Linking Daily Temperature Ranges with Microbial Benefits in a No-till Cotton System on the Southern High Plains

The benefits of no-till with stubble to cotton production systems include, increased soil organic matter, greater rain fall infiltration and reduced production costs. In our research we have found that changes in Daily Temperature Range (DTRsoil) associated with stubble in a no-till system, can add additional benefits by increasing the activity of the beneficial soil microbial community and increasing beneficial ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling. We have been examining derailed impacts on microbial community structure and function and subsequent linkages and interactions on nutrient dynamics, carbon storage and crop production in an irrigated -no-till cotton system on the Southern High Plains.  Evaluations for 2016 indicate that microbial activity is increased by 25% without any change in moisture simply by reducing DTR soil during the summer.  For 2015, plants produced 1.5 extra bolls per plant when DTR soil was reduced as compared with areas of the field with higher DTRsoil.