Long-Term Changes in Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen under Semiarid Tillage and Cropping Practices

Schwartz, Robert C.; Baumhardt, R. Louis; Scanlon, Bridget R.; Bell, J. M.; Davis, Ronald G.; Ibragimov, Nazirbay; Jones, O. R.; Reedy, R. C.

doi:10.2136/sssaj2015.06.0241

Cited by 16 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Foundation Seed, College Station, TX) was planted using a high-clearance hoe opener grain drill at ~50 kg·ha −1 sowing rate to achieve 200 plants·m Pullman soil [18]; therefore, no fertilizer N was needed to achieve the expected dryland yields for wheat [19] and cotton lint [20]. We applied no P or K fertilizer because the Pullman clay mineralogy supplies sufficient K to meet crop demand [21] and dryland crop response to broadcast applied P fertilizer has been limited for 0.76 m rows.…”

Section: Field Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…No fertilizer N was applied because, as previously noted, annual atmospheric deposition and mineralization for a Pullman soil totaling ~47 kg N ha −1 [18] is sufficient to achieve ~500 kg·ha −1 lint yields [20] that might be expected for dryland cotton at Bushland. The effects of other nutrients on cotton growth are not simulated by GOSSYM and were not specified [31].…”

Section: Model Uncertainty and Crop Simulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Planting Geometry Effects on the Growth and Yield of Dryland Cotton

Baumhardt¹,

Schwartz²,

Marek³

et al. 2018

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The declining Ogallala Aquifer beneath the Southern High Plains may necessitate dryland crop production and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a well-adapted and potentially profitable alternative crop. The limited growing season duration of the Texas Panhandle and southwestern Kansas, however, imposes significant production risk due to incomplete boll maturation. Emphasizing earlier boll production that is usually confined to sites on lower fruiting branches may reduce risk, but offsetting high planting densities are needed to maintain desirable lint yield. Our objectives were to quantify planting: 1) row width and 2) in-row spacing effects on growth, yield, and fiber quality of dryland cotton. Field tests of row widths from 0.25 to 0.76 m and plant densities with in-row spacing ranging from 0.075 to 0.15 m were conducted from 1999 to 2005 on a nearly level Pullman clay loam (fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Torrertic Paleustoll) managed in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), cotton, fallow (W-Ctn-F) rotation. To expand the basis of comparison, cotton growth and yields were simulated using GOSSYM and long-term weather records from Bushland, TX, as input for all combinations of 0.38 or 0.76 m row widths and plant spacing of 0.075, 0.10 and 0.15 m. Experimental and computer simulated plant height and harvested boll number increased significantly with increased row spacing and, occasionally, in-row plant spacing. Modeled lint yield for 0.38 m rows decreased by approximately 50% compared with the 582 kg·ha −1 yield for conventional row spacing, which was practically duplicated by field observations in 2001 and 2004. Measured fiber quality occasionally improved with conventional row spacing over ultra-narrow rows, but was unaffected by plant spacing. Because narrow rows and frequent plant spacing did not improve lint yield or fiber quality of dryland cotton, we do not recommend this strategy to overcome a thermally limited growing season.

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Section: Field Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Model Uncertainty and Crop Simulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planting Geometry Effects on the Growth and Yield of Dryland Cotton

Baumhardt¹,

Schwartz²,

Marek³

et al. 2018

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“…Increasing SOC levels has been a historically slow process on the High Plains due to climatic conditions, including hot summer and cool winter temperatures, limited soil moisture, coarse soil texture, and plant primary productivity which generates limited residues (Dijkstra and Morgan, 2012). Schwartz et al (2015) found SOC only increased approximately 0.1% after 25 yr on the Texas High Plains in wheat grown under stubble mulch compared to disk tillage. Conservation management practices like NT and cover cropping can increase SOC and subsequently enhance soil health but may take several decades in semi‐arid climates due to the extreme climatic conditions experienced (Bronson et al, 2004; Lucas and Weil, 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

