Project Background

•Cotton is a major crop in the U.S., valued at $7 billion annually and covering ~12.5 million acres.

•Sustainability is challenged by intensive tillage, soil degradation, and pesticide resistance across the Cotton Belt.

•Adoption of conservation tillage, cover crops, living mulches, and other regenerative practices can enhance soil health and carbon sequestration.

•Integrating AI/ML-based precision practices can reduce input use, lower GHG emissions, and move U.S. cotton towards a sustainable future.

A USDA-NIFA Sustainable Agriculture Systems-Coordinated Agriculture Project (SAS-CAP) addresses these challenges in different ecoregions across the U.S. Cotton Belt, with multi-state and multi-institutional partnerships