Integrating Cotton and Beef Production to Reduce Water Withdrawal from the Ogallala Aquifer in the Southern High Plains

planted annually, primarily in monoculture systems (TASS, 2002). Furthermore, about 5.5 million stocker Agriculture in the Texas High Plains depends heavily on irrigation cattle (about 25% of U.S. total; TASS, 2002; USDA with water withdrawn from the Ogallala aquifer at nonsustainable rates. Our hypothesis was that integrating crop and livestock systems Natl. Agric. Stat. Serv., 2003) are shipped into the High would reduce irrigation water use, maintain profitability, and diversify Plains each autumn to eventually enter area feedyards, income compared with a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) monoculbut other than grazing wheat before grain harvest, little ture. Thus, from 1998 to 2002, two large-scale systems, with three integration of livestock and crop production exists. replications in a randomized block design, compared water use, proIntegrated crop–livestock systems can improve soil ductivity, and economics of (i) a cotton (var ‘Paymaster 2326RR’) quality, interrupt pest cycles, and spread economic risk monoculture with terminated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and (ii) through diversification (Krall and Schuman, 1996), but an integrated three-paddock system that included cotton in a tworesearch is limited. Integrated crop and livestock syspaddock rotation with grazed wheat and rye (Secale cereale L.) and the tems in Australia that included legume pastures imperennial ‘WW-B. Dahl’ old world bluestem [Bothriochloa bladhii proved soil quality and reversed a decline in wheat yields (Retz) S.T. Blake] for grazing and seed production. All paddocks were irrigated by subsurface drip. Angus crossbred beef steers (Bos (Donald, 1981). Luna et al. (1994) described whole-farm taurus L.; initial body weight 249 kg; standard deviation 26 kg) system comparisons for integrated crop and livestock grazed from January to mid-July. During the 4 yr of this experiment production in Virginia. In these system comparisons, following the establishment year, cotton lint yield was 1036 and 1062 integrating grazing into a 4-yr corn (Zea mays L.)–alfalfa kg ha 1 for the cotton monoculture and the integrated system, respec(Medicago sativa L.) rotation increased steer gains, retively. Bluestem seed yield averaged 24 kg pure live seed ha 1. Steers duced N and pesticide use, and maintained profitability gained 153 kg on pasture and 0.82 kg d 1. Per hectare, the integrated compared with the nonintegrated system (J.P. Fontenot system used 23% less (P 0.001) irrigation water, 40% less N fertilet al., Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, unpublished data, izer, and fewer other chemical inputs than the cotton monoculture. 2000). Krall and Schuman (1996) suggested that inteProfitability was about 90% greater for the integrated system at degrated dryland crop and livestock production systems scribed conditions. Integrated production systems that are less dependent on irrigation and chemical inputs appear possible while improvon the Great Plains represent an ecologically and ecoing profitability. nomically sustainable form of agriculture but are agriclimatic zone specific. In the Southern High Plains of West Texas, virtually no published information exists for integrating animal agriculture into irrigated crop production. C production on the Texas High Plains has used In 1997, a multidisciplinary team of people representsupplemental irrigation with water pumped from ing academics, practitioners, agricultural industries, govthe Ogallala aquifer at rates that have far exceeded ernment agencies, and local businesses designed research recharge for many years. Water from the Ogallala will to reduce dependence on irrigation while maintaining or not be available in the future to sustain irrigated agriculimproving profitability. Our hypothesis was that viable ture in this region as it has during the past 50 yr, and grazing systems could be developed and integration of adoption of water conservation strategies is imperative. crops, forage, and livestock in production systems would About 20 to 25% of the total U.S. cotton crop is proreduce use of water while maintaining appropriate levels duced in this region with more than 1.5 million ha of crop and livestock production and profitability. Thus, objectives of this research were to compare productivity, V.G. Allen, C.P. Brown, and C.J. Green, Dep. of Plant and Soil Sci., profitability, and impact on water use of (i) a cotton monoTexas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX 79409-2122; R. Kellison, Silver Creek culture system managed by best management practices Farm, Lockney, TX 79241; E. Segarra, Dep. of Agric. and Appl. Econ., Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX 79409; T. Wheeler, Texas A&M for the area and (ii) an integrated cotton–forage–livestock Agric. Exp. Stn., Lubbock, TX 79403; P. Dotray, Dep. of Plant and system. This long-term project continues, but results of Soil Sci., Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX 79409-2122 and Texas Coopthe first 5 yr are presented here. erative Extension, Lubbock, TX 79403; J.C. Conkwright, High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1, Lubbock, TX 794112499; and V. Acosta-Martinez, USDA-ARS, Lubbock, TX 79415. MATERIALS AND METHODS Approved by the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Research was initiated in 1997 to compare a continuous Resources, Texas Tech Univ. Publ. no. T-4-555. Received 18 May cotton monoculture system with an integrated cotton–forage– 2004. *Corresponding author ([email protected]). Published in Agron. J. 97:556–567 (2005). © American Society of Agronomy Abbreviations: CP, crude protein; ETo, reference crop evapotranspiration; PLS, pure live seed; SD, standard deviation. 677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA