The Texas high plains is the leading US cotton producing region but only 0.2% of acreage is organic. Barriers to transition include the need for organic defoliation methods, soil-friendly weed management, and nutrient provision. Cover crops can suppress weeds, and the long growing season in Texas allows for a late summer cover crop after cotton harvest in August to limit post-harvest weed reproduction.

This project evaluated organic acids and plant essential oils as organic cotton defoliants, and cover crops with full tillage or strip tillage. Cover crop treatments included turnips, oats, winter peas, and a 3-way mix, with or without a preceding cowpea cover crop. Treatment effects on soil moisture, soil health and fertility, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, weed populations, and crop growth and yield were measured. GHGs were also studies in laboratory incubations with cover crop residues, poultry manure, and biochar.