Author
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Reeves, Donald |
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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 7/10/2003 Publication Date: 8/11/2003 Citation: Reeves, D.W. A Brasilian model for no-till cotton production adapted to the Southeastern USA. Proceedings of the II World Congress on Conservation Agriclture-Producing in Harmony with Nature. 2003. p. 372-374 Interpretive Summary: . Technical Abstract: Historical agricultural mismanagement of soils in the southeastern USA, especially with continuous cropping of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), has resulted in soil degradation, with consequent negative environmental and economic impacts. Brazil is a leader in development and adoption of conservation tillage. A key technological difference between Brazil vs. the United States is an understanding that conservation tillage is a SYSTEM and not a single practice. Components of this system include the use of green manure cover crops, crop rotation, integrated biological control of pests and weeds, and site-specific solutions to problems. We have adapted the Brazilian model for cotton production in the southeastern USA to manage soil compaction, improve soil quality, and reduce risks from short-term droughts. For all soils, the use of high-residue producing cereal cover crops is the crucial management component. For silty-clay soils, a rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop is used with non-inversion under-the-row tillage in fall. For coarser-textured soils with root-restricting compacted layers, the non-inversion tillage is accomplished in spring, as these soils reconsolidate with winter rainfall. Refinements for the systems include adjusting planting dates of cover crops and cash crops to maximize residue production, modifying equipment to perform in heavy residue, and more recently, the use of Real-Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK-GPS) guidance systems for equipment. These practices have played a key role in the dramatic increase of conservation tillage adoption in the southeastern USA. |
