Cover Crop Impacts on Soil Microbial Properties in Cotton Cropping Systems

Continuous cotton production prevalent in the Texas semi-arid regions continues to degrade soil ecosystems and services. Soil microbial proliferation and diversity is a useful soil health indicator in evaluation of cover crop technology introduced in these practices. Phospholipid Fatty Acid (PLFA), soil microbial community analysis method was utilized for both Non-Irrigated and Irrigated cotton. Cool season cover crops were introduced during the winter fallow period over a four-year period. The non-irrigated system consisted of conventional tillage and no-tillage without a cover crop and no-till with a wheat, Austrian winter pea, crimson clover, hairy vetch, and mixed species cover crop. The irrigated system included wheat and mixed species cover crops. Cover crops increased total living biomass, bacteria biomass, fungi biomass and arbuscular compared to no cover crops treatments for both irrigated and non-irrigated cotton compared to no cover crops.