Cotton Belt sustainability effort underway

Cover crops are going into the ground, and protocols are being written for a Texas A&M AgriLife Research-led project designed to help producers across the Cotton Belt improve efficiencies and the sustainability of their operations.

AgriLife Research weed science and cropping systems agronomist Muthukumar “Muthu” Bagavathiannan, Ph.D., is leading a $10 million grant project to transform cotton production into a more sustainable system in the southern United States. Bagavathiannan is the Billie Turner Professor of Agronomy in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences.

He said the goal of the new multistate project is to use improved management practices, such as reduced tillage and precision input management, to enhance soil health and sustainability across the Cotton Belt.

PHOTO: Cotton bales on Tuesday, Sep 17, 2024, in El Campo, Texas. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)