A Comparison of Three Cotton Tillage Systems

Over a three year study, two reduced tillage systems used significantly less energy than conventional tillage. The Sundance system averaged 46% of the energy used by the conventional system, and the Uprooter-Shredder-Mulcher (USM) averaged 65% of the energy used by the conventional system. These energy savings translate directly into cost savings of about the same proportions. Additionally, the Sundance and USM systems can plow down and prepare the next seedbed in about one-half the time that conventional tillage requires. In three years of testing we have not detected any significant differences in soil compaction, and we have not measured any yield reductions from these reduced tillage systems.