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Conservation Tillage and Poultry Litter Management for Sustainable Cotton Production

Ermson Z. Nyakatawa, Chandra K. Reddy, and David A. Mays

ABSTRACT

Use of no-till conservation tillage in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum, L.) in the south-east USA cotton belt has been slowed down by reports of reduced seedling emergence, poor plant establishment, reduced plant growth, delayed maturity, and in some cases reduced yields. Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of no-till (NT) and mulch-till (MT) conservation tillage with winter rye (Secale cereale L.) cover cropping system (WR) and poultry litter (PL) as a N source on growth pa-rameters and yield of cotton in north Alabama. Winter rye cover cropping increased surface residue cover (SRC) by 20 to 30% in CT and by 80 to 100% in NT system. Cotton seedling establishment was significantly enhanced by NT with WR cover cropping and PL application, especially in years with below average rainfall distribution during seedling emergence. This was attributed to up to 80% soil moisture conservation in the top 7 cm of the soil during seedling emergence. Surface residue cover was significantly correlated to number of bolls per plant (r = 0.36 to 0.49), biomass yield (r = 0.35 to 0.52), and lint yield (r = 0.30 to 0.33) over the duration of the study. Winter rye cover cropping did not improve cotton lint and biomass yields in CT system. However, in NT with WR cropping, cotton lint yields were 222, 214, 427, and 365 kg ha-1 greater (P < 0.05) than those in NT with WF cropping in 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2001 respectively. Similarly, biomass yields were 4229, 3945, 4741, and 4307 kg ha-1 greater in NT with WR compared to NT with WF. Poultry litter at 100 kg N ha-1 generally gave similar cotton lint yields to ammonium nitrate (AN), except in the first season of the study in 1997 and following the corn (Zea Mays, L.) crop of 1999 in 2001. At 200 kg N ha-1of PL, lint yields were significantly greater than those at 100 kg N ha-1 irrespective of the N source. Our study shows that without WR and/or application of PL, lint and biomass yield gains from NT alone are not consistent from year to year. Therefore, in order for NT to be successful for cotton production, it has to be used in conjunction with winter rye cover cropping and/or poultry litter at 200 kg N ha-1. These treatments would be appropriate for the southeastern U.S.A. where soil erosion is a problem and the disposal of PL from the large poultry industry poses an environmental problem.





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Document last modified April 16, 2003