Growing cotton will also be more interesting because it will be Rouse's first experience with minimum tillage. With a newly purchased strip-tiller, he will plow only a small band where the seed is to be planted, leaving at least 60 percent of the ground unbroken. This practice reduces erosion and loss of fertilizer nutrients. Rouse plans to offset the cost of purchasing the strip-tiller by using it for his soybeans as well. Rouse also hopes to boost yields of his soybean crop by rotating it with cotton.
Soybeans are vulnerable to several kinds of nematodes, especially soybean cyst nematodes.
If beans are grown in the same field year after year, nematode populations increase and yields go down. However, cyst nematodes cannot survive in cotton roots so by alternating soybeans with cotton every other year, Rouse can ward off the buildup of hazardous levels of these pests. Growers who want to diversify their crops and need help with nutrient or nematode issues are urged to contact Johnson. These agronomists are available to visit or consult with growers in their regions who need help taking agronomic samples, adjusting fertilizer programs, pinpointing nutrient deficiencies or toxicities, identifying nematode problems, or interpreting agronomic reports.