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Title: Economic Analysis of No Tillage and Minimum Tillage Cotton-Corn Rotations in the Mississippi Delta

Author
item MARTIN, S - MSU EXT. SER.-DREC
item Hanks, James

Submitted to: Soil & Tillage Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/17/2008
Publication Date: 8/17/2008
Citation: Martin, S.W., Hanks, J.E. 2008. Economic Analysis of No Tillage and Minimum Tillage Cotton-Corn Rotations in the Mississippi Delta. Soil & Tillage Research. doi:10.1016/j.still.2008.08.09

Interpretive Summary: Field studies were conducted at Stoneville, MS for the period 2001-2006 to evaluate a combination of tillage systems and crop rotations. Crop rotations, as well as, various tillage systems have been shown to have agronomic and economic benefits. An increasingly common crop rotation in the Mid–South is cotton rotated with corn. Many previous studies have focused on tillage systems or crop rotations. Few have evaluated a combination of the two (crop rotations and tillage) especially from an economics perspective. Treatments included no-till continuous cotton, minimum till continuous cotton, one year corn followed by two years cotton no till, one year corn followed by two years cotton minimum till, one year corn-one year cotton no till and one year corn-one year cotton minimum till. Results revealed that cotton yields were increased in all four systems rotated with corn. Lower risk was associated with minimum till cotton. Gross returns were higher in a monoculture minimum till cotton system. Net returns were larger in a system that included minimum tillage and a corn rotation. The highest net returns and lowest risk were obtained from a minimum till system of cotton rotated with corn every other year. For those producers required to use a no-till system, a one year corn-two year cotton rotation provided the highest net returns and least risk.

Technical Abstract: Crop rotations have been shown to have agronomic benefits. An increasingly common crop rotation in the Mid–South is cotton rotated with corn. Many previous studies have focused on tillage systems or crop rotations. Few have evaluated a combination of the two (crop rotations and tillage) especially from an economics perspective. Field studies were conducted at Stoneville, MS for the period 2001-2006. Treatments included no-till continuous cotton, minimum till continuous cotton, one year corn followed by two years cotton no till, one year corn followed by two years cotton minimum till, one year corn-one year cotton no till and one year corn-one year cotton minimum till. Results revealed that cotton yields were increased in all four systems rotated with corn. Lower risk was associated with minimum till cotton. Gross returns were higher in a monoculture minimum till cotton system. Net returns were larger in a system that included minimum tillage and a corn rotation. The highest net returns and lowest risk were obtained from a minimum till system of cotton rotated with corn every other year. For those producers required to use a no-till system, a one year corn-two year cotton rotation provided the highest net returns and least risk.