Potential genotype-based climate change adaption strategies for sustaining cotton production in the Texas High Plains: A simulation study

Authors: KOTHARI, KRITIKA - Texas A&M University; ALE, SRINIVASULU - Texas A&M Agrilife; BORDOVSKY, JAMES - Texas A&M Agrilife; MUNSTER, CLYDE - Texas A&M University; SINGH, VIJAY - Texas A&M University; NIELSEN-GAMMON, JOHN - Texas A&M University; HOOGENBOOM, GERRIT - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Field Crops Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2021
Publication Date: 8/6/2021
Citation: Kothari, K., Ale, S., Bordovsky, J.P., Munster, C.L., Singh, V.P., Nielsen-Gammon, J., Hoogenboom, G. 2021. Potential genotype-based climate change adaption strategies for sustaining cotton production in the Texas High Plains: A simulation study. Field Crops Research. 271. Article 108261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2021.108261.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2021.108261

Interpretive Summary: Sustaining cotton production under declining groundwater availability from the Ogallala Aquifer and changing climate remains a key challenge for farmers on the Texas High Plains (THP). Working in a project funded by the USDA ARS Ogallala Aquifer Program, scientists from Texas A&M AgriLife, and the University of Florida used a crop growth simulation model to assess the effects of climate change on cotton yield and irrigation water use for six cotton varieties. Actual and projected climate data from three locations Lamesa (southernmost), Halfway and Bushland (northernmost) were used. They found that irrigated seed cotton yield is expected to increase by 12–21 % at northern sites and decrease by 2% at the southern site in 2050 as compared to the baseline (1975-2000). For the same period, seasonal irrigation water use is expected to increase by 6–11% and dryland seed cotton yield is expected to change by +6% to -11% across the locations. The increases (6-11%) in irrigated seed cotton yield were attributed to increased vegetative growth under elevated CO2, while the decline in dryland seed cotton yield (up to 11%) was due to poor boll retention at high growing season temperatures. For dryland production, a long maturity type with longer boll filling duration was projected to be the most effective germplasm for adaption to forecasted changes in climate with a substantial increase in seed cotton yield of 11–45%. The results from this study will be useful to THP cotton producers and water managers in making appropriate decisions for adapting cotton production to projected changes in future climate and groundwater availability.

Technical Abstract: The Texas High Plains (THP) is a major cotton-producing region in the United States. Sustaining cotton production under declining groundwater availability in the underlying Ogallala Aquifer and changing climate remains a key challenge for stakeholders in this region. The objectives of this study were to assess climate change impacts on cotton yield and irrigation water use, and evaluate six ideotypes for adaptation. In this study, we used the DSSAT-CSM-CROPGRO-Cotton model for simulating cotton production under 18 projected future climate scenarios and with six potential adaptation ideotypes at Bushland, Halfway and Lamesa in the northern, central, and southern parts of the THP region, respectively. Seed cotton yield and irrigation water use between baseline (1976–2005) and future periods (mid-century:2036–2065 and late-century: 2066–2095) were compared. The irrigated seed cotton yield is expected to increase by 12–21 % at cooler northern sites, and decrease by 2% at the warmer southern site, in the mid-century compared to the baseline. For the same period, seasonal irrigation water use is expected to increase by 6–11 % and dryland seed cotton yield is expected to change by +6 % to -11 % across the locations. The increases in irrigated seed cotton yield were attributed to increased vegetative growth under elevated CO2, while the decline in dryland seed cotton yield was due to poor boll retention at high growing season temperatures. Six potential climate change adaptive ideotypes with greater drought and heat tolerances, higher yield potential, and longer maturity were designed and compared to the reference cultivar. For irrigated conditions, increasing area of full leaf and enhancing partitioning of assimilates to reproductive growth (high yield potential) were preferred, because these characteristics increased seed cotton yield substantially (by 3–9 %) with a marginal change in irrigation water use (by -1 to 3 %). For dryland production, a long maturity ideotype with longer boll filling duration was the most effective ideotype with a substantial increase in seed cotton yield by 11–45 %. The results from this study will be useful to THP cotton producers and water managers in making appropriate decisions for adapting cotton production to projected changes in future climate and groundwater availability.