Crop Cultivation Articles
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Eastern gamagrass management for pasture in the Mid-Atlantic region: i. animal performance and pasture productivity
Eastern gamagrass [Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L.] (EG) is a native, warm-season perennial grass with potential as pasture for the eastern United States, but its value has not been well studied. The objective of this 4-yr experiment was to estimate forage mass (FM) for EG that maximizes steer (Bos taurus) performance and pasture productivity. Five treatments (three continuously and two ...
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Productivity, oil content, and composition of two spearmint species in Mississippi
‘Scotch’ (Mentha x gracilis Sole) and ‘Native’ (Mentha spicata L.) spearmints are grown in the northern United States, but have not been evaluated in the Southeast. Two-year field studies were conducted in Mississippi at two locations (Verona and Stoneville) to evaluate the effects of N application rate and cut (harvest time) on yields, essential oil contents, compositions, and the yield of ...
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Competitive interactions between cultivated and red rice as a function of recent and projected increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide
Because wild lines of the same species often represent a weedy constraint to cultivated crops in the field, any differential response to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, [CO2], may alter weed–crop competition and seed yield. We evaluated the growth and reproduction of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.; Clearfield, CL161) and red or weedy rice (Stuttgart, StgS) in monoculture, and at two ...
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Conservation versus conventional tillage on performance of three different crops
Conservation tillage, besides being more economical, prevents soil erosion and has other beneficial effects on our environment, but few studies have been conducted on differential responses of different crops to conservation tillage. The main objective of this study was to examine the interaction of tillage with crop species. Rainfed field experiments in a strip-plot design with four replicates ...
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Peppermint productivity and oil composition as a function of nitrogen, growth stage, and harvest time
The commercial production of peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) is concentrated in more northern latitudes worldwide (north of the 41st parallel), including the United States. This 2-yr field study in Mississippi evaluated the effect of N (0, 80, and 160 kg/ha), growth stage (bud formation and flowering), and harvest time or cut (first cut in mid-July, second cut beginning of October) on ...
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Modifying broiler diets with phytase and vitamin d metabolite (25-OH D3): impact on phosphorus in litter, amended soils, and runoff
Received for publication April 14, 2009. Adding phytase and 25- hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH D3) to broiler diets has been shown effective at reducing total P concentrations in broiler litter. This study was conducted to determine the impact of field application of broiler litter from modified diets on P solubility in litter-amended soils and P losses in runoff. Five broiler diets and their ...
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A root-zone soil regime of wheat: physiological and growth responses to furrow irrigation in raised bed planting in northern China
Different irrigation methods in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) result in different water and nutrient use efficiencies and, ultimately, plant growth. A field experiment was conducted during the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 crop cycles to investigate the effects of furrow irrigated raised bed planting and the effects of flood irrigated conventional planting on growth and productivity in winter wheat. In ...
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A partial budget analysis for phosphorus-based nutrient management plans for Connecticut dairy farms
This study estimated changes in costs of manure handling, costs of the fertilizer replacement value of manure, and expected changes in net revenues associated with the implementation of manure nutrient management plans (NMPs) based on the agronomic critical concentration for P using a partial budget analysis. The net revenue from manure management practices traditionally used by farmers in a ...
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Will variable-rate nitrogen fertilization using corn canopy reflectance sensing deliver environmental benefits?
Within-field variability of corn (Zea mays L.) N need calls for development of precision fertilizer application strategies. One approach many are investigating is in-season canopy reflectance sensing. Justification for this strategy partly rests with the premise it will improve N use and reduce N loss from fields. The objective of this study was to determine the potential environmental benefits ...
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Determination of a critical nitrogen dilution curve for spring wheat
Plant-based diagnostic tools of N deficiency can be based on the concept of critical N dilution curves describing whole-plant critical N concentration (Nc; g kg–1 of dry matter [DM]) as a function of shoot biomass (W; Mg DM ha–1). This has been tested for several crops, including winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) but has not been tested for spring wheat. Our objectives were to determine a ...
