Healthy soil is the foundation of every successful crop, and for many Southern growers, rotation is the key to keeping that foundation strong. Across the Cotton Belt, farmers who grow cotton, peanuts, and corn are finding that rotating these crops not only helps manage pests and disease but also restores the nutrients that keep their soil—and their yields—thriving.

Breaking Cycles and Building Yields in Florida

In Malone, Florida, just below the Alabama line, Mike Jordan of 3J Farms has seen firsthand how rotation benefits both his crops and his bottom line. Jordan started farming with his father in 1980, and by the early 1990s, he began experimenting with cotton as a rotation crop for peanuts. Over time, he shifted away from corn and soybeans to focus primarily on cotton and peanuts—a decision that continues to pay off.

“You can’t rotate soybeans and peanuts because they’re both legumes and host the same nematodes,” Jordan explained. “But cotton isn’t a host for the peanut root-knot nematode, so planting cotton breaks the nematode cycle, allowing peanut yields to rebound. And peanuts, in turn, put nitrogen back in the soil, which helps cotton tremendously.”

Today, Jordan, who is in partnership with his wife, Rene, and his brother John, irrigates nearly all of his fields and prefers a two-year cotton, one year peanut rotation to keep his soil and yields in balance. “I’ve tried three years of cotton before switching back to peanuts,” he said. “That first year is great, but by the third, yields can drop by as much as 30%. The soil just needs that break.”

Jordan works closely with Staplcotn Cotton Specialist Stan McMikle, whom he calls his “go-to man. “I really appreciate how Staplcotn sticks with you year after year and makes sure you get the best value possible,” Jordan said. “Our cotton yields have improved every year, and between the nitrogen from peanuts and the nematode break from cotton, they really are good for each other.”

Corn’s Role in Rotation in Georgia

A couple of hours northeast in Sylvester, Georgia, Joel Carter balances a slightly different mix of crops. He farms both dryland and irrigated acres and includes corn in his cotton and peanut rotation. The sandy loam and red clay soils of Georgia’s Coastal Plain make it well-suited for all three crops, though irrigation plays a key role in his planting decisions.

“When cotton prices were stronger, I planted more cotton and less corn,” Carter said. “Now that prices are down, peanuts are my main cash crop, and I’ve moved corn to the irrigated land and cotton to dryland.”

For Carter, both corn and cotton serve as rotation crops for peanuts, and he aims for two years of cotton or corn followed by one year of peanuts when market conditions allow. “Corn adds organic matter back into the soil, which helps my peanuts,” he said.

Staplcotn Cotton Specialist Tom Pinson, who works with Carter, noted that Carter can often get a good local price for corn from deer hunters during hunting season—a helpful offset when commodity prices fluctuate.

The Common Thread: Cotton

While each farmer manages different soils and markets, both Jordan and Carter agree that rotation is essential to their longterm success—and cotton plays a leading role in that balance. Whether it’s breaking pest cycles, building soil health, or strengthening farm profitability, the power of rotation is what keeps the soil—and the farm—thriving.