Source: TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC COTTON PRODUCTION IN THE US THROUGH RESEARCH AND OUTREACH ON ORGANIC REGENERATIVE PRACTICES
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1031211
Grant No.
2023-51300-40849
Cumulative Award Amt.
$3,498,357.00
Proposal No.
2023-04469
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2023
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2027
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[113.A]- Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative
Recipient Organization
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
750 AGRONOMY RD STE 2701
COLLEGE STATION,TX 77843-0001
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
There is a critical need for expanding organic cotton area and production in the US due to rapidly increasing consumer demands for organic cotton products and very low domestic supplies. Achieving this will require a coordinated effort among researchers, Extension specialists, and broader industry stakeholders. The long-term goal of this project is to sustainably expand organic cotton production in the US Cotton Belt through the promotion of regenerative production practices. The Specific objectives of this project are: 1. Partner with long-term organic cotton producers to observe agronomic practices, track soil health, conduct economic evaluations, and identify sociological constraints and opportunities; 2. Evaluate agronomic, ecosystem, and economic benefits of locally suitable regenerative practices; 3. Evaluate weed suppressive potential of advanced breeding/already developed cotton lines for utilization in organic production; 4. Expand adoption of organic production practices through collaborative extension and demonstration activities; 5. Provide educational opportunities to train the next generation of research and extension scientists and organic practitioners. These objectives were developed based on extensive discussions with various stakeholders involved in organic cotton production and marketing.Understanding the agronomic, economic, and marketing strategies employed by long-term organic cotton producers is critical in our efforts to increase organic cotton production in the US Cotton Belt. Through field visits and discussions, we were able to establish a 4-year partnership with organic cotton producers managing a total of 63 certified/transitioning organic fields, spanning across New Mexico, Texas, and Tennessee. These fields include transitioning (<3 yrs) and certified organic operations ranging from 1 to 12 years in duration. These organic cotton producers have agreed to collaborate throughout the duration of the project and are enthusiastic to learn about new management practices, soil health, and carbon marketing opportunities in working with the team. A total of 23 conventional cotton fields in an adjacent locality will also be included as a basis for comparison. Thus, a total of 86 fields will be studied over 4 years.The Objective 1 of the proposed OREI project will directly involve these 86 cotton fields covering approximately 7500 acres in Texas (56 fields), 3000 acres in New Mexico (24 fields), and ~100 acres in Tennessee (6 fields). In Texas, the fields will comprise two equal sets of irrigated and dryland cotton since both are common, whereas in NM and TN all fields are irrigated. In collaboration with these organic cotton farmers, we will study the impact of agronomic production practices followed by each participating farmer on cotton growth, pest incidence (weeds, insect pests, diseases, nematodes), yield, and quality over a period of 4 years (Objective 1a). By connecting with these organic producers and studying their operations, our goal is to identify production practices that have been viable for them and also identify where challenges still exist, and improvements could still be made. These producers may have already overcome major adoption barriers since they have been successfully growing organic cotton over a number of years; however, the sustainability of these practices is unknown, especially from the soil health standpoint. For example, a farmer relying heavily on tillage for weed control may be able to successfully grow the crop short-term, but this practice can severely compromise soil health over the long-term. By closely monitoring soil health indicators (Objective 1b), we will be able to determine which practices are promoting cotton yield without jeopardizing soil health in the long run and which ones need improvements. Our contact farmers have agreed to share the information on input costs and sale prices, which will be used to conduct a partial budget analysis and determine the economic sustainability of their operations. The economic analysis will also include the benefits of soil health promotion measures obtained with regenerative practices such as cover cropping (Objective 1c). These farmers will also be engaged in socioeconomic investigations to understand barriers and opportunities for organic production (Objective 1d). Collaboration with these farmers will also help us understand their operations for thorough scientific investigations of their practices and socio-economic constraints and opportunities.In Objective 2, fully-replicated small-plot experiments will be conducted in certified organic fields in New Mexico, Texas, and Tennessee over a 4-year period to evaluate specific regenerative management practices currently not in common use by farmers in the region. The experiments in Tennessee are expected to assist with expanding organic cotton research and outreach activities to the Mississippi Delta. In addition to providing locally-relevant research data, these plots will allow for experiential learning of regenerative practices as well as serve as demonstration venues. Additionally, evaluations will be carried out to select cotton varieties with weed-suppressive potential for utilization in organic production (Objective 3).The project will develop and deliver outreach/extension programs to foster continued growth of the organic cotton industry in the US Cotton Belt (Objective 4). The outreach activities also include broader stakeholder engagement for establishing partnerships among various parties involved in organic cotton production, marketing, and consumption. Furthermore, a robust educational activity is planned for training the next generation of scientists and practitioners, utilizing the broad range of field activities planned as part of this project (Objective 5).Overall, this project addresses critical stakeholder-identified needs. It is anticipated that the findings will greatly advance our understanding of organic cotton production practices that are profitable and sustainable. This will eventually promote the implementation of best management practices and help increase the acreage and production of organic cotton in the US.
