Diversifying Organic Cotton Production in Semiarid Environments in Texas
Project Director
Paul DeLaune
Year Funded
2020
Award Number
2020-51106-32360
Funded Institution
Texas A&M University
Grant Program
ORG (Organic Transitions)
USDA NIFA Report (alternate)
Project Overview
The semiarid Texas Southern High Plains (TSHP) and Texas Rolling Plains (TRP) produce 95% of the nation’s organic cotton and 90% of organic peanuts. Organic farmers cite weeds and soil health as their greatest challenges, yet they hesitate to grow cover crops or diversify rotations because of limited moisture. This project conducted field trials in Vernon (TRP) and Lamesa (TSHP) to evaluate impacts of different cover crops, rotations, and subsurface versus broadcast manure compost applications on soil moisture, soil organic carbon (SOC), nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, microbial biomass, weeds, crop yields, and net economic returns in organic cotton and peanuts under deficit irrigation (60% of ET). Systems included continuous cotton, cotton/peanut, cotton/mungbean, cotton/sesame, and cotton/wheat/sorghum-sudangrass forage, with cover crops of fall-planted rye or early spring fennel-fenugreek (which failed, providing a winter weedy fallow treatment).
Farmer Takeaways
(1) In semiarid regions such as the Texas High Plains, a combination of diverse rotation, winter cover crops, and compost applications can build soil organic matter and soil health within a few years.
(2) Cover crops did not deplete soil moisture reserves and diverse, high-residue rotations improved moisture conservation in the Texas Plains.
(3) Excellent weed control prior to initiating transition and high quality seed are essential for successful conversion to organic production.
(4) While organic inputs such as composted manure and high residue can promote soil CO2 emissions, neither cover crops nor compost added to emissions of the two potent greenhouse gases nitrous oxide and methane.
Project Outputs
Boogades, N., C. Cobos, J.A. Burke, P.B. DeLaune, W. Keeling, and K.L. Lewis. 2023. Carbon dioxide emissions from regenerative cropping systems in the Texas Plains. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. St. Louis, MO. 29 October-1 November 2023.
Boogades, N., K.L. Lewis, P.B. DeLaune, T. Gentry, and E. Pierson. 2023. Cover crop effect on soil health during organic transition in cotton-peanut rotation in the Texas Plains. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. St. Louis, MO. 29 October-1 November 2023.
Selph, L., K.L. Lewis, and P.B. DeLaune. 2023. Crop rotation and cover crop effects on soil moisture in a transitional organic system. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. St. Louis, MO. 29 October-1 November 2023.
Boogades, N., L. Ellman-Stortz, K.L. Lewis, T.J. Gentry, P.B. DeLaune, and W. Keeling. 2022. Soil health in organic and conventional cotton-peanut rotations in the Texas Plains Region. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. Baltimore, MD. 6-9 November 2022.