Changes in Soil Organic Carbon and Moisture with Conservation Practices.

Conservation production practices improve soil quality and soil water holding capacity. Conservation practices incorporating cover crops have been shown to increase soil organic carbon in some environments. Soil organic carbon is typically low in the alluvial soils of the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Flood Plain, at least in part due to the high moisture and temperatures that enhance the rate of decay. This study was undertaken to determine changes in soil quality, as measured by the Soil Conditioning Index, and water under various conservation production practices, and their resultant impact on cotton production, fiber quality and yield. We examined the impacts of changes in tillage and rye cover crop on soil moisture and nutrients during the growing season. Final yield and cotton fiber quality were determined for each production system, and used to determine total economic return.