ABSTRACT
An Olmito silty clay and a Laredo silty clay were tilled to a depth of 16.5 inches with a Tye paratill plow. The study was designed to measure benefits from deep tillage as could be observed through increased lint yields, reductions in salinity levels, and soil profile moisture readings. DPL 90 cotton was planted in 40-inch rows in deep-tilled and untitled blocks. Lack of adequate rainfall, high temperatures, perched salty ground water, and a subsequent outbreak of rhizoctonia resulted in a 30% lint reduction where deep tillage was performed. Gypsum block readings and surface probing indicated that soil below the 6 inches in depth remained wet throughout the first 75 days of the growing season. No leaching of salts was accomplished due to limited rainfall.
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