Continuous soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merill.] may lead to yield decline due to its detrimental effect on
soil health. Habitat disturbance affects numerous ecosystem components and processes. In this study, we
assume the continuous soybean system as a normal tillage, any interference within the system is defined
as a disturbance. Thus, crop disturbance is defined as a management practice used after a continuous
soybean system to the seeding of the subsequent disturbed crop for one-season, and then switching to
continuous soybean system. Six crops, grain soybean (Glycine max L. Merill.), wheat (Triticum aestivum
L.), sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), and hemp (Cannabis
Satia L.) were seeded in a Mollisol farmland that had previously been cropped to continuous soybean
for seven years, and then continuous soybean was implemented for three years. The soybean grain yield
as a consequence of continuous soybean was significantly improved after hemp disturbance in the first
and second year and after hemp and corn disturbance in the third year. The positive effect in hemp
disturbance on succeeding soybean seed yield was 9.1–10.8% greater than that of continuous soybean.
Increases in plant height, number of productive pod and seed number per plant as well as photosynthetic
rates at R3 and R5 stage were responsible for the yield improvement of continuous soybean after hemp
and corn disturbance. The attempt to increase yield of continuous soybean through the crop disturbance
was considered successful. Adoption of hemp disturbance can be an alternative approach to managing
continuous soybean production system.