TILLAGE EFFECTS ON COTTON AND FLAX

The purpose of this study was to determine if various tillage and sub-soiling techniques were detrimental or beneficial to winter flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) yields under South Carolina conditions. Flax was double-cropped with cotton. Subsoiling increased the cotton and flax yield which is similar to findings for other crops on southeastern USA Coastal Plain soils. Cotton yields were not influenced by tillage treatment while flax dry plant matter yields were significantly greater for chisel and disk treatments than for no tillage. For the fiber properties studied, micronaire, fiber length, and fiber length uniformity of cotton along with flax fiber strength were impacted by the tillage management studied. Cotton fiber properties are such that conservation systems appear to be a viable option for growers due to fiber property improvements. Fiber flax yield and fiber properties indicate additional field preparation may be required to produce increased yields with improved fiber properties. Our results indicate that conservation tillage practices can be beneficial for cotton production under Florence, SC growing conditions but additional research on improved techniques is needed for the production of fiber flax with this management practice