Development of ‘RL Plus’: winter wheat variety performance in relation to site characteristics (HGCA Project Report No. 365)

This project developed RL Plus, an augmented version of the Recommended Lists for Cereals and Oilseeds, published by the HGCA on CD and the internet (http://www.hgca.com) to provide the cereals and oilseeds industry with means of interrogating and analysing data from HGCA-funded variety trials. Given that RL Plus is fully documented and published in electronic form, it is not described further here. This report is confined to additional research analysing relative variety performance of winter wheat in terms of site characteristics. A spreadsheet was constructed of treated yields of winter wheat from 43 varieties across 506 trials (Recommended List, National List or BSPB trials) in the UK from harvests during 1992-2002. This included site information collected from the trials, and supplemented with the site location (OS coordinates), soil types, meteorological data and drought index derived during the project. Complete, or nearcomplete, data existed for 249 trials from harvests during 1993-2003. These data were used to investigate factors associated with site variation in variety yields. Data-mining techniques were used to identify site variables that explained variation in variety yields between sites. This information was used to build models to describe and predict patterns of variety variability due to site differences. Variation in variety yields could be modelled in terms of overall variety differences (43% variety variation accounted for), and variety interactions with large-scale trend due to geographic location (general climate, 16%), small-scale location trend specific to years (micro-climates, 14%), expected site yield (2%), late sown crops (crops sown on/after 30 October, 0.4%), sites with sandy or shallow soil (0.5%), sites with low soil K index (0.4%), differences between years (4.5%), differences between sites (unexplained by site variables, 2%), and other unexplained variation (18%). Further investigation suggested that other site variables, such as previous cropping, might also influence variety variability but that the relationship was local (differed between regions). The results of the statistical analysis can be used to optimise use of the ‘Varieties on your Farm’ module of RL Plus. In general, geographic location appears to be the most important site variable influencing variation in variety yields across the UK. However, for particular varieties, the expected site yield, soil type or soil K index may be equally important

N, P and K budgets for crop rotations on nine organic farms in the UK

On organic farms, where the importation of materials to build/maintain soil fertility is restricted, it is important that a balance between inputs and outputs of nutrients is achieved to ensure both short-term productivity and long-term sustainability. This paper considers different approaches to nutrient budgeting on organic farms and evaluates the sources of bias in the measurements and/or estimates of the nutrient inputs and outputs. The paper collates 88 nutrient budgets compiled at the farm scale in 9 temperate countries. All the nitrogen (N) budgets showed an N surplus (average 83.2 kg N ha-1 year-1). The efficiency of N use, defined as outputs/inputs, was highest (0.9) and lowest (0.2) in arable and beef systems respectively. The phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) budgets showed both surpluses and deficits (average 3.6 kg P ha-1 year-1, 14.2 kg K ha-1 year-1) with horticultural systems showing large surpluses resulting from purchased manure. The estimation of N fixation and quantities of nutrients in purchased manures may introduce significant errors in nutrient budgets. Overall, the data illustrate the diversity of management systems in place on organic farms, and suggest that used together with soil analysis, nutrient budgets are a useful tool for improving the long-term sustainability of organic systems

Exploring the spatial variation in the fertilizer-nitrogen requirement of wheat within fields

The fertilizer-nitrogen (N) requirement for wheat grown in the UK varies from field to field. Differences in the soil type, climate and cropping history result in differences in (i) the crops’ demands for N, (ii) the supply of N from the soil (SNS) and (iii) the recovery of the fertilizer by the crops. These three components generally form the basis of systems for N recommendation. Three field experiments were set out to investigate the variation of the N requirement for wheat within fields and to explore the importance of variation in the crops’ demands for N, SNS and fertilizer recovery in explaining the differences in the economic optima for N. The N optima were found to vary by >100 kg N/ha at two of the sites. At the other site, the yield response to N was small. Yields at the optimum rate of N varied spatially by c. 4 t/ha at each site. Soil N supply, which was estimated by the unfertilized crops’ harvested N, varied spatially by 120, 75 and 60 kg/ha in the three experiments. Fertilizer recovery varied spatially from 30% to >100% at each of the sites. There were clear relationships between the SNS and the N optima at all the three sites. The expected relationship between the crop's demand for N and N optima was evident at only one of the three sites. There was no consistent relationship between the N recovery and the N optima. A consistent relationship emerged, however, between the optimal yield and SNS; areas with a greater yield potential tending to also supply more N from the soil. This moderated the expected effect of the SNS and the crop's demand for N on the N optima

