ABSTRACT

It is estimated that 45-50 percent of Georgia's cotton acreage is infested with at least one species of potentially damaging nematodes. Nematodes are present and increasing in many soil locations. Faced with yield losses due to nematodes, cotton producers have decision alternatives. The producer may choose to alternate plantings annually with a non-host crop, continue to produce continuous cotton but with the aid of a nematicide, or use cover crops that will reduce nematode pressure. An objective of this study was to compare economic returns of alternative rates of aldicarb and crop rotations to continuous cotton. Study results show that in continuous cotton, increase use of aldicarb resulted in higher yield and net return. Corn-cotton and soybean-cotton rotations while resulting in lower nematode pressure and higher yields, produced lower net returns than the 2 best continuous cotton treatments. In the 2 years of the 4-year study in which corn was grown, yield was a respectable 171.5 bushels per acre. A corn yield of only 5-10 bushels per acre higher would have resulted in net returns equivalent to the best continuous cotton treatments. This may be achievable for some producers. Soybeans-cotton does not appear to be a profitable alternative to continuous cotton.