ARS | Publication request: Estimating the net returns of managing pigweed in cotton

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: January 12, 2011
Publication Date: April 25, 2011
Citation: Duzy, L.M., Price, A.J., Balkcom, K.S. 2011. Estimating the net returns of managing pigweed in cotton. In: Boyd, S., et al., editors. Proceedings of the 2011 National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference, January 4-7, 2011, Atlanta, Georgia. p.336-339.

Interpretive Summary: The use of a winter cover crop in cotton production is an important part of a conservation tillage system, along with a cost effective weed management program. A study was established by scientists from the Agricultural Research Service’s National Soil Dynamics Laboratory in the fall of 2007 to determine the effect of management practices and herbicide treatments on the net returns in the two different locations in Alabama. The experiment included horizontal strips consisting of four conservation-tillage treatments with differing cover crop planting dates, a conservation tillage/winter fallow treatment, and a conventional tillage treatment with no cover crop. There were four herbicide regimes: 1) a broadcast preemergence (PRE) herbicide followed by a postemergence (POST) followed by a LAYBY application, 2) a banded PRE application followed by a POST application followed by a LAYBY application, 3) a POST herbicide followed by a LAYBY application, and 4) a LAYBY application. Net returns were lower for the LAYBY only herbicide treatment and were generally highest for the POST and LAYBY herbicide treatment. The use of conservation tillage with an early planted winter cover crop had higher net returns than the conventional tillage system in two of the three years. The addition of PRE and POST applications of herbicides increased the net returns as compared to a LAYBY treatment alone.

Technical Abstract: The use of a winter cover crop in cotton production is an important part of a conservation tillage system, along with a cost effective weed management program. A study was established in the fall of 2006 to determine the effect of management practices and herbicide treatments on the net returns in the two different locations in Alabama. The experiment included horizontal strips consisting of four conservation-tillage treatments with differing cover crop planting dates, a conservation tillage/winter fallow treatment, and a conventional tillage treatment with no cover crop. There were four herbicide regimes: 1) a broadcast preemergence (PRE) herbicide followed by a postemergence (POST) followed by a LAYBY application, 2) a banded PRE application followed by a POST application followed by a LAYBY application, 3) a POST herbicide followed by a LAYBY application, and 4) a LAYBY application. Net returns were lower for the LAYBY only herbicide treatment and were generally highest for the POST and LAYBY herbicide treatment. The use of conservation tillage with an early planted winter cover crop had higher net returns than the conventional tillage system in two of the three years. The addition of PRE and POST applications of herbicides significantly increased the net returns (P = 0.05) as compared to a LAYBY treatment alone.