Reduced tillage and cover crop effects on soil moisture and infiltration

Authors: ROBERTS, CARSON - University Of Missouri; GHOLSON, DREW - Mississippi State University; Locke, Martin; Simpson, Zachary; SPENCER, DAVE - Mississippi State University; QUINTANA-ASHWELL, NICOLAS - Mississippi State University; PIERALISI, BRIAN - Mississippi State University; CROW, WHITNEY - Mississippi State University; KRUTZ, JASON - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Agricultural Water Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/21/2025
Publication Date: 1/27/2026
Citation: Roberts, C., Gholson, D., Locke, M.A., Simpson, Z.P., Spencer, D., Quintana-Ashwell, N., Pieralisi, B., Crow, W., Krutz, J. 2026. Reduced tillage and cover crop effects on soil moisture and infiltration. Agricultural Water Management. 325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2025.110108.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2025.110108

Interpretive Summary: Cropping systems that may more efficiently utilize soil moisture can yield well while being resilient to adverse climate. Conserving soil moisture can offset irrigation demand, thus reducing the strain on irrigation sources such as the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer. This field experiment investigated how conservation agriculture practices for cotton impacted the soil moisture. Both conservation tillage and cover cropping conserved more soil moisture throughout the season than a conventional system, delaying the need for irrigation. Cover cropping and subsoiling increased infiltration of rainfall, further reducing the demand for irrigation. Ultimately, the conservation practices saved 2 to 7 cm of irrigation per year compared to the conventional system. While the results are encouraging for water conservation among other benefits, economic analysis suggests that conservation tillage and cover cropping practices for cotton in this area are insufficiently compensated under the current USDA-NRCS EQIP payment schedules for Mississippi. Additional or expanded incentives may be necessary for long-term expansion of covered areas.

Technical Abstract: Cropping systems that conserve soil moisture are needed in crop production to improve yield or reduce irrigation water demand. This study assessed the ability of different conservation systems to conserve soil moisture in the US mid-South. The effects of tillage systems, subsoiling, and cover crops on soil moisture, soil water depletion, and infiltration in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) were investigated near Stoneville, MS, on a Dubbs silt loam (Typic Hapludalfs) and a Bosket very fine sandy loam (Mollic Hapludalfs). Before irrigation, the conventionally-tilled soils had at least 59% greater soil tension (less soil moisture) than all other conservation practices that were tested. Soil moisture was higher where cover crops were sown (20 kPa) than in winter fallow systems (34 kPa). Prescribed irrigation to replenish soil moisture in treatments that reached the irrigation threshold (80 kPa) did not change the trend in soil moisture among treatments. Season-long soil moisture across all years was improved over the conventional control with the use of any conservation practice by at least 19 kPa. Each Mg ha-1 increase in preplant biomass reduced soil tension by at least 7.3 kPa. Cover crops and subsoiling improved rainfall infiltration. Infiltration increased by 13% under cover cropping compared to winter fallow and by 16% when the system included subsoiling. Cover crops appear to improve both season-long soil moisture and infiltration and may be a viable method for conserving irrigation water.