Temporal Variability of Soil Carbon and Nitrogen in Cotton Production on the Texas High Plains

et al. 2019

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Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key indicator of soil health as it is important in essential soil functions related to nutrient cycling and soil productivity. Although, it can take several decades to increase SOC in semi‐arid ecoregions, it is possible that the low organic matter background in sandy soils typical of semi‐arid soils may show greater fluctuations compared to soils from other regions. This study was conducted to evaluate the temporal C and N dynamics of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cropping systems in a semi‐arid region. The effects of no‐tillage (NT) and cover crop use on SOC, potassium permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), inorganic nitrogen (Ninorg), and microbial respiration were investigated in a long‐term study (∼19 yr) at Lamesa, TX, comparing conventional tillage (CT), winter fallow, to no‐tillage rye cover (R‐NT), and no‐tillage mixed species cover (M‐NT) on an Amarillo fine sandy loam. Results showed SOC and POXC were greatest during periods of active cover crop and cotton root growth. Soil organic C and POXC were significantly correlated (R2 = 0.75; p < 0.0001), but poorly correlated to microbial respiration (R2 = 0.41, p = 0.0001; and R2 = 0.02, p = 0.8781, respectively). Conservation management practices did not impact Ninorg. Soil organic C and POXC levels were more variable than previously reported and responded to active root growth in this semi‐arid, sandy soil. Core Ideas Soil organic C and K permanganate oxidizable C were more temporally variable than previously reported. Soil organic C and K permanganate oxidizable C were greatest during active cover than fallow periods. Long‐term conservation management did not significantly increase inorganic N.

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“…Long-term research was conducted at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland, TX (35 • 11' N, 102 • 5' W; and 1,170 m MSL), which has ∼190 frost-free days, a semiarid climate with mean annual pan evaporation of 2,600 mm and precipitation of ∼460 mm. The landscape is gently sloping (∼1.5%) with a 1.8-m deep Pullman clay loam (fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Torrertic Paleustoll) having 9 g kg −1 organic carbon in the 0.0-0.15 m depth (Unger and Pringle, 1981;Schwartz et al, 2015). The WSF rotation (Baumhardt and Anderson, 2006) was established in 1949 on six large, 2.0-4.1 ha, terraced fields varying from 1.2 to 1.8% slope, from 630 to 660 m length and from 32 to 62 m width, which were graded to 0.05% channel slope and contour-farmed (Hauser and Jones, 1991;Jones et al, 1994).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controlling Stormwater Runoff That Limits Water Availability and Dryland Crop Productivity

Baumhardt

Dockal

Johnson

et al. 2020

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Continued pumping for irrigation from the non-recharging Ogallala aquifer in Kansas and Texas is unsustainable. Reducing risks for dryland wheat (Triticum aestivum L) and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] production, which depends exclusively on precipitation to meet water demand is critical for future adoption. Stormwater runoff reduces the amount of precipitation available to crops, but management practices to minimize runoff concomitantly increase the opportunity time for infiltration and improve precipitation storage as soil water for crop use. Our objectives in this study were to evaluate tillage, slope and the effects of contour or with-slope farming on runoff, soil water at planting, and the growth and yield of wheat and sorghum grown in the 3 years wheat-sorghum-fallow (WSF) rotation. Long-term, 1983 to present, runoff was measured from gauged terraced and contour farmed fields managed in the WSF rotation with no-tillage (NT) or stubble-mulch (SM) tillage. We found significantly greater mean cumulative runoff during fallow for NT than for SM but only for the 1.8% terrace slopes., The corresponding soil water with NT increased by a significant ∼27 mm over SM due to reduced evaporation but generally did not differ due to slope. Wheat yield decreased significantly as slope decreased from 1.8 to 1.2% but exhibited no yield response tillage. In contrast, grain sorghum yields were greater with NT than SM tillage residue management. Farming along the contour or slope manifested no differences in soil water, crop grain yield, or water use; however, they did increased significantly with no tillage for sorghum but not wheat. We conclude that management of tillage was more effective than slope effects in increasing water availability to crops because of evaporation reduction with crop residue.

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Long-Term Changes in Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen under Semiarid Tillage and Cropping Practices

Cited by 16 publications

References 37 publications

Planting Geometry Effects on the Growth and Yield of Dryland Cotton

Planting Geometry Effects on the Growth and Yield of Dryland Cotton

Temporal Variability of Soil Carbon and Nitrogen in Cotton Production on the Texas High Plains

Controlling Stormwater Runoff That Limits Water Availability and Dryland Crop Productivity

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