A No‐Tillage Farming System for Clay Soils

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Abstract
Special technologies and procedures are necessary for continuous use of no‐tillage principles for cropping clay soils. Our objective is to describe a no‐tillage farming system which has been developed for Vertisol clay soils of the Texas Blackland Prairie and to review relevant research results. The system uses raised wide cropping beds, controlled traffic, crop rotations, and crop residue management technologies. Soil is protected, resource use is lowered, and crop yields are maintained. Crop rotation sequences included grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and corn (Zea mays L.) under dryland conditions. Step‐by‐step procedures are given for each crop. Specific fertilizer needs and appropriate weed control systems have been adapted for the system. Specifications have been developed for machine adaptation to this system. Economic analyses predicted that long‐term use of this no‐tillage system could maintain or increase profits compared to conventional chisel‐tillage. No‐tillage can be used as a conservation system for the soils and climatic conditions of the Texas Blackland Prairie if appropriate technologies are employed.

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