Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Titre : SORGHUM COTTON ROTATION - A PRAGMATIC ROUTE TO IMPROVE FARM PRODUCTIVITY IN WATER LIMITED ENVIRONMENTS OF THE SOUTHWEST HIGH PLAINS

Identification : 1030410

Pays : Etats Unis

Durée : START : 01 APR 2023 TERM : 31 MAR 2025

Résumé
Rapid and uncontrolled extraction of groundwater from the Ogallala Aquifer and poor water-conserving agricultural practices are causing significant challenges to sustain the agricultural industry in the southwest High Plains. To sustain crop cultivation in regions limited by water, adopting grain sorghum and cotton rotation is proposed to be a pragmatic option compared to continuous cotton. However, a systematic analysis of the sorghum-cotton rotation considering it’simplication on soil health associated microbial (bacteria and fungi) changes, farm productivity and economic outcomes, particularly connecting the findings from research farm to the producer field has not been conducted. To facilitate producers to make well-informed decisions, the project objectives are designed to (i) Quantify changes in crop yield and quality with a sorghum-cotton rotation under different irrigation levels, management practices and soil types ; (ii) Explore soil microbial changes and associated impact on soil health and crop productivity in a sorghum-cotton rotation compared to continuous cotton and (iii) Determine the economic outcomes and environmental sustainability of a sorghum-cotton rotation in the target region. In addition, the project will leverage TAWC (Texas Alliance for Water Conservation), a long term "Producer-Teaching-Producer" demonstration program in operation for 17 years, to disseminate project findings to a wider group of stakeholders in the High Plains. The comparative assessment of findings from the research farm and producer fields will facilitate developing an economically feasible pathway for incorporating sorghum-cotton rotation in water-limited environments of the southwest High Plains.

Objectifs
ong term goalDemonstarte soil health and microbial changes, economic outcomes, and associated environmental benefits by introducing grain sorghum into a continuous cotton system under semi arid conditionsSupportive objectivesObj. 1 - Quantify changes in crop yield and quality with a sorghum-cotton rotation under different irrigation levels, management practices and soil typesObj. 2 - Explore soil microbial changes and associated impact on soil health and crop productivity in a sorghum-cotton rotation compared to their respective continuous croppingObj. 3 - Determine the economic outcomes and environmental sustainability of a sorghum-cotton rotation under water limited environments of southwest High PlainsObj. 4 - Enhance awareness of the economic and environmental sustainability of sorghum-cotton rotation under semi-arid environments of the southwest High Plains

Financement total : $294,000

Performing Institution : TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
Investigator : SV, K. J. ; Ritchie, GL, L. ; Slaughter, LI, CH. ; McCallister, DO, MA. ; Somayanda, IM, MU.

Présentation : USDA (NIFA)