Cover crop impact on irrigated cotton yield and net return in the southern Great Plains

DeLaune, Paul B.; Mubvumba, Partson; Fan, Yubing; Bevers, Stan

doi:10.1002/agj2.20135

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In wetter regions, cover crops can be used to dry the soil to create suitable conditions for planting (Bronick & Lal, 2005), but cotton producers in relatively dry regions are concerned about yield loss due to cover crop moisture consumption. Previous reports on the systems we studied showed that there were no differences in stored soil moisture among systems during the cotton growing season (DeLaune, 2015; DeLaune et al., 2020), indicating that improved moisture infiltration and retention offset cover crop moisture consumption. Consistent with this, Adhikari et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…Year‐to‐year yields of the cotton crops for the long‐term study in which this research took place are available in a recently published report (DeLaune et al., 2020). Relevant yields are given here for simpler reference.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The cover crops were not fertilized or irrigated. Additional details on the cover crops, including the composition of the mix, is given in a report by DeLaune, Mubvumba, Fan, and Bevers (2020). Cotton was planted on 23 May 2017 and 26 May 2018 with the cultivars DeltaPine 1549 and Phytogen 490, respectively, at a rate of 96,875 seeds ha ‒1 by a precision vacuum planter on 101.6‐cm rows.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additional information on soil properties at the experimental site are given in a report by DeLaune et al. (2020). At the end of each growing season, cotton was harvested with a two‐row stripper, running the length of the plots.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Growth and development of irrigated cotton in conservation management systems of the Texas Rolling Plains

Adams¹,

Thapa²,

DeLaune³

2020

Agronomy Journal

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Conservation tillage and cover cropping are expected to enhance multiple ecosystem services in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production systems. The few published studies addressing this in the transitional climate of the Texas Rolling Plains region have shown cotton lint yield to be the same in conservation and conventional management systems, though the specific effects of conservation management are still being debated and producer adoption remains low. In this study, in which data was collected in Years 5 and 6 in long-term management plots, our objective was to make detailed, season-long measurements of crop development and productivity parameters, identifying diversions among systems, if any. The irrigated cotton management systems included: conventional tillage (CT), no-till (NT), no-till with wheat (Triticum aestivum) cover crop (NT-WC), and no-till with mixed-species cover crop (NT-MC). Several differences were found among systems over discrete timeframes, though these were mostly transient changes without year-to-year consistency and did not lead to differences in yield. The only exceptional trend was observed in 2017 in the NT-MC treatment, as it had relatively great early-season biomass production and bolls per plant, and greater season-long plant height relative to the CT system, though these differences did not alter yield. No evidence was found that conservation management negatively affected cotton crop development, productivity, or yield at any point during the two growing seasons. Conservation management practices can be implemented by regional producers for the expected ecosystem services, including reduction of erosion and improved soil health, with no negative effects on the cotton crop anticipated.Abbreviations: CT, conventional till; DAP, days after planting; LAI, leaf area index; NAWF, nodes above white flower; NT, no-till; NT-MC, no-till with mixed cover crop; NT-WC, no-till with wheat cover crop.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Growth and development of irrigated cotton in conservation management systems of the Texas Rolling Plains

Adams¹,

Thapa²,

DeLaune³

2020

Agronomy Journal

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“…Data from field experiments have been widely used to conduct economic analysis on alternative conservation practices (Boyer et al., ; Cochran, Roberts, Larson, & Tyler, ; Ott & Hargrove, ). In this study, a field experiment was conducted at Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station at Chillicothe, Texas (34°15′11.40″ N, 99°30′26.39″ W) from 2013 to 2018 (DeLaune, Mubvumba, Fan, & Bevers, ). Continuous cotton under irrigation was grown on a Rowena clay loam soil.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic analysis of adopting no‐till and cover crops in irrigated cotton production under risk

Fan¹,

Liu

DeLaune³

et al. 2020

Agronomy Journal

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Adoption of soil conservation practices has been promoted to improve environmental and economic benefits across the United States. These practices are especially necessary for soil health improvement in the Southern High Plains where soils are prone to erosion and agricultural irrigation relies heavily on groundwater. Winter cover crops and no‐till cropping are two conservation practices for reducing soil erosion, but producers might face additional risks associated with adopting these practices. The objective of this study was to examine the profitability and risks associated with alternative tillage and cover crops (no cover crop, winter wheat [Triticum asestivum L.], and grass–legume mixture) for irrigated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Using data from a 6‐yr field experiment, net return distributions of each production system were evaluated and ranked across various risk aversion levels. The results showed that the average net returns were $1040 and $1049 ha−1 for conventionally tilled and no‐till cotton without a cover crop, while the net returns were $1121 and $1075 ha−1 for no‐till cotton with wheat and mixed cover crops, respectively. Producers adopting cover crops had a greater probability of getting a middle interval of net returns between $760 and $1370 ha−1. The results of risk analysis show that risk‐neutral and slightly risk‐averse producers prefer no‐till cotton production with wheat cover, while no‐till with mixed and wheat cover are the first and second most preferred systems for very and extremely risk‐averse producers. Sensitivity analysis confirms consistent profit effects of cover crops and no‐till adoption at multiple cotton price levels.

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Early impacts of cover crop selection on soil biological parameters during a transition to organic agriculture

Ellman‐Stortz,

Lewis,

Gentry

et al. 2024

Agrosystems Geosci & Env

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Although Texas is not widely known for organic production, it is responsible for most organic peanut production in the United States. When managed effectively, this can be a lucrative practice due to consumer demands. However, farmers pursuing organic management must undergo a 3‐year transition period to obtain United States Department of Agriculture certification, which is often associated with depressed yields. The objective of this study was to measure the impact of organic management and cover crop selection on biological indicators of soil health during the second year of transitioning to an organic cotton–peanut rotation in West Texas. We conducted a field study at two locations, and soil health indicators including in situ respiration, carbon mineralization, enzyme activities, and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were measured. The use of a cover crop resulted in generally greater biological activities compared to the fallow after only one cover crop rotation, representing early elevated biological activities under plots treated with a cover crop. However, cover crop species selection typically does not affect soil biological parameters. Cover crop use also did not contribute to yield losses when compared to a fallow treatment. When comparing organic management to conventional management, both sites experienced elevated PLFA counts under organic management. Importantly, results indicated that although reduced peanut yields could be expected under transitional organic management, this was not cover crop species‐specific, nor was it a guarantee. Given the economic risk of organic management for farmers, this study will benefit producers deciding whether to pursue organic production and cover cropping.

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Cover crop impact on irrigated cotton yield and net return in the southern Great Plains

Cited by 11 publications

References 28 publications

Growth and development of irrigated cotton in conservation management systems of the Texas Rolling Plains

Growth and development of irrigated cotton in conservation management systems of the Texas Rolling Plains

Economic analysis of adopting no‐till and cover crops in irrigated cotton production under risk

Early impacts of cover crop selection on soil biological parameters during a transition to organic agriculture

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