LUBBOCK, Texas — With water declining and wind erosion worsening across the High Plains, researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife are testing new ways to keep cotton production viable for West Texas producers.
PhD student Nick Boogades is part of that effort, as he studies how regenerative farming practices can improve soil health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in cotton systems. “I’m looking at carbon cycling and greenhouse gas emissions in Texas Plains cotton systems, focusing on more regenerative practices,” Boogades said.
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The region grows nearly a third of the nation’s cotton each year, but relies heavily on the rapidly depleting Ogallala Aquifer. Boogades said water remains the area’s biggest challenge. “The major concern in this region is definitely going to be water,” he said. “We’re trying to see if we can alter cotton systems to help with water issues, productivity, and profitability.”
His research compares traditional cotton systems with practices like cover cropping and rotating wheat with cotton. Leaving wheat stubble or planting winter covers can reduce erosion, cut back on tillage and build soil carbon. “We’re seeing increases in carbon in that system, and some system benefits from a soil health standpoint,” he said…