ARS | Publication request: TILLAGE, COVER CROP, AND N EFFECTS ON COTTON GROWN IN 19-CM ROW WIDTHS

Submitted to: World Cotton Research Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 29, 1998
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: In some areas of the USA where cotton is traditionally harvested with a spindle picker, there is widespread interest in producing cotton in narrow rows and harvesting with a stripper harvester. This study was conducted to determine the effects of residue management and nitrogen fertilization on cotton grown in 19-cm row widths. Similar experiments were conducted in Florence, SC, and Auburn, AL. Treatments at both locations were tillage system (chisel plowing plus disking vs. no-till), winter cover crops (cereal, legume, or none), and N fertilizer rates (0, 45, 90, 135 kg N/ha). The cereal cover crop was Avena strigosa at Florence and an Avena strigosa/Secale cereale mixture at Auburn. The legume cover crop was Pisum sativum at Florence and Lupinus albus at Auburn. Plant populations were approximately 290,000 plants/ha at Florence and 370,000 plants/ha at Auburn. Although tillage system had a small effect on most variables, the availability of N (either through fertilizer or cover crop) had the greatest impact on measured variables. At Florence, lint yield ranged from 670 to 1340 kg/ha in 1996 and 336 to 900 kg/ha in 1997. At Auburn, lint yield ranged from 660 to 1570 kg/ha in 1996 and 450 to 1140 kg/ha in 1997. At both locations, optimum N rate for cotton following either no cover crop or following the winter cereal was between 45 and 90 kg/ha, while there was little difference among the four N rates for the cotton grown after the legumes. As expected, yield was related to bolls per unit area. Plant morphological characteristics at harvest and fiber properties will be presented.