High Residue Conservation Tillage System for Cotton Production: a Farmer’s Perspective

High residue conservation tillage systems for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production have been proposed as having the potential to be both economically and environmentally sustainable, and research regarding till­ age systems has indicated that several advantages may exist for conservation tillage systems compared to con­ ventional tillage systems. However, adoption of new farming systems on a regional scale is difficult unless an individual farmer is willing to take the personal risk and demonstrate the sustainability of the new system on a farm. The John T. Ingram and Sons farm is an example that in 1984 adopted a high residue conservation tillage system. Located on the Coastal Plain soils of Alabama, this farm has been successfully operating as a high residue conservation tillage system from that time to the present and has served as an example for other farmers in the region. The following describes the system pres­ ently used on the John T. Ingram and Sons farm and presents their perspective and observations.