One environmental consequence of the large-scale cultivation of cotton in the South was widespread soil exhaustion caused by decades of farming widespread soil exhaustion caused by decades of farming drought caused by overuse of river water to irrigate farmland drought caused by overuse of river water to irrigate farmland air pollution cause by the use of cotton gins air pollution cause by the use of cotton gins widespread water contamination caused by fertilizer runoff

Widespread soil exhaustion caused by decades of farming.

Explanation:

The agricultural lands of the south were extensively exploited with intensive cotton cultivation. This cultivation lasted for decades and was developed with agricultural techniques that were not concerned with sustainability. As a result, the southern soil was severely depleted. Soil exhaustion refers to the extreme reduction of organic matter. In the case of southern soils, the intensive use of the soil with cotton planting was the main cause of this exhaustion, however inadequate irrigation practices, mechanization of the soil, deforestation and burning can cause the same effect.

To avoid this, farmers in the south should have adopted practices that are more beneficial to the environment, in addition to promoting crop rotation.