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Highlights

Regenerative agriculture needs to be defined within the context of a region, and the associated agricultural practices must be regionally optimized.

Abstract. For the Texas High Plains (THP), regenerative agriculture represents a natural progression in conservation and system resiliency. Regenerative agriculture encompasses a broader theme of conservation that includes community-level longevity and economic viability, all while promoting concurrent environmental stewardship. The THP represents a vast region of agricultural production, representing a range of agricultural commodities across semi-arid environments with varying levels of precipitation. Including some of the most profitable cotton-producing counties in the United States, the THP produces approximately 30% of the country‘s annual cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) crop and 30% of its fed cattle (Johnson et al., 2013). However, the future agricultural viability and subsequent economic longevity of the region are threatened by two concurrent anthropogenic disasters, global climate change and groundwater withdrawal. With the region‘s future at risk, opportunities exist to implement regenerative agricultural practices to increase the sustainability of cotton agroecosystems as producers transition into deficit-irrigated or dryland production systems. Regenerative practices, such as no-tillage, cover cropping, crop rotations, and integrated crop-animal grazing systems, provide prospective solutions that increase carbon sequestration, increase soil water conservation, improve soil health, and reduce net emissions of greenhouse gases. This review encompasses a range of regenerative agricultural practices that may be beneficial to cotton production across the THP region, including the Southern High Plains, Northern High Plains, and Rolling Plains.