Twin Line Cotton Production in a Conservation Tillage System

Two experiments were conducted in 2004 evaluating twin line cotton production using a conservation tillage system approach. DPL 451 BR Upland cotton was planted into oat hay stubble on April 30 and May 5, 2004 at commercial cooperator sites at Tonopah and Tolleson AZ, respectively. The two primary experimental objectives were to determine whether cotton planted into previous crop residue initiated fruiting on the mainstem once the cotton seedling grew above the crop stubble and whether there were differences in lint yield between the single and twin line system. Previous twin line cotton production research had been conducted by authors at 30 locations from 2001-2003. In almost all cases, the harvest of low set bolls presented problems with the twin line system. In 2004, the initiation of the first fruiting branch was independent of the stubble height at both locations. In addition, there were no differences in lint yield in either a single or twin line cotton production system when planting into previous crop residue using conservation tillage.