A Comparison of Cotton Performance and Water Use Efficiency in Two Long-Term Tillage Systems

Cotton water use and yield will be compared in two tillage systems in a cotton-corn-peanut rotation.  Both strip tillage and conventional tillage cropping systems have been maintained since 2002, giving a unique, long-term analysis of tillage impact on cotton performance. A unique aspect of this study is that 2 sets of soil moisture sensors were placed in each plot, one surrounded by plants; the other with cotton plants removed in a 1-m radius.  By doing this, a more accurate measure of plant water use, soil water storage capacity, and evaporation rates can be derived by comparing values with and without the influence of cotton plants.  Data to be discussed includes soil volumetric water content to 1-m depth, soil surface temperatures, cotton water use, cotton yield, and economic returns to irrigation.  Such responses may then be used to improve irrigation management decisions through specifically prescribed irrigation scheduling and amounts suited for specific tillage practices.