Illinois simulation finds winter canola lifts corn-soy productivity, carbon balance, and profit

A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign simulation study finds winter canola added to a conventional corn-soy rotation in the U.S. Midwest could raise farm returns while improving carbon metrics, phys.org reported from a university release. Senior author D.K. Lee said cover crops protect soil between fall harvest and spring planting but typically do not generate revenue, whereas a winter oilseed such as canola could protect soil and supply feedstock for sustainable fuels. The team used the DayCent model under conditions measured between 2019 and 2024, comparing a corn-soy baseline with corn-canola-soy under four nitrogen regimes. An integrated ranking on yield, biomass, greenhouse gas intensity, total emissions, carbon balance, and net return favored the diversified rotation with full-season nitrogen support for canola. Co-author Chunhwa Jang said the diversified system increased overall productivity by 18% while keeping greenhouse gas intensity stable. Lee said net ecosystem carbon balance improved by about 21% to 27% across diversified scenarios as continuous cover and residues added soil carbon, and every diversified scenario out-earned the conventional rotation with annual profits 10% to 23% higher. Results are simulation-based and still need field validation. The paper is in Agricultural Systems (2026), DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104813.