Inter-individual genetic variation in the temperature response of Leptosphaeria species pathogenic on oilseed rape

It is important to understand the likely response of plant pathogens to increased temperatures due to anthropogenic climate change. This includes evolutionary change due to selection on genetically based variation in growth rate with temperature. We attempted to quantify this in two ways. First, radial mycelial growth rates in agar culture were determined for a collection of 44 English isolates of Leptosphaeria maculans and 17 isolates of L. biglobosa, at 14 temperatures. For L. maculans the genetic variances in four parameters were measured: minimum temperature allowing growth, optimum temperature, growth rate at the optimum temperature and growth rate at the highest usable temperature, 31.8°C. The standard deviations were 0.068 °C , 1.28°C, 0.21 mm day-1 and 0.31 mm day 1 °C-1 respectively. For L. biglobosa, these figures were, respectively: immeasurably small, 1.31 °C, 0.053 mm day-1 and 0.53 mm day- °C-1. In addition, the incidence and severity of phoma stem canker in planta over a natural growing cycle at four temperatures (16°C, 20°C, 24°C and 28°C) around the average culture optimum were determined. There was no correlation between in vitro and in planta growth, and the decrease in pathogen measures either side of the optimum temperature was much less for in planta growth than for in vitro growth. We conclude that both pathogens have the capacity to evolve to adapt to changes in environmental conditions, but that predictions of the effect of this adaptation, or estimates of heritability in natural conditions, cannot be made from measurements in vitro

Seleccion de cepas de rizobios en suelos promisorios para el cultivo de la soya (glycine max (l) merril) en colombia

En el invernadero se evaluó la efectividad de las cepas preseleccionadas de B. japonicum (CIAT 199,209,3778,3874 y 3876) de la recomendada (CIAT51) y una de Rhizobium spp (CIAT 3779). En el suelo Fluventic Haplustoll, de reacción casi neutra, se presentó respuesta altamente significativa a la inoculación. El tratamiento fertilizado con 150 kg de N/ha produjo el mayor rendimiento de N. Las cepas más efectivas fueron CIAT 3778 y 51, que también presentaron el mayor indice de efectividad a la inoculación (IEI). En el suelo Typic Pellustert,de reacción alcalina, se presentó respuesta significativa a la inoculación. El mayor rendimiento de N se obtuvo con las cepas CIAT 3778 y 51, que fueron además estadísticamente iguales a las cepas CIAT 199 y 3876 en cuanto al IEI. En el suelo Arenic Haplustalf, de reacción ligeramente ácida, hubo respuesta altamente significativa a la inoculación y la cepa más efectiva fue la CJAT 199. En el suelo Fluventic Ustropept, de reacci6n ligeramente ácida, se presentaron diferencias significativas entre los tratamientos inoculados. El mayor rendimiento de N se presentó en el tratamiento fertilizado con N. Las mejores cepas fueron CIAT 3778,3779 y 209. En el suelo Vertic Ustropept, de reacción alcalina, se presentó respuesta altamente significativa a la inoculación. En cuanto al rendimiento de N no se encontraron diferencias entre el tratamiento fertilizado con N y las cepas CIAT 51, 209 y CIAT 3778, siendo también las más efectivas en cuanto al IEI, junto oon la cepa CIAT 199. En los suelos Tropentic Haplorthox y Typic Tropudult no se enoontró respuesta a la inoculación.Screening of Rhizobium strains in soils apt for soybean (Glycine max (L) Merril) cultivation in Colombia. Under greenhouse conditions were evaluated the effectivity of the preselected strains of the preselected strains of B. japonicum (CIAT 199, 209, 3778, 3874 and 3876), in addition to the recommended strain (CIAT 51) and one of Rhizobium spp. (CIAT 3779). In the Fluventic Haplustoll soil with an almost neutral reaction, a highly significant response to inoculation occurred. Fertilizer treatment with 150 kg N/ha produced the highest N yield. The most effective strains were CIAT 3718 and 51, which also presented the highest inoculation efficiency index values. In the Typic Pellustert soil, of alkaline reaction, there was a significant response to inoculation. The highest N yield was reached with the strains CIAT 3778 and 51, which were also statistically equal to strains CIAT 199 and 3876 as to inoculation efficiency index values, In the Arenic Haplustalf soil, with slightly acid reaction, was highly significant response to inoculation and strain CIAT 199 was the most effective. In me Fluventic Ustropept soil of slightly acid reaction, significant differences occurred between inoculation treatments. N yield was higher in the N -fertilized treatment. The best strains were CIAT 3778, 3779, and 209. In the Venic Ustropept soil, of alkaline reaction, a highly significant response to inoculation occurred. As to N yield, there were no differences between the N fertilized treatment and the strains CIAT 51, 209, and 3778; these strains were al so the most effective as to inoculation efficiency index values. A long with strain CIAT 199. In both Tropeptic Haplorthox and Typic Tropudult soils, there was no response to inoculation