Animal Health Component
60%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
60%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1020199106020%
1010199107020%
2132300114020%
2052499106020%
6016199301010%
8036010308010%
Knowledge Area
601 - Economics of Agricultural Production and Farm Management; 102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 803 - Sociological and Technological Change Affecting Individuals, Families, and Communities; 205 - Plant Management Systems; 101 - Appraisal of Soil Resources; 213 - Weeds Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
6199 - Economy, general/other; 0199 - Soil and land, general; 6010 - Individuals; 2300 - Weeds; 2499 - Plant research, general;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1070 - Ecology; 1140 - Weed science; 3010 - Economics; 3080 - Sociology;
Goals / Objectives
The long-term goal of this project is to sustainably increase organic cotton production in the US Cotton Belt through a partnership with organic cotton producers. This will be accomplished via developing the necessary agronomic knowledge on regenerative cotton production practices, facilitating field implementation of such practices through innovative outreach activities, promoting market opportunities by partnering with broader industry stakeholders, and implementing educational programs to train the next generation of researchers, agronomists, growers, and industry stakeholders.The specific objectives of this project are:Partner with long-term organic cotton producers toevaluate the impact of current agronomic practices on cotton growth, pest incidence, soil fertility, yield, and qualityestablish regional soil health and carbon baselines to track outcomes of regenerative production practices that create quantifiable changes in soil health, soil carbon, and greenhouse gas emissionsconduct economic evaluations on various agronomic practices and soil health measures to determine practices that are profitable and sustainableattain a deeper understanding of adoption constraints and opportunities associated with organic cotton production in the US Cotton BeltDevelop locally suitable regenerative practices to advance agronomic, ecosystem, and economic benefits of organic cotton productionEvaluate weed suppressive potential of advanced breeding/already developed cotton lines for utilization in organic productionExpand adoption of organic production practices through collaborative extension and demonstration activitiesProvide educational opportunities to train the next generation of research and extension scientists and organic practitioners
Project Methods
Objective 1. Assessment of existing organic cotton operationsIn this objective, we will work closely with organic cotton producers identified across NM, TX, and TN. In each state (except TN), the sites will be grouped into 4 treatments (T1-3, CS1-5, CL≥6, T0) based on the duration of organic production: 1) transitioning (T1-3; ≤ 3 yrs), 2) certified short-term (CS1-5; 1 to 5 yrs into certified production), 3) certified long-term (CS>6; 6 to 12 yrs), and 4) conventional (T0). Thus, we have a total of 14 fields/treatment group in TX (56 fields; 28 each in irrigated and dryland) and 6 per group in NM (24 fields). In TN, there will be three fields each for treatments #2 and #4. At the beginning of the project in Year 1, we will conduct a detailed survey of all 86 fields to understand the soil characteristics and management practices used.In collaboration with these organic cotton farmers, we will study the impact of agronomic production practices followed by each participating farmer on cotton growth, pest incidence (weeds, insect pests, diseases, nematodes), yield, and quality over a period of 4 years (Objective 1a). By connecting with these organic producers and studying their operations, our goal is to identify production practices that have been viable for them and also identify where challenges still exist, and improvements could still be made. These producers may have already overcome major adoption barriers since they have been successfully growing organic cotton over a number of years; however, the sustainability of these practices is unknown, especially from the soil health standpoint. By closely monitoring soil health indicators (Objective 1b), we will be able to determine which practices are promoting cotton yield without jeopardizing soil health in the long run and which ones need improvements. We will conduct a partial budget analysis and determine the economic sustainability of their operations. The economic analysis will also include the benefits of soil health promotion measures obtained with regenerative practices such as cover cropping (Objective 1c). These farmers will also be engaged in socioeconomic investigations to understand barriers and opportunities for organic production (Objective 1d). Collaboration with these farmers will help us understand their operations for thorough scientific investigations of their practices and socio-economic constraints and opportunities.Objective 2. Develop