Horticulture Articles
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Interactive effects of landscape position and time of application on the response of spring wheat to fall-banded urea
The objective of this experiment was to quantify the effect of landscape position and time of application on the agronomic efficiency of fall-banded urea [CO(NH2)2] for spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in the eastern prairie region of Canada. Landscape positions in this experiment were defined as high and low based on their relative elevations to one another within the field. Fertilizer ...
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Active sensor reflectance measurements of corn nitrogen status and yield potential
Active sensor reflectance assessments of corn (Zea mays L.) canopy N status are advocated to direct variable N applications and improve N use efficiency (NUE). Our goals were to determine: (i) growth stage and (ii) sensor vegetation index with greatest sensitivity in assessing N status and grain yield. Variable crop N was generated by supplying N at different amounts and times in three field ...
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Model-based approach to quantify production potentials of summer maize and spring maize in the north China plain
The North China Plain (NCP) belongs to the major maize (Zea mays L.) growing areas in China. Maize yields have increased steadily since the 1980s, but in recent years average yields have stabilized around 5000 kg ha–1. The objective of this study was to quantify the production potential of summer and spring maize in the NCP. For this purpose the CERES-Maize model was calibrated and validated. The ...
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Transition from intensive tillage to no-tillage and organic diversified annual cropping systems
Transition to no-till (NT) and organic (ORG) farming systems may enhance sustainability. Our objectives were to compare transitional crop productivity and soil nutrient status among diversified NT and ORG cropping systems in Montana. Three NT systems were designed as 4-yr rotations, including a pulse (lentil [Lens culinaris Medik.] or pea [Pisum sativum L.]), an oilseed (canola [Brassica napus ...
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Cuphea nitrogen uptake and seed yield response to nitrogen fertilization
Cuphea (Cuphea viscosissima Jacq. x C. lanceolata W.T. Aiton, PSR23) is an oilseed crop that is a rich source of medium-chain fatty acids. Progress has been made on improving cuphea agronomically, but little is known about N fertility requirements for optimum cuphea production. The objective of this study was to determine the N necessary for maximizing seed yield and oil content. Experiment 1 was ...
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Sugarcane responses to irrigation and nitrogen in semiarid south Texas
Water and N are often limiting factors for sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) production. This study was conducted to determine the effect of different levels of water availability on sugarcane growth, yield, and responses to N application, and also to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative N application methods. Three irrigation levels (20% below crop evapotranspiration [ETc], full ETc replacement, ...
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Postanthesis moderate wetting drying improves both quality and quantity of rice yield
A major challenge in rice (Oryza sativa L.) production in China is to cope with a declining availability of fresh water without compromising grain yield and grain quality. This study was designed to determine if alternate wetting and moderate soil drying during grain filling could maintain grain yield and grain quality. Two rice cultivars, Zhendao 88 (japonica) and Shanyou 63 (indica), were ...
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Year, region, and temperature effects on the quality of Minnesota`s soybean crop
Bulk commodity soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] can now be sourced with great specificity through rail and container purchases. The objective of this study was to determine whether analyses of farmer-grown soybean seed samples could detect significant regional differences in soybean quality traits. Through analysis of 2706 farmer volunteered soybean samples representing harvests from 2003–2005, ...
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Sensitivity of chlorophyll meters for diagnosing nitrogen deficiencies of corn in production agriculture
Chlorophyll meters have been widely used to diagnose N deficiencies in research trials and to help refine N fertilizer recommendations in production agriculture. The diagnoses are based on the assumption that chlorophyll meters can detect a wide range of N deficiencies under field conditions according to relationships between chlorophyll meter readings (CMRs) and yield responses to N ...
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Interactive effects of carbon dioxide and water stress on potato canopy growth and development
Reductions in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) canopy growth are observed with mild water stress. Potato growth is enhanced by elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide ([CO2]), but interactions of [CO2] and water stress on canopy formation and dry matter partitioning have not been studied. Two soil-plant-atmosphere research (SPAR) experiments were conducted at 370 or 740 µmol mol–1 [CO2] and six ...
