Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Managing soil properties through dryland cropping system intensities

Dr. Veronica Acosta-Martinez1, Dr. Ted M. Zobeck1, Mrs. Jill Booker2, and Dr. Dan R. Upchurch3. (1) USDA-ARS, 3810 4th street, Lubbock, TX 79415, (2) Texas A&M University/Agricultural Experiment Station, 3810 4th street, Lubbock, TX 79415, (3) USDA-ARS, 1001 Holleman Drive East, College Station, TX 77840

The transition from irrigated to dryland production is imminent for the Southern High Plains region due to the minimum recharge occurring to the Ogallala aquifer.  Thus, a long-term dryland study was established on USDA-ARS farmland near Lubbock, Texas in 2003 to evaluate the ability of different cropping systems to modify the properties of semiarid soils including the potential of these soils as a water storage-reservoir for crop production.  After 5 yrs, rotations with a winter cover crop such as cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)-rye (Secale cereale)-sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and haygrazer (alfalfa-sorghum hybrid, Sorghum bicolor L.)-rye demonstrated higher soil microbial populations (1.7 times higher) and enzyme activities of C and P cycling (up to 2 times higher) compared to continuous cotton or cotton-sorghum.  Soil organic mater was higher under hay-rye rotation compared to the other cropping systems.  In 2005, water infiltration rates were higher among cropping systems under no-tillage compared to conventional tillage.  Although there have been rapid improvements in soil properties, total weight and lint of cotton have been similar in continuous monoculture compared to the rotations

See more of Agronomy and Cotton Farming Systems Poster Session
See more of Agronomy and Cotton Farming Systems

See more of The World Cotton Research Conference-4 (September 10-14, 2007)