locally suitable regenerative practices to advance agronomic, ecosystem, and economic benefits of organic cotton productionOn-station field experiments will be conducted in four locations (Las Cruces, NM; Lubbock, TX; College Station, TX; Memphis, TN), one site per location, to evaluate various regenerative practices. These four locations represent two major environmental gradients/regions (arid/semi-arid: Las Cruces, Lubbock; and moist: College Station, Memphis). The dryland vs irrigated production will be compared in Lubbock since both systems are common in the region. In NM, College Station-TX and TN, the plots will be irrigated on an as-needed basis. The experiment will be arranged in an RCBD design with five treatments of tillage and novel weed control combinations (i.e. programs), and replicated four times. Soil samples (1 composite sample made of 10 sub-samples in each plot, 15 cm depth) will be collected at the beginning of the study in Year 1 and again at the end in Year 4, for monitoring changes to the 12 soil health metrics (soil pH, soil EC, cation exchange capacity, extractable phosphorus, phosphatase enzyme activity, extractable potassium, total nitrogen, wet aggregate stability, dry bulk density, soil organic carbon, soil respiration, and microbiome composition).Objective 3. Evaluate weed suppressive potential of advanced breeding/already developed cotton lines for utilization in organic productionTwo released cultivars, CA 4014 and CA 4015 (Maeda et al. 2022) and 20 advanced breeding lines (candidate cultivars) available in Dr. Dever's program, along with currently used check cultivar FM 958 (PVP 200100208, PI 619096) will be evaluated to identify those that show potential for weed suppression (total 23 lines). These will include deep-rooting, high-yielding, 18-16-3507, and high-quality okra-leaf 18-06-205. Pedigrees of the strains include germplasm released in previous awards, thrips tolerant CA 4005 and CA 4006 (Wann et al. 2017), abiotic stress resilient CA 4007 (Dever et al. 2020) and 4008 (Dever et al. 2022), and high fiber quality CA 4009 and CA 4010 (Kelly et al. 2021). In the TX High Plains, the field experiments will be conducted in five environments (Halfway, TX: center-pivot irrigated; Lubbock, TX: rainfed and furrow irrigated; and Lamesa, TX: rainfed and pivot irrigated) across two years.Objective 4. Expand adoption of organic production practices through collaborative extension and demonstration activitiesTo develop a successful outreach program, we will engage regional organic cotton producers and member-based and non-profit organizations at the center of knowledge dissemination activities. For outreach activities, we will utilize the collective knowledge and experience of the producers identified in this project in TX, NM, and TN as well as the Co-PDs of the project who have extensive experience with outreach. AgriCenter International, for example, attracts 1.3 million visitors annually. Engaging county extension agents is also an essential component of our outreach efforts. To evaluate and accelerate the sustainable outcomes for organic cotton production, we will work with Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture to utilize their free Fieldprint Calculator (https://calculator.fieldtomarket.org/). The Organic Center (TOC) and the Organic Trade Association (OTA) will directly assist the project with a host of outreach activities. The combined reach of the two organizations' social media pages is over 140,000 individuals for Facebook, and over 80,000 followers for Twitter. The newsletters have a combined reach of over 24,000 individuals.Objective 5. Provide educational opportunities to train the next generation of research and extension scientists and organic practitionersTexas A&M University-College Station (1860 land-grant and Hispanic Serving Institution/HIS) will establish an organic cotton summer undergraduate research program in collaboration with Prairie View A&M University (1890 land-grant, Black Serving), Texas A&M University-Kingsville (Hispanic Serving), Texas Tech University (Hispanic Serving), and New Mexico State University (Hispanic Serving), centered on organic cotton production and sustainability. This program will be an eight-week (June and July) paid research, outreach, and leadership program specifically designed with two-weeks of hands-on field experience in one of the organic cotton experimental field locations. We will also support selected undergraduate students from the cohorts to participate in professional meetings and present their findings. Additionally, most of the Co-PDs have formal teaching appointments handling undergraduate and graduate courses. Learnings from this project will be integrated into the teaching curriculum. A total of 35 undergraduate courses and 5 graduate courses will be benefited from across the 7 educational institutions. At the AgriCenter International (TN), the organic research sites will be used in STEM education, which reaches about 10,000 school students annually from across the Mid-South region.

