ABSTRACT

Research was begun in 1990 to investigate reduced tillage systems for cotton production in Arkansas. We first tried to copy the west Tennessee system of complete no-till cotton production. Experiments were designed that looked at no-till verses normal tillage, starter fertilizer,and row-spacing. A consistent yield reduction was obtained under complete no-till except in the extremely wet 1992 growing season. Yield losses was found to be the result of reduced boll size. This indicated that stresses occurring during boll fill were more pronounced in no-till production. Future plans are to investigate ridge-till systems currently being researched in Louisiana.