Comparative Advantages / Disadvantages of Rotation Crops With Cotton (in relation to the following cotton crop) COTTON SUMMER OILSEEDS SUMMER COARSE GRAINS SUMMER GRAIN LEGUMES WINTER PULSES GREEN MANURES PERENNIAL LEGUME WINTER OILSEEDS WINTER CEREALS BARE Wheat/Barley/ Cotton Sunflowers Soybeans Maize Sorghum Mung Beans Pigeon Peas Chickpeas Faba Beans Dolichos Lablab Vetch Lucerne Canola Safflower Long Fallow Triticale/Oats • Good cash crop. • Stubble breaks down easily. • Has role in cotton IPM as trap • Stubble breaks down easily. • Rarely if ever used as rotation • Low input crop. • Easy to grow cash crop. • Slow breakdown, very slow cycle • Stubble breaks down quickly. • Good stubble cover. • Long planting window. • Has role in cotton IPM as trap • Stubble breaks down quickly. • Has a role in IPM. • Efficient N fixer. • Can make cotton management • Poor stubble cover. • Good short - term cash crop. crop. • Does not aggravate cotton insect crop with cotton. • Improves soil structure. • Sowing time more aligned with of organic carbon. • Good gross margins. • Need corn front to harvest. • Has a role in IPM. crop. • Good cash crop. • Reduces N fertiliser for cotton. • Improves soil structure. more timely and easier . • Specialised harvest equipment. • Short season 90 days requires • Good cash crop. pests. • Good cash crop. • Can aggravate insect pests, cotton harvest. • Highly VAM dependent. • N - fixing legume. • Can aggravate cotton insect pests. • Stubble can be a problem. • Stubble breaks down quickly. • Good N fixer. • Reduces Black Root Rot. • Harbours beneficial insects. • Weed control is critical. General Overview • Can aggravate cotton insect pests. intensive management. • Stubble breaks down quickly. • Good N fixation. • Improve soil structure. particularly mirids/mites. • Excellent cotton disease break General Overview • Cotton herbicides in failed cotton • Can aggravate weed • Potential plant — back problem • Potential plant — back problems • Difficult to establish in Southern • Can aggravate sowthistle • Increase in cotton yield. • Field out of production for many • Can reduce VAM levels. • Can aggravate weed • Can aggravate cotton insect pests • Foliar disease management • Destroy crop before flower/seed • Allelopathic effect on cotton • Can aggravate sowthistle - exception Fusarium. drastically reduce crop options. management. with atrazine. with atrazine. NSW. problems. • Avoid seed set. months. Long - term option. • Potential soil erosion. management. • Highly sensitive to waterlogging. critical. set. immediately following canola. problems. • Aggravates thrips/wireworms. • Plant from mid - February to late • Autumn and spring planting • Very wide planting windows can • Spring and summer planting • Plant in late autumn April. With adequate soil moisture • Spring and summer planting opportunities. • NSW planting windows start in • Planting windows extend from be achieved by growing a range of • Spring and summer planting • Spring and summer planting windows. – early winter, according to local • Spring planting window maximises earlier plantings produce more • Narrow spring planting window for • Early summer planting window for • Spring and summer planting windows. Suited to double • Short autumn planting windows, • Best crop growth will occur. mid - late April and close in mid - mid June to mid August. varieties. windows. Late plantings are windows. • Flowering occurs 60–80 days recommendations. vegetative growth. Use a longer biomass. Best results after wheat, Bollgard II® cotton. best results. windows. cropping situations. check local recommendations. between late spring and early late May, depending on region. • Day length and temperature • Adaptable row configurations to preferred for polyunsaturated • Days to flowering depend on after emergence. • Early planting may lead to season variety to maximise the but with timely operations can be • Following legumes increase • Seed is short lived. • In NSW under irrigation, medium • Fewer days to flowering with later • Late planting reduces the duration autumn. Varieties can be highly • Varietal frost / heat risk. determine time to flowering. Later allow inter - sowing of the next • Not applicable. Planting Overview hybrids. hybrid maturity but will be less • Harvest own seed, seed difficult excessive vegetative growth and days to flowering. grown between cotton crops. Planting Overview sowing rates by 10% to ensure • Germination and vigor are lost maturity hybrids usually perform plantings in warmer temperatures. of flowering (yield potential) and winter — active through to winter • Consider using rollers, planted crops mature faster. crop. • When selecting fields consider with later plantings in warmer to get. lodging. Late planting reduces • Well