Progress 09/01/24 to 08/31/25

Outputs
Target Audience:The key target audiences for this project include organic cotton farmers across Texas and the broader U.S. Cotton Belt, with a particular focus on those adopting or considering regenerative and organic production practices. Producer organizations such as the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative (TOCMC) and The Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA) are also central audiences, serving as critical partners for outreach, demonstration, and knowledge exchange. County and regional extension agents represent another important audience, as they play a pivotal role in translating research findings into practical recommendations for farmers. Organic cotton ginning mills, merchandisers, and other supply chain partners are engaged to ensure that research outcomes are aligned with market needs and production standards. Carbon market providers and relevant USDA agencies, including the Risk Management Agency (RMA), are included to support the development of sustainable management incentives, economic analyses, and risk mitigation strategies for organic cotton producers. The project also targets academic audiences, including undergraduate and graduate students involved in research training, laboratory work, and field experiments. These efforts provide hands-on experiential learning while developing the next generation of agronomists, soil scientists, and sustainable agriculture professionals. In addition to these primary audiences, broader stakeholders and the general public interested in sustainable and organic agriculture will benefit from outreach efforts. This includes participants in field days, workshops, online seminars, educational materials, and public communications, all designed to raise awareness of organic cotton production, regenerative practices, and climate-smart agriculture. By engaging a diverse set of stakeholders spanning producers, educators, supply chain participants, and policymakers, this project aims to create a comprehensive network of knowledge exchange and practical application. Collectively, these efforts ensure that research outcomes are translated into actionable strategies, adoption of sustainable practices is facilitated, and awareness of organic cotton production is increased at local, regional, and national levels. Changes/Problems:During the 2024 to 25 reporting period, the project team implemented a number of needed adjustments (mostly minor and some major) to optimize research efficiency, data quality, and field operations. These refinements were designed to enhance the alignment of study protocols with field conditions and project objectives. For the data pertaining to the agronomic performance of organic cotton in the on-farm locations, adjustments were made to target the mid-season and end of season, aligning with cotton harvest. The timing of soil sampling for the soil health measurements was also postponed until after cotton harvest. In Lubbock, the on-station experimental site had to be relocated to a new site in the station due to the installation of sub-surface irrigation pipeline. Though we lost the opportunity to study the legacy effects of continued organic management, the new site provided another unique environment to add to our investigation. Additionally, due to a prolonged wet spring/early summer conditions in 2025, weed pressure has been very high and we had to implement blanket weed management operations across the entire experimental area to rescue the plots, using electrical weed control (at the College Station site) and/or hand hoeing. At the AgriCenter-Memphis location, a significant change was made, while keeping the overall research questions unchanged. In this location, plot sizes were reduced to accommodate the weed management needs, the living mulch treatment was dropped; instead, an organic mulching and a robotic weed control treatment were added to the list of treatments. These changes were necessary to ensure the success of the experiments and produce the anticipated deliverables within the timeframe of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the 2024-2025 reporting period, the project created substantial opportunities for training, experiential learning, and professional development for undergraduate and graduate students, early-career scientists, and research personnel across multiple collaborating institutions. These activities directly supported the project's objective of building capacity in organic and regenerative cotton systems. At the College Station site, three undergraduate interns, one from Texas A&M University-Kingsville and two from Prairie View A&M University participated in intensive summer research experiences. These students gained hands-on training in experimental design, field plot establishment, soil and plant sampling, and agronomic data collection within organic cotton systems. Their involvement also included exposure to non-chemical weed management tools and regenerative agronomic practices. Additional undergraduate students have been identified for recruitment in the upcoming field season to further expand student involvement and training opportunities. The project also supported the professional development of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Over the reporting cycle, two PhD students, one MS student, and one postdoctoral research associate contributed to field experimentation, data collection, method development, soil and plant sample processing, and the evaluation of organic weed management technologies. These trainees were actively engaged in designing field protocols, managing field operations, analyzing data, and communicating results within research teams, skills essential for career development in agricultural research and extension. Undergraduate student workers across collaborating sites received structured mentoring while assisting in soil sampling, plant measurements, weed control evaluations, and participation in on-farm producer visits. Collectively, these activities provided a diverse cohort of students and early-career professionals with meaningful opportunities to build technical expertise, develop professional communication skills, and gain exposure to organic agriculture research at multiple scales. