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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #408561
Research Project: Innovative Manure Treatment Technologies and Enhanced Soil Health for Agricultural Systems of the Southeastern Coastal Plain

Location: Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research

Title: Assessing the long-term effects of conservation agriculture on cotton production in Northeast Louisiana using the DNDC model

Author
item FERDUSH, JANNTUL - Louisiana State University
item JEONG, CHANGYOON - Louisiana State University
item JEON, HWANGJU - Louisiana State University
item WANG, JIM - Louisiana State University
item Ro, Kyoung
item ZHANG, XI - Louisiana State University

Submitted to: Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/4/2024
Publication Date: 5/8/2024
Citation: Ferdush, J., Jeong, C., Jeon, H., Wang, J., Ro, K.S., Zhang, X. 2024. Assessing the long-term effects of conservation agriculture on cotton production in Northeast Louisiana using the DNDC model. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment. 7(2). Article e20514. https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20514.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20514

Interpretive Summary: Conservation agriculture (CA) in cotton production, aimed at sustaining agricultural production, soil, and environmental health in agro-ecosystems, has been promoted throughout the United States. There is limited knowledge on the long-term effects and interactions of whole range of CA practices affecting crop yields and adoption strategies. Using the process-based computer model called DeNitrificationDeCompositon (DNDC) model, we estimated the effects of four different cover crops (native grass, hairy vetch, winter wheat, and crimson) on cotton yield, carbon sequestration, and nitrogen leaching. Data from the long-term field experiments with a integrated CA system of no-till (NT) and four different nitrogen levels were used to calibrate the DNDC model. The model predicted that the winter wheat showed the most effective cotton production. Findings from this study would encourage other researchers to explore more possible scenarios using the DNDC model and allow farmers to recognize the advantages and better utilize the NT system for effectively practicing CA with more confidence.

Technical Abstract: Conservation agriculture (CA) in cotton production, aimed at sustaining agricultural production, soil, and environmental health in agro-ecosystems, has been promoted throughout the United States. The adoption of CA provides for both agricultural and environmental benefits. Still, the limited knowledge of the long-term effects and interactions of the whole range of CA practices affect crop yield and its adoption strategies. An integrated CA system, i.e., cover crops with No-till (NT) instead of conventional agriculture (CV), was carried out in the long-term field experiments and assessed with an integrated biogeochemical model. Using the DeNitrificationDeComposition (DNDC) model, this study estimated the effects of four different cover crops, e.g., native grass (NG), hairy vetch (HV), winter wheat (WH), and crimson clover (CC), on cotton yield under four different nitrogen (N) levels and compiled the consequences on carbon (C) sequestration, nitrogen (N) leaching, and ecosystem functionality over a ten-year study. The No-Till NG 50 N was used as a calibration dataset to accurately estimate the cotton lint yield with a normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of 21.22% and model efficiency of 0.3. The calibration data validated the effects of HV, WH, and CC under the NT-50N with NRMSE of 24.65, 21.95, and 25.16%, respectively. According to the scenario analysis, the 50 kilogram nitrogen per hectare (kg N/ha) application with a single irrigation event (10 centimeter depth) is most beneficial for maximizing the cotton yield with cover crop incorporation at the NT system over the long-term.