Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Conventional, reduced tillage and no-tillage systems for cotton growing under Mediterranean conditions: A cultural and economic approach

Author(s):

Efthimios Mygdakos ^1*, Christos Avgoulas ², D. Bilalis ²

Recieved Date: 2004-08-15, Accepted Date: 2004-11-22

Abstract:

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growing in Greece has undergone a severe crisis during the last decade as production costs have increased, selling prices have decreased while economic returns have been drastically reduced. In view of this situation, the Hellenic Cotton Board has undertaken a research programme aiming at reducing input expenses and increasing yields and returns. Within this framework an attempt was made to evaluate crop and economic potentials of cotton growing under various systems of tillage practices. Conservation systems and particularly reduced tillage and no-tillage systems were compared to conventional tillage for achieving earliness, lower costs and higher yield and economic returns. The two-year experiment was carried out in a clay loam soil at the Cotton Research Centre in Central Greece. It was found that crop yield (3903 kg ha^-1) and gross margin (2035 euro ha^-1), were significantly higher for the no-tillage treatment, while the direct cost (0.224 euro kg^-1) was significantly lower compared to that of the other two treatments and particularly with the conventional tillage (crop yield 3490 kg ha^-1, gross margin 1735 euro ha^-1 and direct cost 0.250 euro kg^-1). However, the expected maturity advantages of the no-tillage system were not realised in this preliminary study. These findings showed that no-tillage and reduced tillage could become viable options under Greek-Mediterranean conditions.

Keywords:

Cotton yield, conservation tillage, conventional systems, gross margin, cost

---

Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2005
Volume: 3
Issue: 1
Category: Agriculture
Pages: 173-179

---

Full text for Subscribers

---

Information:

Note to users

The requested document is freely available only to subscribers/registered users with an online subscription to the Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment. If you have set up a personal subscription to this title please enter your user name and password. All abstracts are available for free.

Article purchasing

If you like to purchase this specific document such as article, review or this journal issue, contact us. Specify the title of the article or review, issue, number, volume and date of the publication. Software and compilation, Science & Technology, all rights reserved. Your use of this website details or service is governed by terms of use. Authors are invited to check from time to time news or information.

---

Purchase this Article:   20 Purchase PDF Order Reprints for 15

---

Share this article :