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evaluating performance of tillage systems in the short term. This study shows that the strip-tillage system can be used to produce cotton successfully in the irrigated arid agroecosystems and can provide economic benefits by minimizing the overall production costs for farmers in the region due to reduced tillage costs. It can also benefit the environment, help with soil moisture conservation, and improve soil quality due to its potential to reduce wind erosion by maintaining a more stable residue cover on the soil surface. Longer term studies are needed in the arid southwestern USA, to adequately monitor soil quality changes and document the benefits of reduced tillage systems to production costs, potential cotton yield, and the overall ecosystem.
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