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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #188453
Title: Effects From A Corn Rotation on Cotton Dry Matter Partitioning and Lint Yield

Author
item Pettigrew, William
item Bruns, Herbert
item Meredith Jr, William
item Young, Lawrence
item Stetina, Salliana - Sally

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/2006
Publication Date: 2/22/2006
Citation: Pettigrew, W.T., Bruns, H.A., Meredith Jr, W.R., Young, L.D., Stetina, S.R. 2006. Effects From A Corn Rotation on Cotton Dry Matter Partitioning and Lint Yield [abstract]. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Increasing input costs combined with low prices for lint have caused some cotton producers to consider rotating a portion of their acreage to other crops in search of the elusive increased profits. This study investigated how cotton lint yield, yield components, dry matter partitioning and fiber quality were affected when corn was grown the previous 1 or 2 seasons. Four crop production strategies were implemented in 2000 and continued through 2003: 1) continuous cotton, 2) continuous corn, 3) corn-cotton-corn-cotton, 4) cotton-corn-corn-cotton. These strategies were timed so that cotton was grown in 2003 for all the production systems featuring cotton. Other than a slight increase in plant height, none of the dry matter partitioning traits were affected by growing cotton after a year or two of growing corn. Rotating the land to corn for one year did not improve yields, but a slight lint yield increase was observed after a two year corn rotation. These minimal yield increases, in and of themselves, were probably not sufficient to justify a change in cotton production systems. However, other economic or agronomic factors might weigh large enough to justify a switch.