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An Agronomic and Economic Evaluation of Fertilizer N and Legume Cover Crop Management for No-Till Cotton Production

J.M. Thompson, J.J. Varco and S.R. Spurlock


 
ABSTRACT

A field study was conducted from 1992 through 1995 to determine both the agronomic and economic effects of fertilizer and legume N in no-tillage cotton production on lint yield and net returns. Fertilizer N rates of 0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 lb/acre were applied in combination with winter fallow cover management using either broadcast ammonium nitrate (AN) or a subsurface banded urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN) solution. Additionally, there was a winter cover system using a hairy vetch cover crop in combination with all N rates used with winter fallow, except the highest. Agronomically, the use of hairy vetch was shown to increase soil productivity while decreasing the amount of UAN fertilizer needed to achieve predicted maximum yields. Economically, because the vetch system did not significantly increase the agronomic maximum lint yield over that of fertilizer N , the non-legume systems had net returns of $14 to 43/acre more depending on N source, N price, and lint price than the more expensive legume system. Average net returns in the vetch system were slightly improved with the use of UAN fertilizer. Broadcast ammonium nitrate had significantly greater average yields and net returns than the UAN system.



Reprinted from Proceedings of the 1997 Beltwide Cotton Conferences pp. 629 - 632
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

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Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998