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the 2024 to 2025 reporting period, project results and ongoing research activities were disseminated widely through a coordinated set of field days, workshops, extension programs, university events, conference presentations, digital platforms, and stakeholder-focused communication channels. These efforts ensured that growers, industry partners, researchers, students, and the general public remained informed about progress in organic cotton research, soil health, non-chemical weed management, and regenerative agricultural practices. At the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Center in Vernon, project updates were shared through field day videos developed in August 2024 and August 2025. The 2024 video, which has received 123 views, provided growers with an overview of organic cotton trials and weed management strategies, while the 2025 video is currently under review for public release. The Vernon team also continues to maintain the ongoing project website, which serves as a central hub for broad audiences seeking information on project progress, events, and resources. National-level outreach was supported through The Organic Center (Washington, DC) via a dedicated microsite titled "Fostering Sustainable Domestic Organic Cotton Production through Research and Outreach." This platform has been active since project initiation and provides accessible information for the general public, consumers, and stakeholders interested in sustainable cotton production. Within Texas A&M University, project findings were disseminated through scientific presentations and academic engagement. A poster was presented at the 62nd NRCS Soil Survey and Land Resource Workshop highlighting advancements in soil aggregate stability assessments under organic cotton systems. In addition, two abstracts were submitted for oral presentations at the 2025 ASA, SSSA, CSA Annual Meeting, addressing wet aggregate stability methods and long-term cotton cultivar impacts on root morphology and potassium response. Extensive in-person dissemination occurred across multiple Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension locations. Field tours conducted in Seminole, Plainview, and Lubbock during 2024 and 2025 provided hands-on exposure to organic cotton trials for farmers, local stakeholders, industry personnel, and researchers--each event reaching between 50 and 100 participants. The annual Southwest Cotton Physiology Conference (February 2025) further expanded outreach to approximately 100 participants, sharing insights on crop physiology, soil health, and production challenges in organic systems. A significant portion of dissemination was delivered through AgriLife Extension programs in Stephenville, where project personnel engaged diverse stakeholder groups including students, producers, industry representatives, and extension agents. From September 2024 to August 2025, project updates were presented across more than 25 structured events, such as university agronomy and horticulture classes, statewide crop conferences, county-level producer meetings, NRCS organic training programs, multi-institutional tours and workshops, national events such as the National Organic Standards Board meeting (212 participants). These events collectively reached thousands of stakeholders through in-person and online formats. Complementing these efforts, the team produced 12 monthly newsletters via Mailchimp (1,369 recipients), six mailed newsletters sent to 448 certified organic growers, and 13 blog posts focused on organic cotton research (1,294 readers). These digital communications played a crucial role in keeping producers updated on field activities, seasonal recommendations, and research findings. Importantly, extension-led outreach supported organic certification expansion, with 18 new organic cotton producers certified since September 2024, representing 15,665 acres. This demonstrates a direct applied impact of the project's dissemination efforts on producer adoption and regional organic acreage growth. Collectively, these activities ensured that project findings were communicated effectively to all communities of interest, including farmers, industry stakeholders, students, researchers, extension personnel, and the broader public. The diverse dissemination strategy, integrating field demonstrations, academic presentations, digital content, newsletters, and partner networks, continues to strengthen awareness, build capacity, and support wider adoption of organic and climate-smart cotton production practices across the Cotton Belt. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period, the project team will intensify research, outreach, and educational efforts to advance the goals of fostering sustainable organic cotton production through regenerative practices. Collaborative work with organic cotton producers will continue, with a focus on collecting soil samples to monitor critical soil health metrics, including microbial diversity, nutrient status, and physical characteristics. On-station experiments across all participating sites will progress into their second growing season, providing multi-seasonal data on crop performance, soil health, and the impacts of regenerative management practices. Soil sampling and analysis will occur multiple times during the year to evaluate temporal changes in soil texture, fertility, and microbial communities. Experimental plots will be maintained as permanent installations to assess longer-term effects of tillage, weed management, and other regenerative practices on soil quality and productivity. Cotton planting and harvest