Winter cover crop impact on soil health in Texas Rolling Plains dryland cotton

The Rolling Plains of Texas are historically semi-arid with sporadic, high intensity storms followed by periods long drought. Fallow management is a common practice intended to store soil water, but leaves the bare exposed erosive forces that can diminish productivity. Cover crops in no-till (NT) agriculture have been proposed increase health under environments low precipitation as an alternative fallow management. This study evaluated multiple treatments dryland cotton system including: (1) conventional tillage (CT); (2) NT; and NT following cover crops: (3) wheat; (4) Austrian winter pea; (5) crimson clover; (6) hairy vetch; (7) mixed species cover. Soil samples were collected at 0, 3, 6 weeks after crop termination analyzed for organic carbon, total nitrogen, inorganic N, water-extractable carbon mineralization, phospholipid fatty acid analysis. For all parameters tested, there was no significant difference between CT any date or depth, so addition systems might be needed order enhance regard function. multi-species treatment predicted perform best out due its combined benefits from grasses legumes. However, single-species pea had 24% 28% higher nitrogen than without crop, useful these conditions.