Reduced Tillage and Crop Residue Effects on Cotton Weed Control, Growth and Yield

Abstract

The tillage operations conducted in a barley and cotton double-crop rotation were reduced by eliminating tillage prior to planting cotton, eliminating cultivations for weed control in cotton, and especially by eliminating tillage following cotton prior to planting barley. Data collected in 2002 and 2003 in Coolidge and Marana showed that a weed sensing, automatic spot-spray system reduced the amount of spray volume and herbicide used by 50 to 60%. Data from Maricopa in 2003 indicated that the savings can be much greater (e.g., in a treatment with thick Solum barley cover crop residues) or much less if volunteer grain germinates after grain harvest. Similar weed control was obtained with the weed sensing, automated spot-spray system compared to conventional continuous spray systems for most weed species. At Coolidge in 2002, the minimum tillage treatment with a barley cover crop produced 24% more lint than the conventional tillage system (1089 versus 880 lb/A) because more water was applied in that treatment. In 2003, the minimum tillage treatment yielded 24% less than the conventional tillage treatment (1178 versus 1539 lb/A) due to herbicide injury. There were no differences in cotton yields among the tillage systems at Goodyear in 2002 and 2003. In Marana (2002 and 2003) and Maricopa (2003), there were yield differences between treatments related to planting date, with late-planted cotton yielding less than early-planted cotton. At Marana, the cotton yields of the minimum-till and conventionally tilled treatments were not statistically different. At Maricopa, the early-planted minimum-till cotton yielded less than the early-planted conventionally tilled cotton (956 versus 1141 lb/A). The yield comparisons between conservation tillage and conventional tillage cotton production systems are not yet definitive and more research needs to be conducted. Economic comparisons between productions systems indicated an advantage for conservation/minimum tillage treatments if cotton yields were comparable.