Breaking Corn Yield Barriers: A Cropping Systems Approach

During 2015, four corn research trials were conducted in dryland and irrigated environments. Two trials were at Scandia, KS and two were in Topeka, KS. The objective of these trials was to study the contribution of different farming management approaches for developing efficient and high-yielding corn production systems. Treatment layout consisted of five combinations: common practices (CP), comprehensive fertilization (CF), production intensity (PI), ecological intensification (CF + PI), and advanced plus (AD). Under dryland and irrigation scenarios, EI and AD treatments presented the highest yields relative to the other combinations. Under irrigation, absolute yield gap was larger in both locations as compared to the dryland scenario. The EI and AP treatments produced better yields than all other treatments at all sites and water conditions

Breaking Soybean Yield Barriers: A Cropping Systems Approach

During 2015, four soybean research trials were conducted in dryland and irrigated environments. Two trials were at Scandia, KS, and two were in Topeka, KS. The objective of these trials was to study the contribution of different farming systems to developing efficient and high-yielding soybean production systems. Each experiment had five treatments: common practices (CP), comprehensive fertilization (CF), production intensity (PI), ecological intensification (CF + PI), and advanced plus (AD). Under dryland and irrigation EI and AD treatments had the maximum yield in both locations. Under irrigation, yield gap was the largest as compared to the dryland environment in both locations. In all four experiments common practices had the lowest yield

Breaking Corn Yield Barriers: A Cropping Systems Approach

A corn research trial was conducted at Scandia, KS, during the 2014 growing season. The objective was to study the contribution of different farming systems in developing efficient and high-yielding corn production systems. The experiment had five treatments: farmer practices, comprehensive fertilization, production intensity, ecological intensification, and advanced plus. Farmer practice was the lowest-yielding treatment, and ecological intensification and advanced plus treatment presented similar yields

Drought-Tolerant Corn Hybrids Yield More in Drought-Stressed Environments with No Penalty in Non-stressed Environments

Citation: Adee, E., Roozeboom, K., Balboa, G. R., Schlegel, A., & Ciampitti, I. A. (2016). Drought-Tolerant Corn Hybrids Yield More in Drought-Stressed Environments with No Penalty in Non-stressed Environments. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7, 9. doi:10.3389/fpls.2016.01534The potential benefit of drought-tolerant (DT) corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids may depend on drought intensity, duration, crop growth stage (timing), and the array of drought tolerance mechanisms present in selected hybrids. We hypothesized that corn hybrids containing DT traits would produce more consistent yields compared to non-DT hybrids in the presence of drought stress. The objective of this study was to define types of production environments where DT hybrids have a yield advantage compared to non-DT hybrids. Drought tolerant and non-DT hybrid pairs of similar maturity were planted in six site-years with different soil types, seasonal evapotranspiration (ET), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD), representing a range of macro-environments. Irrigation regimes and seeding rates were used to create several micro-environments within each macro-environment. Hybrid response to the range of macro and micro-environmental stresses were characterized in terms of water use efficiency, grain yield, and environmental index. Yield advantage of DT hybrids was positively correlated with environment ET and VPD. Drought tolerant hybrids yielded 5 to 7% more than non-DT hybrids in high and medium ET environments (>430 mm ET), corresponding to seasonal VPD greater than 1200 Pa. Environmental index analysis confirmed that DT hybrids were superior in stressful environments. Yield advantage for DT hybrids appeared as yield dropped below 10.8 Mg ha(-1) and averaged as much as 0.6-1 Mg ha(-1) at the low yield range. Hybrids with DT technology can offer a degree of buffering against drought stress by minimizing yield reduction, but also maintaining a comparable yield potential in high yielding environments. Further studies should focus on the physiological mechanisms presented in the commercially available corn drought tolerant hybrids

Closing Corn Yield Gaps via Improved Management: A Systems Approach

Three corn research trials were conducted during the 2016 growing season. Two studies were conducted at Scandia, KS, (dryland and irrigated) and one at Topeka, KS (dryland). The objective of these trials was to investigate the contribution of different farming systems for closing corn yield gaps. Each experiment consisted of five treatments: common practices (CP), comprehensive fertilization (CF), production intensity (PI), ecological intensification (CF + PI), and advanced plus (AD). Across all three experiments and under dryland and irrigation scenarios, CP presented the lowest yield. In environments with yield response, intensifying production without a balanced nutrition program did not increase yields. A balanced nutrition program substantially increased yields in corn with more relative impact in dryland environments. The absolute yield gap was 86 bu/a for dryland and 75 bu/a for irrigated condition

