Cover crops are the important component of organic cotton production which can serve to suppress weed pressure and provide additional soil fertility. Cover crops also have the potential to sequester C and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cropping systems. Incorporated cover crop residues may retain soil moisture and reduce surface soil temperature. A study was conducted at Texas A&M University farm at College Station, Texas to investigate the effects of different legume and cereal cover crops i.e. winter pea, mustard, oats, winter mix and one control (weed free check) on CO2, N2O and CH4 emissions and soil moisture and temperature dynamics in conventionally tilled organic cotton system. GHG samples were collected in a weekly interval using static chambers of 0.73m × 0.35 m base area and measuring the CO2, N2O and CH4 concentration in gas chromatography. Soil moisture and temperature dynamics were monitored in a half-hourly basis using CS655 sensors connected to CR-1000 dataloggers from a soil depth of 5-17 cm and 5 cm respectively. First year data of the study indicates relative high CO2 emissions from oats and winter mix treatments. Winter mix had the highest N2O and CH4 emissions and CH4 flux was accelerated by higher soil moisture. On the other hand, legume and brassica only cover crops were effective in reducing both N2O and CH4 emissions. Higher residues of oats and winter mix cover crops helped conserving soil moisture, but soil temperature wasn't affected by any cover crop compared to weed free. Continuation of the study for two more years would be more reveling and will help in understanding the effects of different types of cover crops to the overall system and selection of proper management practice.
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