activities will be carefully timed to allow for accurate yield measurements and comprehensive post-harvest analyses, including ginning and data collection. Improvements to mechanical weed management tools, such as flame weeders, and early-season implementation of automated weed control treatments will be incorporated to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Educational and workforce development initiatives will continue, including the training of undergraduate and graduate students in field, laboratory, and data analysis techniques. Sociological investigations will be initiated to capture farmer experiences, adoption challenges, and decision-making processes related to regenerative organic practices. Outreach activities will expand to include field days, on-farm demonstrations, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring that research findings are translated into actionable guidance for growers. Collectively, these planned activities will strengthen scientific understanding, generate robust multi-seasonal agronomic and soil health data, and enhance stakeholder engagement. Through continued integration of research, education, and extension, the project aims to make substantial progress toward achieving the long-term sustainability objectives of the program.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1. Assessment of existing organic cotton operations Significant progress was made toward assessing how existing production practices influence soil health, pest pressure, cotton performance, and regional carbon baselines. In southern New Mexico, Dr. Brian Schutte and team surveyed twenty-one commercial cotton fields (eleven organic and ten conventional) distributed across two geographic regions. Each field was sampled twice during 2024 to 2025 to characterize biological and chemical soil properties. Preliminary findings indicate strong region-specific responses: in one region, organic fields exhibited 1.5 to 3× higher macro- and micronutrient concentrations relative to conventional fields, whereas the opposite pattern occurred in the second region. Field sampling and producer engagement were supported by graduate and undergraduate personnel under the direction of Dr. Dotray, with consistent seasonal data collection during 2024 and 2025. In parallel, Dr. Katie Lewis's team established and managed replicated field experiments in Lubbock, TX, generating coordinated datasets on soil health, fertility, and cotton performance. Additional replicated trials were conducted by Drs. Carol and Kalley across three Texas location: Halfway (pivot-irrigated), Lubbock (furrow-irrigated), and Lubbock (rainfed). Across these trials, early- and late-season agronomic traits including plant height, crop maturity, boll type, canopy width, yield, and fiber quality were documented, providing an essential baseline for comparing cultivar performance across management systems. Regional soil carbon and greenhouse gas baselines were advanced through intensive monitoring by Dr. Rajan's group. Using automated chamber systems and environmental sensors at the Texas A&M Research Farm, the team quantified near-continuous nitrous oxide emissions under split-plot treatments contrasting synthetic N (UAN) with manure + cover crop practices. Field-derived emission factors were 5 to 6X higher than IPCC Tier 1 defaults, underscoring the need for region-specific coefficients. These findings were presented at CANVAS 2025 and will contribute to peer-reviewed publications and updated national inventories. Complementary analyses by Dr. Mowrer's team included measurements of soil pH, EC, P and K, major and minor nutrients, phosphatase activity, total N, aggregate stability (five methods), bulk density, soil organic carbon, 98-day respiration assays, and AMF activity, with samples collected three times annually. Dr. Lewis's group also contributed large datasets through seasonal soil sampling and shipment for centralized laboratory analysis. Objective 2. Develop locally suitable regenerative practices to advance agronomic, ecosystem, and economic benefits of organic cotton production Field experiments across multiple regions evaluated regenerative systems designed to improve weed management, crop vigor, and soil health in organic cotton. In southern New Mexico, Dr. Schutte's replicated field trial compared five weed and soil management programs differing in tillage frequency and incorporating winter cover crops (cereal rye + hairy vetch), terminated by mowing or roller-crimping. Winter cover crops suppressed winter weeds, producing 18.9× greater aboveground biomass than winter weed populations. However, suppression diminished after cotton planting. Early-season weed cover reached up to 90% across organic programs, driven by species such as junglerice, southwestern cupgrass, Wright groundcherry, and Palmer amaranth. In contrast, conventional plots receiving S-metolachlor (PRE) and pendimethalin (POST) exhibited lower weed pressure and substantially greater early cotton growth; July measurements showed 86% less biomass and leaf area in organic treatments. Light penetration to the soil surface was 76% higher in organic plots, reflecting reduced canopy development. In Lubbock, replicated studies led by Drs. Dotray and Lewis were initiated in 2024 within fields managed without synthetic inputs for eight years. Cotton stand counts, weed densities (kochia, Russian thistle, Palmer amaranth), and biomass were recorded following each tillage event. A rescue hand-hoeing was implemented midseason due to excessive weed pressure. The trial was relocated to accommodate drip irrigation installation in 2025, with medium weed pressure at the new site. Delayed cover crop establishment (January 2025) allowed evaluation of early-season cover crop and weed biomass before termination. Findings show that cover crops can reduce early-season weed density and height in fields with light to moderate weed pressure; however, suppression diminishes in historically