Here, we provide a commentary on “Changes in the yield effect of the preceding crop in the US Corn Belt under a warming climate” recently published in Global Change Biology. Crop rotational diversity has recently been gaining interest for its role in climate change adaptation; however, the focus has been on climatic conditions in the growing season . This study uses data from over a wide area and an important cropping system to demonstrate that the benefits of a different preceding crop for both corn and soybean depended on both growing season and non‐growing conditions.