Tillage System Effects On Upland Cotton Yield and Development In Virginia

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dc.contributor.authorLongest, Robert Josephen
dc.contributor.committeechairFrame, William Hunteren
dc.contributor.committeememberAbaye, Azenegashe Ozzieen
dc.contributor.committeememberHodges, Steven C.en
dc.contributor.departmentCrop and Soil Environmental Sciencesen
dc.date.accessioned2017-04-19T08:00:14Zen
dc.date.available2017-04-19T08:00:14Zen
dc.date.issued2017-04-18en
dc.description.abstractIdentifying the proper tillage system which provides the best agronomic benefits for cotton production in the coastal plain soils of Virginia was the basis for this research. Strip-tillage was evaluated from 2015-2016 on-farm to determine the effects of annual and biennial treatments on plant growth and lint yield, as well as measuring the impacts on soil compaction. Also, small plot tillage experiments were conducted from 2013-2016 assessing no-till, conventional tillage, minimum tillage, and strip-tillage as well as the subsequent effects of these systems on four cotton varieties. Biennial strip-tillage produced similar lint yields to annual strip-tillage at 3 of 4 locations, with only one location showing a significant difference in lint yield of 135 kg ha-1. Persistence of subsoil tillage within the row from the previous year was observed at some locations and plant heights were not different at all locations, although annual strip-tillage provided deeper potential rooting depths both early season and at harvest. In short term tillage systems, minimal penalties in plant growth and lint yield were observed in no-till verses the other systems, primarily associated with greater soil compaction, shorter plant heights, and lower yields. An overall 8% reduction in yield was found with no-till systems, with no significant differences in yield among tillage systems observed in any year. Varietal effects on plant growth and yield were observed annually, with FM 1944 GLB2 being the shortest plants, and DP 1321 B2RF having the tallest plants. No tillage by variety interaction was observed, supporting the idea that varieties respond similarly across tillage systems.en
dc.description.abstractgeneralCotton production in the Coastal Plain region of Virginia utilizes several tillage methods for agronomic benefits to promote plant growth and lint yield. Tillage studies were conducted in Suffolk, Virginia and the Tidewater region from 2013-2016. Tillage methods of conventional tillage, strip-tillage, minimum tillage, and no-tillage and the impacts these systems had on plant growth and development of several varieties, as well as how they altered soil properties including compaction were assessed. Precision strip-tillage was investigated to determine if a zone of sub-soil tillage may remain beneficial for two growing seasons (biennial). Overall, annual and biennial strip-tillage seems to produce similar lint yields, with only one of four locations having a statistical difference in lint yield with annual strip-tillage resulting in 135 kg ha-1 more lint than biennial strip-tillage. No-tillage resulted in roughly an 8% decrease in relative yield compared to the other three tillage practices, as well as greater soil compaction readings. However, differences in plant growth and development as well as lint yields seemed to be more related to varietal impacts.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:9965en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/77423en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjecttillageen
dc.subjectupland cottonen
dc.subjectplant growthen
dc.subjectsoil compactionen
dc.subjectlint yielden
dc.subjectprecision agricultureen
dc.titleTillage System Effects On Upland Cotton Yield and Development In Virginiaen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineCrop and Soil Environmental Sciencesen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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