Management Strategies for Cotton Production in a Semi-Arid, Short-Season Environment: Water - Nutrient Considerations

M.R. Morrow and D.R. Krieg


 
ABSTRACT

Cotton represents the major crop grown on the southern high plains of Texas where over one million hectares are planted annually. About 40% of the planted area is irrigated with the remainder dependent upon rainfall. Over the past 10-15 years, yields of irrigated cotton have declined rapidly at a rate of 10 kg/ha per year. Although the total amount of water applied as irrigation has also declined, it is probably not the major cause of the continuous decline in yield. A recent soil fertility survey of four major cotton producing counties revealed that the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in the root zone (top 1.0 m) were very deficient and a likely cause of the yield declines. For various reasons, producers have not been replacing the amounts of nutrients removed by production and have allowed severe deficiencies to exist.



Reprinted from 1987 Proceedings: Beltwide Cotton Production Research Conferences pg. 59
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

[Main TOC] | [TOC] | [TOC by Section] | [Search] | [Help]
Previous Page [Previous] [Next] Next Page
 
Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998