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Responses of a dominant temperate grassland plant (Leymus chinensis) to elevated carbon dioxide and nitrogen addition in China
Received for publication March 24, 2009. The impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration on plant communities is varied and strongly dependent on the dominant species response, as well as nutrient conditions. Responses of a dominant species (Leymus chinensis) to elevated CO2 and N application were examined with open-top chambers in a typical temperate grassland in northern China for 3 yr. ...
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Exploring photosynthesis and plant stress using inexpensive chlorophyll fluorometers
Mastering the concept of photosynthesis is of critical importance to learning plant physiology and its applications, but seems to be one of the more challenging concepts in biology. This teaching challenge is no doubt compounded by the complexity by which plants alter photosynthesis in different environments. Here we suggest the use of chlorophyll fluorometers in the undergraduate plant ...
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Selecting and applying cesium-137 conversion models to estimate soil erosion rates in cultivated fields
Received for publication April 19, 2009. The fallout radionuclide cesium-137 (137Cs) has been successfully used in soil erosion studies worldwide. However, discrepancies often exist between the erosion rates estimated using various conversion models. As a result, there is often confusion in the use of the various models and in the interpretation of the data. Therefore, the objective of this study ...
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Integrated warm- and cool-season grass and legume pastures: i. seasonal forage dynamics
High temperatures and scarce precipitation often cause the productivity and quality of cool-season pastures in Southwest Michigan to decline for an extended period during the summer. This study was conducted to determine whether integration of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) or big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitm.) into cool-season grazing systems would mitigate this period of low pasture ...
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Response of upland rice cultivars to nitrogen fertilizer in the savannas of Nigeria
In the dry savannas of West Africa, cultivation of upland rice (Oryza spp.) under rain-fed conditions is expanding due to the introduction of the New Rice for Africa (NERICA; WARDA, Bouake, Cote d'Ivoire) but appropriate N recommendations for these new cultivars are lacking. The present study evaluated the response of four NERICA rice cultivars, their parents (WAB 56-104 (O. sativa, tropical ...
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De-inking paper sludge amendment affects weeds in the presence or absence of herbicide in a soybean-corn rotation
The application of de-inking paper sludge (DPS), a C-rich but N-poor soil amendment, can sometimes decrease plant growth. This property needs to be investigated to develop the knowledge and management methods necessary for potential weed control. Today, there is no information on the effectiveness of using DPS to control weeds within a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]-corn (Zea mays L.) rotation. ...
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Use of insoluble polyacrylate polymers to aid phytostabilization of mine soils: effects on plant growth and soil characteristics
Received for publication March 5, 2009. We evaluated the use of polyacrylate polymers to aid phytostabilization of mine soils. In a pot experiment, perennial ryegrass was grown in a mine soil and in uncontaminated soil. Growth was stimulated in the polymer-amended mine soil compared with an unamended control, and water-extractable levels of soil Cu and Zn decreased after polymer application. In ...
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Phosphorus runoff from turfgrass as affected by phosphorus fertilization and clipping management
Received for publication December 8, 2008. Phosphorus enrichment of surface water is a concern in many urban watersheds. A 3-yr study on a silt loam soil with 5% slope and high soil test P (27 mg kg–1 Bray P1) was conducted to evaluate P fertilization and clipping management effects on P runoff from turfgrass (Poa pratensis L.) under frozen and nonfrozen conditions. Four fertilizer treatments ...
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SOYPOD: a model of fruit set in soybean
The soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] plant matches its reproductive potential to environmental conditions by adjusting the number of fruits and seeds that it produces. This adjustment is an important, but not well understood, part of the yield production process. Developing a model of fruit set will contribute greatly to a better understanding of the determination of fruit number and yield. The ...
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Influence of urea fertilizer placement on nitrous oxide production from a silt loam soil
Received for publication April 8, 2009. Urea placement in band or nests has been shown to enhance N use efficiency, but limited work has been done to assess its affect on N2O emissions. This study compared N2O emissions from urea prills applied to an Amsterdam silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustolls) using broadcast, band, and nest placements. Experiments were ...
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