Tillage and residue effects on infiltration into soils cropped to cotton.
1993
Baumhardt R.L. | Keeling J.W. | Wendt C.W.
Greater infiltration of precipitation increases water available for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor L. Moench)] production on the semiarid Texas South Plains. The objective of this study was to determine the short-term effects of tillage and crop residues on water infiltration into an Olton clay loam (fine, mixed, thermic Aridic Paleustoll), a Pullman clay loam (fine, mixed, thermic Torrertic Paleustoll), and an Amarillo loamy flue sand (fine-loamy, mixed, thermic Aridic Paleustalf). Cropping treatments included (i) conventional tillage of continuous cotton (CVT), (ii) no-tillage, limited residue, of continuous cotton (C-NTL), and (iii) no-tillage of cotton grown in rotation with limited grain sorghum (S-NTL), or (iv) wheat (W-NTL) residues. Final infiltration rate (IR) and cumulative infiltration (CI) was measured on three soils during three successive years after applying well water at 80 mm h-1 for 1 h with a rotating disk-type rainfall simulator. Cumulative infiltration varied between 40 and 60 mm and did not increase with increasing sand content among the three soils tested. Compared to CVT, neither W-NTL nor S-NTL resulted in significantly greater infiltration. Except on the Pullman soil, C-NTL consistently had the lowest CI; however, its infiltration tended to increase with time to a level similar to the other rotations of reduced till crops. Results shown that infiltration into these soils at mid-growing season was not affected by no-tillage management of limited crop residues.
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