suited to double cropping • Low temperatures restrict winter adequate plant populations. after only a few months in storage. best. • Powdery mildew - check varietal the harvest height. dormant. cultipackers or press wheels to • Requires very good seed - soil • Follow variety specific bird risks. temperatures. • Use narrow row spacings to harvest height. after wheat. growth. resistance. • Strip planting maximises improve seed - soil contact. contact. recommendations to minimise maximise grain yield. • Suited to double crop situations. • Avoid deep planting as seedlings attractiveness to insects. frost risk and maximise yield. are weak. • Autumn, plant for crop • Does not influence the start of • Does not influence the start of the • 20oC and falling for early plant • 18oC and rising. Plant refuge • 14oC and rising for • 10–12oC and rising when heavy • Does not influence the start of the • 12oC and rising. Allow for a • 16–18oC for 3–4 days and the risk • Emergence occurs >10.5oC, but • Does not influence the start of the • Does not influence the start of the • 18oC on 3 consecutive days and • The optimum range is establishment before frosts. the planting window, but late planting window. (oats, grazing varieties). Does Planting Temperature crops within 2 weeks of planting • Not applicable. Planting Temperature 3 consecutive days. frosts have past. planting window. 3–4oC drop if watering up. of frost has past. 28–30oC is ideal for crop growth. planting window. planting window. rising. 23–15oC. • Spring plant when frost risk planting into cold soils can reduce • Frost tolerant until stem not influence the start of the main (planting depth at 8–9am) Bollgard II® cotton. (planting depth at 8–9am) passed into good soil moisture. emergence. elongation commences. season planting window. • Poor ground cover & residual • Slow breakdown, very slow cycle • Moderate ground cover for long organic matter. • Breaks down slowly for slow • When standing stubble, offers of organic carbon. • Stems may be ropey causing • Good ground cover for short fallows. • Can be slashed and incorporated • Herbicides and deep tillage • Easy to sow through. • Stalks require flattening or busting • Spray out and slash at the start of release of carbon. high ground cover, it will protect • Implications for disease problems at harvest and with land fallows. • Breaks down more quickly than • Poor stubble cover. • Poor stubble cover. • Poor stubble cover. • Poor stubble cover. (disced) when green or sprayed, required for crop removal. • Plant in narrow row spacing to to aid break down — beware podding (usually March/April). • Poor stubble cover and quick • Relatively easy to plant into. the soil surface and maximize the management — prevent regrowth. preparation for cotton. • Breaks down more easily than cereals but difficult to incorporate • Quick break down means stubble • Gappy plant stands can lead to • Quick break down means stubble • Quick break down means stubble root cut and left on the surface. • When stands >12 months old are ensure stubble is brittle. of compaction risks when • Stubble mulch in contact with the break down means stubble is not • Bale to handle heavy stubble. efficiency of rainfall harvesting. Stubble Management* • Insufficient breakdown in dry • Quick break down means stubble sorghum. for quicker breakdown. is not suitable for long fallow woody stems that can be difficult is not suitable for long fallow is not suitable for long fallow • Manure at least 4 weeks before removed, a long fallow or irrigation • Poor stubble cover and quick Stubble Management* undertaking these operations. soil breaks down quickly. suitable for long fallow situations. • May tie up N . • Where disease management is winters. is not suitable for long fallow • High in nutrients; 11 kg N, 14 kg • Late incorporation in conjunction situations. to incorporate. situations. situations. cotton planting. will be required to refill the profile break down means stubble is not • When left standing or as stumps critical, stubble mulch will increase situations. P, 166 kg K /tonne. with a dry winter is known to be • Minimal groundcover. suitable for long fallow situations. • Excessive trash at planting can • Cover can be lost in heavy damage to equipment such as the rate of stubble breakdown. allelopathic to emerging cotton. cause variable plant stands. storms. tyres can occur. • Very well suited to no - till • Highly desirable for most stubble • Need to cut below cotyledon node • Exacerbates cotton seedling • Narrow rows allow inter — • Twin rows or narrow rows allow • May exacerbate cotton diseases if • May exacerbates cotton diseases • Beware of allelopathy to cotton in • Exacerbates cotton diseases. • May exacerbate cotton diseases. • May exacerbate cotton diseases.