Assessing the Economic Impact of Inversion Tillage, Cover Crops, and Herbicide Regimes in Palmer Amaranth(Amaranthus palmeri)Infested Cotton

Leah M. Duzy,Kipling S. Balkcom,Andrew J. Price,Jatinder S. Aulakh

doi:10.1155/2016/1524389

Abstract

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutumL.) producers in Alabama are faced with a rapidly expanding problem that decreases yields and increases production costs: herbicide-resistant weeds. Producers increasingly rely on integrated weed management strategies that raise production costs. This analysis evaluated how tillage, cover crops, and herbicide regime affected net returns above variable treatment costs (net returns) for cotton production in Alabama from 2009 to 2011 under pressure from Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeriS. Wats.). Annual net returns were compared for two tillage treatments (inversion and noninversion tillage), three cover crops (crimson clover [Trifolium incarnatumL.], cereal rye [Secale cerealL.], and winter fallow), and three herbicide regimes (PRE, POST, and PRE+POST). Results indicate that under heavy Palmer amaranth population densities one year of inversion tillage followed by two years of noninversion tillage, along with a POST or PRE+POST herbicide application had the highest net returns in the first year; however, the economic benefit of inversion tillage, across all herbicide treatments, was nonexistent in 2010 and 2011. Cotton producers with Palmer amaranth infestations would likely benefit from cultural controls, in conjunction with herbicide applications, as part of their weed management system to increase net returns.

Highlights

In the southern United States (US), producers spent over 37 billion US$ on crop production expenses in 2015
Treatments were approximately the same each year, weather and timing of operations differed between years
Net returns from inversion tillage (IT)/PRE+POST were two times larger than net returns from noninversion tillage (NIT)/PRE+POST and IT/PRE. These results clearly show the variability in net returns in 2009 across tillage by herbicide regime treatments due to high concentrations of Palmer amaranth and more effective control using IT and PRE+POST [15]

Summary

Introduction

In the southern United States (US), producers spent over 37 billion US$ on crop production expenses in 2015. Herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth is considered the most troublesome weed species for cotton producers in the Southeast and Mid-South US [10,11,12] To address this challenging weed, producers are reverting to management practices that increase their production costs, such as additional herbicide treatments, inversion tillage, and hand weeding [4]. Previous research with different production systems for Palmer amaranth control has shown mixed results, there is limited information on the effect of different weed management strategies on net returns The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the effect of tillage, cover crops, and herbicide regimes on net returns above variable treatment costs in glufosinate-resistant cotton production systems in Alabama to manage severe Palmer amaranth infestations

Materials and Methods

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Results and Discussion

Conclusions