Demonstrating Soil Health Promoting Practices to Increase Water Holding Capacity and Yield in Deficit-Irrigated Agriculture

In semi-arid regions of Texas, the impact of Cover Crops on soil moisture availability is a major concern. These concerns have been partly supported by past research evaluating Cover Crops in the Texas Rolling Plains and Southern High Plains. A comprehensive evaluation and demonstration of the impact of conservation cropping systems could be the very vehicle that drives a more widespread adoption of soil health promoting practices within semi-arid environments. This is especially important in regions that face water quantity issues, which is evident throughout Texas. In order to increase soil carbon and potentially reduce irrigation water requirements, soil health promoting practices such as conservation tillage, Cover Crops and crop rotation must be incorporated. With low adoption of soil health promoting practices and regional water supply issues, demonstration of soil health promoting practices are imperative to the success of future producers and conservation of water resources where deficit irrigation is commonly practiced. This project will incorporate crop rotation and mixed species Cover Crops into long-term conservation tillage systems and demonstrate how soil health promoting practices can improved water use efficiencies under deficit irrigation without compromising crop yields and/or economic returns.