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Nitrogen storage with cover crops and nitrogen fertilization in tilled and nontilled soils
Improved crop and N management practices are needed to increase soil N storage so that N fertilization rate and the potential for N leaching can be reduced in tilled and nontilled soils. We examined the influence of cover crops and N fertilization rates on N inputs from cover crops, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and soil total N (STN) content at the 0- ...
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Nutrient dynamics from broiler litter applied to no-till cotton in an upland soil
Applying broiler litter to the soil surface of a no-till field of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) increases the potential loss of its nutrients via runoff and volatilization. An experiment was conducted over 3 yr on an upland Atwood silt loam soil (fine-silty, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Paleudalfs) near Pontotoc, MS, to determine the effect of broiler litter incorporation into the surface ...
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Long-term study of properties of a xerofluvent of the guadalquivir river valley under organic fertilization
The long-term effect of inorganic and organic fertilization in a vegetable crop rotation on soil chemical and biochemical properties was investigated in a trial in southern Spain. Two crops were grown in succession, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and a mixed-cropped strawberry–onion (Fragaria vesca L.–Allium cepa L.). Total organic carbon (TOC), Kjeldahl-N, bicarbonate-extractable P (Olsen-P), ...
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Soybean seed yield response to planting date and seeding rate in the upper Midwest
Planting date and seeding rate are agronomic decisions that producers can use to maximize soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.] seed yield and economic return. Current information on the response to planting date and seeding rate may underestimate the yield penalty for delayed planting in northern climates and overestimate the seeding rate required to optimize yield. The objective was to determine the ...
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Yield, oil content, and composition of sunflower grown at multiple locations in Mississippi
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is not a common crop in Mississippi and southeastern United States. There is potential for sunflower (for production of cooking oil or biodiesel) to fit into traditional cropping systems of Mississippi and to improve economic sustainability of agriculture in the region. The objective of the research was to evaluate the effect of N (0, 67, 134, and 202 kg ha–1), ...
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Trees in the greenhouse: why climate change is transforming the forest products business
While there are risks for the forest products industry, it largely stands to gain from efforts to address global warming due to new opportunities for sustainable forestry. The world is entering an era when natural resource constraints, environmental policies, and shifting consumer values will create unprecedented demands on the private sector. Recent spikes in the prices of energy and food ...
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Hardwood tree survival in heavy ground cover on reclaimed land in west Virginia: mowing and ripping effects
Current West Virginia coal mining regulations emphasize reforestation as a preferred postmining land use on surface mined areas. Some mined sites reclaimed to pasture are being converted to forests. In the spring of 2001, we compared the establishment and growth of five hardwood tree species on a reclaimed West Virginaia surface mine with compacted soils and a heavy grass groundcover. We planted ...
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Soil carbon levels in irrigated western corn belt rotations
Proposals promoting the use of massive amounts of crop residues and other lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production have increased the need for evaluation of the sustainability of cropping practices and their effect on environment quality. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of crop rotation and N fertilizer management and their stover production characteristics on soil organic carbon ...
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Site-specific nitrogen and plant density management in irrigated maize
Economic or environmental benefits resulting from variable-rate (VR) application of N and seed are uncertain in irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) systems with high yield potential. We evaluated different plant population and N management strategies in two irrigated maize fields in Nebraska. Inputs were varied according to yield zones derived from yield maps, detailed maps of soil organic matter ...
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Effectiveness and efficacy of conservation options after potato harvest
Soil erosion and phosphorus (P) runoff can be severe in potato production systems in the Northeast USA, which are characterized by intensive tillage, minimal ground cover, low crop residue return, and steep slopes. We used rainfall simulators in the greenhouse and field to assess sediment and P movement associated with two conservation practices: straw mulching and application of polyacrylamide ...
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