heavy-weed environments. Mechanical management guidelines emerged from these trials: finger weeders must be operated within 3 to 5 days after rainfall events that induce soil cracking, and plants taller than 2" escape control. At a separate site, Drs. Ashley and Andy Jordan implemented flame weeding, organic mulch, reduced sweep cultivation, and mini-rototiller (ANT robot barrel) treatments. Conventional organic and mulch-based systems provided the best weed control and plant vigor. Flame cultivation promoted minimal root disturbance and strong growth but suffered from imprecise equipment leading to plant injury. Reduced-tillage treatments were least effective due to inadequate weed control and resulting crop suppression. Objective 3. Evaluate weed-suppressive potential of advanced cotton lines for organic production Dr. Dotray's team conducted extensive evaluations of breeding lines and cultivars under weed-free and weedy conditions. Across 2024 and 2025, weekly measurements of stand, height, canopy metrics (Canopeo), width, PAR interception, and weed parameters were collected from dryland, irrigated, and weedy trials at Lubbock and Halfway. The weedy trials were concluded at 56 days after planting. Across both years, no consistent differences in weed suppression among cultivars were observed; only minor differences in Palmer amaranth height relative to crop height were detected during year one. Objective 4. Expand adoption through extension and collaborative outreach Outreach through The Organic Center was substantially expanded, using coordinated microsite updates, LinkedIn posts, and Instagram content. Microsite entries delivered detailed scientific summaries, photos, and resources for researchers and extension audiences. LinkedIn posts highlighted project milestones for academic and industry stakeholders, while Instagram features translated findings into accessible, visually engaging content for farmers and the public. Additional outreach occurred through producer tours, including the Texas A&M AgriLife Organic Cotton and Peanut Tours (2024-2025), where Dr. Dotray's team engaged growers, consultants, and industry representatives. Project findings from Objectives 2 and 3 were presented at the Southwest Cotton Physiology Conference (February 2025), with additional updates scheduled for the Resilient Cropping Systems Tour in September 2025. Objective 5. Provide educational opportunities to train the next generation of scientists and organic practitioners Multiple undergraduate internships and training experiences were completed. Under Dr. Sanku Dattamundi, a 2024 undergraduate intern processed her research data and presented at the Subtropical Agriculture and Environments (SAES) conference. A 2025 intern collected experimental data and will present at the USDA NRCS workshop at TAMUK and the upcoming SAES conference. Drs. Dotray and Lewis supported four undergraduate researchers (2024 to 2025), who participated in extensive field data collection across OREI cotton projects and producer fields, gaining hands-on experience with organic systems and weed management challenges in the Southern High Plains.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Singletary, M. M., P. Dotray, C. M. Kelly, M. Bagavathiannan, M. C. Woolard, B. Rodriguez. 2025. Do Cultivar Characteristics Impact Weed Management in Organic Cotton Production. In: Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Research Conference. New Orleans, LA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Singletary, M. M., P. Dotray, K. Lewis, J. Burke, M. Bagavathiannan, M. C. Woolard, B. Rodriguez. 2025. Integrated Weed Management Tactics in Organic Cotton in the Texas High Plains. In: Proceedings of the Southern Weed Science Society Annual Meeting. Charleston, SC.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Singletary, M. M., P. Dotray, C. M. Kelly, M. Bagavathiannan, M. C. Woolard, B. Rodriguez. 2025. Exploring Weed-Suppression Potential Using Different Cotton Cultivars. In: Proceedings of the Southern Weed Science Society Annual Meeting. Charleston, SC.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Singletary, M. M., P. Dotray, K. Lewis, J. Burke, M. Bagavathiannan, M. C. Woolard, B. Rodriguez. 2025. Weed Management in a Reduced Tillage Organic Cotton System. In: Proceedings of the Weed Science Society of America Annual Meeting. Vancouver, Canada.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Dogbey, B. F., N. Miyanaka, W. Wheeler, M. Bagavathiannan, N. Rajan. 2025. Field Verification of IPCC N2O Emission Estimates in Cotton. In: Proceedings of the CANVAS 2025 Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Dogbey, B. F., N. Miyanaka, C. Gomez, W. Wheeler, N. Rajan. 2025. Balancing Productivity and Emissions: Insights from Organic and Conventional Cotton Systems. In: Proceedings of the CANVAS 2025 Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Dworaczyk, N.D., F. Mohsin, D. Loura, M. Bagavathiannan, S. Dattamudi. 2025. Weed management strategies in Organic Cotton production: An experiential learning in summer for an undergraduate student at College Station, TX. In: Proceedings of the Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society (SAES) Annual Meeting, 2025, Mission, TX.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Ramachandran, R., J. Mowrer, M. Bagavathiannan, N. Rajan, T. Isakeit. 2025. 120 Years of Cotton Cultivar Development: Impacts on Root Morphology and Potassium Response. In: Proceedings of the CANVAS 2025 Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Ramachandran, R., J. Mowrer, M. Bagavathiannan, N. Rajan. 2025. Advancing Wet Aggregate Stability Measurement: A Comparison of Conventional and Modern Field Techniques. In: Proceedings of the CANVAS 2025 Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Ramachandran, R., J. Mowrer, M. Bagavathiannan, N. Rajan. 2025. Advancing Soil Aggregate Stability Analysis in Organic Cotton Systems: Comparative Approach. Bryan, TX.


Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The key target audiences for this project include organic cotton farmers, Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative (TOCMC), county extension agents, organic cotton ginning mills, organic cotton merchandisers, carbon market providers, USDA-Risk Management Agency (RMA), The Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA), National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), graduate and undergraduate students, as well as the general public interested in learning organic crop production. Changes/Problems:The 2024 field season marked the first year of this project, and as expected, we refined several protocols throughout the process. We anticipate that the 2025 field activities will be more streamlined and efficient. Extreme weather conditions in Memphis (TN) and Las Cruces (NM), occurring shortly after cotton planting, resulted in poor stand establishment, and replanting was not feasible. However, these sites will continue to be part of the project during the 2025 field season. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the summer of 2024, an undergraduate intern from Texas A&M University-Kingsville actively participated in field activities at the College Station site. The student gained hands-on experience in experimental design and agronomic data collection related to organic cotton experiments. Additional undergraduate students will be recruited to participate in the project during the upcoming field season. This project also supported professional development opportunities for a diverse group of participants during the reporting period, including two PhD students, one MS student, one postdoctoral research associate, and six undergraduate student workers/interns. These individuals were involved in various aspects of agricultural experimentation, field data collection, non-chemical weed control, and organic agriculture practices. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The research team participated in the Organic Cotton Field Day held in late August 2024 in Lamesa, Texas. We are now preparing to present our findings at upcoming conferences, including the American Society of Agronomy Meeting, the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, and the Weed Science Society of America Annual Meeting. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period, the team will continue collaborating with organic cotton producers to collect soil samples for monitoring various soil health metrics, including the analysis of soil microbial diversity. On-station experiments will also continue into the second growing season across all four participating sites. Additionally, we will initiate sociological investigations and engage in relevant outreach and educational activities to further support the project's goals.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1. Assessment of existing organic cotton operations During the Spring and Summer of 2024, organic cotton growers in the Texas High Plains were identified and recruited for on-farm research partnerships. These partnerships aim to document current agronomic practices and outcomes. The participating farmers were selected through various platforms and farmer networks, resulting in a group of 55 growers across different categories: transitioning organic (0-3 years), certified short-term organic (3-10 years), and certified long-term organic (>10 years). Comprehensive data on organic cotton agronomic performance and weed infestation were collected mid-season and prior to harvest. The data are currently being analyzed and will be presented at upcoming professional meetings. Objective 2. Develop locally suitable regenerative practices to advance agronomic, ecosystem, and economic benefits of organic cotton production Replicated on-station field experiments were initiated in Fall 2023 with cover crop planting at four locations: College Station, TX; Lubbock, TX; Las Cruces, NM; and Memphis, TN. In early Summer 2024, an organic cotton variety was planted at each site. The study included five specific organic weed control and conservation tillage treatments, along with a conventional cotton check. The primary goal was to reduce the number of tillage passes while maintaining effective weed control in organic cotton production. The experiments proceeded successfully at the College Station and Lubbock, TX locations. However, adverse weather conditions in Las Cruces, NM, and Memphis, TN, during early summer resulted in poor cotton stand establishment, with insufficient time to replant at those sites. In the two Texas locations, comprehensive agronomic and weed control data were collected throughout the growing season. Objective 3. Evaluate weed suppressive potential of advanced breeding/already developed cotton lines for utilization in organic production Replicated multi-site field experiments were conducted in the Texas High Plains during the summer of 2024 to evaluate the growth and weed-suppression capabilities of advanced organic cotton breeding lines (candidate cultivars) from Dr. Dever's program. The experiments were carried out at two locations: Halfway, TX, under overhead irrigation, and Lubbock, TX, as a rainfed system. Agronomic performance and weed densities associated with the various organic cotton lines were systematically monitored and documented throughout the growing season. Objective 4. Expand adoption of organic production practices through collaborative extension and demonstration activities The research team participated in the Organic Cotton Field Day held in late August 2024 in Lamesa, Texas. We are now preparing to present our findings at upcoming conferences, including the American Society of Agronomy Meeting, the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, and the Weed Science Society of America Annual Meeting. Objective 5. Provide educational opportunities to train the next generation of research and extension scientists and organic practitioners During the summer of 2024, an undergraduate intern from Texas A&M University-Kingsville actively participated in field activities at the College Station site. The student gained hands-on experience in experimental design and agronomic data collection related to organic cotton experiments. Additional undergraduate students will be recruited to participate in the project during the upcoming field season. This project also supported professional development opportunities for a diverse group of participants during the reporting period, including two PhD students, one MS student, one postdoctoral research associate, and six undergraduate student workers/interns. These individuals were involved in various aspects of agricultural experimentation, field data collection, non-chemical weed control, and organic agriculture practices.

Publications