fungicide could reduce profitability (1995). Careful scouting along with appropriate knowledge and decision making guides should significantly help to ensure the profitability of foliar-applied fungicides.

Eleven zero-till rotations were established at Minto in 1994, each crop ("year') of every rotation was included every year to minimize the effect of year on the results. Four fungicide treatments were superimposed on the rotations.

The results of the pulse rotation trials indicate that net profitability on an annualized average basis could range from $3.50/acre/year to $123.00/acre/year. The main factors determining the results were relative crop price, relative crop yields including responsiveness to fungicides, crop specific inputs including herbicides, seed, fertilizer, labour and machinery. Risk and individual ability to grow the various crops were not considered in the analysis. Although crop prices were basic set as 1997 farm gate prices, the huge change in lentil prices from the start of the study (1994, 30¢/lb) to the 1997 price of 12¢/lb obviously had a huge impact on the results. At 30¢/lb, rotations which gave high yields of lentils were very profitable whereas even these rotations gave poor returns when prices dipped to 12¢/lb.

One of the best rotations, given 1997 prices, was a wheat-peas-canola rotation, followed closely by the wheat-canola-peas rotation. The author is somewhat concerned/surprised that this rotation performed so well considering the susceptibility of these rotations to substantial losses due to sclerotinia. These rotations would have to be used with caution from a sclerotinia point of view.

All the crops included in the various rotations were affected by the previous crops. Both 1994-1997and the 1997 reports indicate which crop sequences were the most favorable.

Pea yields were generally highest following wheat and were as much as 400 kg/ha (6 bu/acre) lower following canola or peas. Lentil yields tended be highest when following peas ( planted 2 years prior) and wheat (planted the previous year). Canola yields were marginally lower following peas than after wheat (Appendix 2, Table 2).

Wheat yields varied greatly depending on previous crops. In 1997 wheat yields ranged from 1776kg/ha to 3198 kg/ha (26-47 bu/acre) depending just on rotation. Wheat yields were lowest following a previous wheat crop (Appendix 2, Table 5).

Just as in the Rotation x Tillage study, fungicides have the potential to greatly influence yield and economics. The need for fungicides will depend, however, on a number of factors, including:

1. Susceptibility of the crop variety seed
2. The timing and severity of the disease infestation
3. Effectiveness of the fungicide for a given disease

Tables have been included (Appendix 2, Table 2-5) which highlight the average response of the various crops to seed treatment and foliar fungicide application in each year from 1994-1996 as well as more detailed results for 1997. For example, even in the highest yielding rotation for peas the use of a seed treatment and foliar fungicide increased yield by 495kg/ha and 1135 kg/ha (7 and 17 bu/acre) in 1995 and 1996 respectively (Appendix 2, Table.- 2). In lentils yield gains from fungicide application were 8, 1007 and 715 kg/ha for 1994, 1995 and 1996 respectively (Appendix 2, Table 3). Similarly, fungicide applications to the highest yielding canola rotation increased yield by 1119, -39, and 356 kg/ha for 1995, 1996 and 1997 respectively (Appendix 2, Table 3). And finally, in the highest yielding wheat rotations (wheat-peas-canola) fungicides were effective in increasing yields. The yield gains from using both seed treatment and foliar fungicides were 613, 295 and 574 kg/ha(9, 4, 8.5 bu/acre) for 1995, 1996 and 1997 respectively, (Appendix 2, Table 5).

While fungicides could still be beneficial in the lower yielding rotations, use of fungicides (given proper scouting and decision making) were most beneficial to overall farm profitability when used with the best rotation rather than as a prop for poorer rotations.

Yield and thus profitability are highly influenced by rotation and tillage. Taking the time to select a diversity rotation using zero tillage to enhance crop available moisture are the fundamentals to ensuring farm profitability. Careful use of fungicides with good rotations, based on need (variety susceptibility and disease presence), can further enhance the overall economic situation of your farm.