| The Martin County Project |
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The Martin County Project is a multi-institutional collaborative effort to investigate rain fed cotton production in the Southern High Plains of West Central Texas. The group includes scientists from the USDA-ARS Cropping Systems Research Laboratory in Lubbock and Big Springs, Texas A&M AgriLife in Lubbock as well as the Department of Plant and Soil Science at Texas Tech University.
Stakeholders:
- Orrin Romine
- Clinton Senn
- Justin Cave
Collaborators:
Dr. Robert Lascano (ARS-WEWC)
Dr. Paxton Payton (ARS-PSGD)
Dr. Steve Mauget (ARS-WEWC)
Dr. James Mahan (ARS-PSGD)
Dr. Timothy Goebel (ARS-WEWC)
Dr. Katie Lewis (Texas A&M Agrilife)
Dr. Murilo Maeda (Texas A&M AgriLife)
Reagan Anders (Texas Tech University)
Shelley Heinrich (Cotton Board)
Jill Halfmann (FSA)
Chase Garcia (NRCS)
Reagan Noland (Texas A&M AgriLife)
May 13, 2019
Dr. Paxton Payton (ARS-PSGD) and Reagan Anders (Texas Tech University) planted a variety trial at the USDA ARS Facility at Big Springs Tx, using seed varieties provided byDr. Murilo Maeda (Texas A&M AgriLife). This is a variety trial to test for dry land, strip till yield advantages in climatic and soil conditions similar those found in Martin County. Please see the videos below.
Martin County.
Darryll's
Image of locations for Preliminary Soil Cores
Good representation of the sandy ground acres in northern Martin county with some midessa, portales and springer soils mixed in. It also has a draw that runs across the north side. conventional tillage
Imogene's
Image of locations for Preliminary Soil Cores
~50% Amarillo loamy fine sand ~50% patricia fine sand sandiest farm we have just broke this out, there is a lot of this in that general area of the county.
Kevin's House
Image of locations for Preliminary Soil Cores
~80% acuff clay loam 20% portales loam. Some of our 'tight' ground, find a lot more of this in the north eastern part of the county.
Orrin's House
Romine Section
SoreHead Sign
Striplin's
Image of locations for Preliminary Soil Cores
~100% midessa fine sandy loam. Very uniform field, call this our dinner time dirt when we are planting... to wet before lunch, too dry after. Has been in "strip till" for 5 years. no cover, just move over 20", strip till, and plant between last years stalks, seems to be working well for us. A happy medium of the benefits of a cover crop without the moisture sap in the winter.
October 3, 2019
Our group met after the Martin County Cotton Growers annual meeting in Stanton. We were joined by several other
