Integrating Cover Crops into Strip-till Cropping Systems in a Semi-Arid Environment.

Strip tillage and cover cropping are agronomic practices with potential to secure soil tilth and reduce input costs. To encourage system integration in southern Texas, quantification of effects on crop yield and soil properties are necessary. The objective of this experiment is to assess the effects of integrated strip tillage and cool-season legumes in a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum ‘DP 0935’)-sorghum (Sorghum bicolor ‘GA 3696’) rotation.  Trials were planted in a randomized complete block design with split-split plots.  Main effect was row crop with split-plots strip-tilled into the residue of four legume species (Medicago polymorpha ‘Armadillo’; M. minima ‘Devine’; M. lupulina ‘ BEEBLK’; or Trifolium incarnatum ‘ Hykon’), or control (fallow/tillage). The split-split plot treatment was cutting and removal of the cover crops from half of each plot. Herbage mass of the cover crops was not different between species (P > 0.20) in either year. There were no interactions (P > 0.41) between cover crop/tillage and cutting regime for cotton and sorghum yields in either year. In the establishment year, cover crop treatments tended to result in lower cotton yields (P > 0.08) than conventional, and cutting regime tended to affect sorghum yield (P > 0.10). In year two (2013) there were no differences in cotton (P > 0.56) or sorghum (P > 0.15) yield among treatments. Soil moisture did not vary by treatment at any sampling event. Initial results indicate that integrated strip tillage and cover cropping are feasible in southern Texas, but additional years of replication are necessary.