Tuesday, November 6, 2007
142-9
Tillage Studies in Perrenial Grass- Based Peanut/Cotton Cropping Systems.
Kris Balkcom1, Tawainga Katsvairo2, and John Smith2. (1) Auburn University, 155 Research Road, PO Box 217, Headland, AL 36345, (2) University of Florida, 155 Research Road, Quincy, FL 32351
Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is often grown in rotation with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under conventional tillage in the Southeast US . There is renewed interest in including perennial grasses such as bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Fluegge) in conventional peanut cropping systems. Field studies were conducted in Headland, Alabama, from 2003 to 2006 to compare crop yields, in the conventional peanut-cotton-peanut (P-C-P) vs. bahiagrass-bahiagrass-peanut-cotton (B-B-P-C) rotations and two tillage systems, strip-till vs. conventional tillage. Strip tillage and the B-B-P-C rotation increased yield in 2 of 4 years at this site. Average peanut yield ranged from 5000 to 5600 kg ha-1 between the four years. Both strip tillage and the B-B-P-C rotation had reduced disease incidences in all four years but this did not always result in greater yield.