Closing Soybean Yield Gaps via Improved Management: A Systems Approach

Three soybean research trials were conducted during the 2016 growing season. Two studies were conducted at Scandia, KS, (dryland and irrigated) and one at Topeka, KS (dryland). The objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of different farming systems for closing soybean yield gaps. Each experiment consisted of five treatments: common practices (CP), comprehensive fertilization (CF), production intensity (PI), ecological intensification (CF + PI), and advanced plus (AD). The EI and AD treatments presented the maximum yields at both locations. Under irrigation conditions, yield gap was larger at Scandia relative to Topeka site. Across all three soybean experiments, CP presented the lowest yield. EI yielded 79 bu/a at Topeka, and 83 and 86 bu/a at Scandia dryland and irrigated scenarios, respectively

Best Management Systems to Intensify Soybean Production

The aim of this study was to evaluate different management systems to close the yield gap in soybean production. A soybean experiment was established in Scandia, KS, evaluating five management systems under both rainfed and irrigated conditions. For the 2017 season, dryland and irrigated average yields were similar (63–65 bu/a) due to herbicide injury on the irrigated phase. In both water scenarios, intensification (high input) increased yields compared with common practice (low input) systems. Under irrigation, a consistent response to a balanced nutrition program was documented

Staggered Schemes for Fluctuating Hydrodynamics

We develop numerical schemes for solving the isothermal compressible and incompressible equations of fluctuating hydrodynamics on a grid with staggered momenta. We develop a second-order accurate spatial discretization of the diffusive, advective and stochastic fluxes that satisfies a discrete fluctuation-dissipation balance, and construct temporal discretizations that are at least second-order accurate in time deterministically and in a weak sense. Specifically, the methods reproduce the correct equilibrium covariances of the fluctuating fields to third (compressible) and second (incompressible) order in the time step, as we verify numerically. We apply our techniques to model recent experimental measurements of giant fluctuations in diffusively mixing fluids in a micro-gravity environment [A. Vailati et. al., Nature Communications 2:290, 2011]. Numerical results for the static spectrum of non-equilibrium concentration fluctuations are in excellent agreement between the compressible and incompressible simulations, and in good agreement with experimental results for all measured wavenumbers.Comment: Submitted. See also arXiv:0906.242

How digital is agriculture in a subset of countries from South America? Adoption and limitations

Digital agriculture (DA) can contribute solutions to meet an increase in healthy, nutritious, and affordable food demands in an efficient and sustainable way. South America (SA) is one of the main grain and protein producers in the world but the status of DA in the region is unknown. A systematic review and case studies from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile were conducted to address the following objectives: (1) quantify adoption of existing DA technologies, (2) identify limitations for DA adoption; and (3) summarise existing metrics to benchmark DA benefits. Level of DA adoption was led by Brazil and Argentina followed by Uruguay and at a slower rate, Chile. GPS guidance systems, mapping tools, mobile apps and remote sensing were the most adopted DA technologies in SA. The most reported limitations to adoption were technology cost, lack of training, limited number of companies providing services, and unclear benefits from DA. Across the case studies, there was no clear definition of DA. To mitigate some of these limitations, our findings suggest the need for a DA educational curriculum that can fulfill the demand for job skills such as data processing, analysis and interpretation. Regional efforts are needed to standardise these metrics. This will allow stakeholders to design targeted initiatives to promote DA towards sustainability of food production in the region

Efecto de la selvicultura en la extracción de nutrientes a lo largo del turno en plantaciones de tres especies de crecimiento rápido en el norte de España

This paper deals with the evaluation of the amount of nutrients removed and reincorporated after clearcut or thinning in the tree main commercial species of northern Spain: Eucalyptus globulus, Pinus pinaster and Pinus radiata. A simulation of different sylvicultural alternatives was done using stand growth models integrated with control functions which allow to cope with an individual-tree level of detail and a determination of the components of the total aboveground biomass. The high annual rates of extraction in the eucalypts plantations and the adaptation of maritime pine to poor sites where low amounts of nutrients were removed are demonstrated. Heavy thinning sylvicultural regimes give a better nutrient economy for pines. The harvest of no debarked wood is very important for the amount of extractions, particularly in eucalypts.Se realiza en el presente trabajo una simulación de diferentes regímenes selvícolas para tres especies de crecimiento rápido de importancia comercial en el norte de España. A partir de modelos de crecimiento y de la desagregación de las variables dasométricas de masa se determina la composición en distintas fracciones de biomasa y las acumulaciones totales de nutrientes en la biomasa arbórea a lo largo del turno, lo que permite evaluar las cantidades totales extraídas y devueltas al suelo mediante los restos de corta. Se comprueban los altos valores de extracción anual de nutrientes en eucaliptares y la relativa frugalidad de pino pinaster. Se demuestran las ventajas que desde un punto de vista de la economía de nutrientes tienen los regímenes de claras fuertes en los pinares, así como los negativos efectos que conlleva el habitual aprovechamiento de madera y corteza en todas las especies, y que resulta especialmente relevante en los eucaliptares