Abstract
Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an economically important crop for the Southern United States. The southern US also has a long growing season suitable for double cropping a second crop after small grains; however, the harvest date for the small grains typically occurs after the optimum planting window for cotton which reduces yield potential. A relay intercropping system was developed at Clemson University that allows interseeding of cotton into standing wheat 2 to 3 weeks before harvest with interseeded cotton yields similar to the conventional mono-cropped cotton. Therefore, the objectives of this study were 1) to determine the optimum tillage and planting methods for narrow row (76-cm) and wide row (97-cm) cotton, and 2) to compare narrow and wide row systems for conventional tillage cotton, cotton interseeded into standing wheat, and cotton planted into a terminated wheat cover crop on coastal plain soil. Two replicated tests were conducted to accomplish these objectives. In Study 1, conventional narrow row cotton combined with a deep tillage operation using Paratill yielded 23% more than conventional wide row cotton which had a deep tillage operation with a subsoiler just before planting. There were no differences between the conventional (97-cm row spacing) mono-crop and interseeded cotton yields. In Study 2, there was no significant difference in yield between narrow-row and wide-row cotton for each cropping system during the two years study. Both wide and narrow-row full season cotton had significantly higher yields than interseeded and cover crop planting systems in year two of the study. The two conservation cropping practices, wheat used as a cover crop and interseeding, showed considerable promise for reducing energy requirements, soil erosion, and wind-borne cotton damage associated with bare soil in conventional tillage. This research demonstrates the benefits of interseeding and narrow row spacing for sustainable cotton production in coastal plain soils of the Southern United States.
Highlights
The production value of cotton is ranked as one of the most economically important cropping system in the southern USA with an estimated value of over $7 billion [1]
The southern US has a long growing season suitable for double cropping a second crop after small grains; the harvest date for the small grains typically occurs after the optimum planting window for cotton which reduces yield potential
The objectives of this study were 1) to determine the optimum tillage and planting methods for narrow row (76-cm) and wide row (97-cm) cotton, and 2) to compare narrow and wide row systems for conventional tillage cotton, cotton interseeded into standing wheat, and cotton planted into a terminated wheat cover crop on coastal plain soil
Summary
The production value of cotton is ranked as one of the most economically important cropping system in the southern USA with an estimated value of over $7 billion [1]. The southern US growing season is typically longer than other parts of the US which makes doubling cropping summer crops after the harvest of the winter crop, such as wheat a viable practice. Double-cropping or planting of cotton after wheat harvest (around early June) occurs after the optimum planting window (early to mid-May) which often limits the yield potential of cotton. Cotton requires a longer growing season for optimum yields and has limited options for shorter season varieties compared to soybean (Glycine max L.) which is the traditional crop in the Southern US that is planted after wheat harvest. A double-cropping planter/drill system developed at Clemson University allows interseeding or planting of one crop, such as cotton, into a second crop, such as winter wheat two to three weeks before the harvest of the second crop [2] [3]. Interseeded cotton does not need spring deep tillage because of the fall deep tillage conducted before wheat planting [3] [4]
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