Studies were conducted to determine the economic feasibility of producing dryland cotton in a wheat-cotton cropping sequence using no or limited tillage. Other studies were conducted to find the most economical carrier and rate of application for controlling weeds with paraquat and glyphosate. Applications of paraquat and glyphosate mixed with certain herbicides killed weeds cheaper than tillage during the 11 month fallow from wheat harvest to cotton planting. Some of the no and limited tillage treatments produced up to 90 lb/A more lint than a tilled check because of improved soil water storage during the fallow.

Economical control of small weeds was obtained with both paraquat and glyphosate. Large weeds were not controlled by either herbicide as cheap as with tillage. Ignoring high cost, glyphosate was more effective on large weeds than paraquat. Paraquat gave most economical control (95% or more) of small pigweed and volunteer wheat. Glyphosate gave most economical control of small barley, corn, large witchgrass, and large stinkgrass.