A Roadmap for Lowering Crop Nitrogen Requirement.

Increasing nitrogen fertilizer applications have sustained a growing world population in the 20th century. However, to avoid any further associated environmental damage, new sustainable agronomic practices together with new cultivars must be developed. To date the concept of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) has been useful in quantifying the processes of nitrogen uptake and utilization, but we propose a shift in focus to consider nitrogen responsiveness as a more appropriate trait to select varieties with lower nitrogen requirements. We provide a roadmap to integrate the regulation of nitrogen uptake and assimilation into varietal selection and crop breeding programs. The overall goal is to reduce nitrogen inputs by farmers growing crops in contrasting cropping systems around the world, while sustaining yields and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

Something in the air? The impact of volatiles on mollusc attack of oilseed rape seedlings

Contains fulltext : 158879.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access

Levantamento quantitativo de microrganismos solubilizadores de fosfatos na rizosfera de gramíneas e leguminosas forrageiras na Amazônia

After choosing a selective enrichment medium suitable for most phosphate solubilizing microorganisms, a quantitative survey of these was made in the rhizosphere of: Brachiaria decumbens, B. humidicola. Andropogon gayanus, Paspalum plicatum, Hyparrhenia rufa, Panicum maximum, Desmodium ovalifolium, Pueraria phaseoloides, Zornia sp., Stylosanthes capitata, S. guianensis (CIAT 136). and S. guianensis (IKE 1022, with and without fertilisers. The largest numbers of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (above 1 x 107/g rhizosphere) occurred in the rhizosphere of the leguminous species a nd small numbers (Belw 1 x 107/g rhizosphere) in grasses without fertilisers, except H. rufa and P. maximum. From all the fodder plants analysed, Zornia sp. (Leguminosae) with fertilizer, had the greatest number as phosphate solubilizers. The total number of microorganisms was greater in the treatments without fertilizer in all grasses analysed; but for the leguminous species it was greater for treatments with fertilizer except in S. capitata. Phosphore solubilizing fungi were not considered in this study because they present only in small numbers.Após a escolha de um meio de enriquecimento seletivo a um maior número de microrganismos solubilizadores de fosfatos, foi feito um levantamento quantitativo dessas bactérias na rizosfera de Brachiaria decumbens, B. humidicola; Andropogon gayanus, Paspalum plicatum, Hyparrhenia rufa, Panicum maximum, Desmodium ovalifolium, Pueraria phaseoloides, Zornia sp. Stylosanthes capitata, S. guianensis (ClAT 136) e S. guianensis (IRI 1022), adubadas e não adubadas. De um modo geral, números maiores de bactérias solubilizadoras de fosfatos (superior a 1 x 107/g rizosfera) ocorreram na rizosfera de leguminosas. adubadas e não adubadas, e os números mais baixos nas gramíneas (inferior a 1 x 107/g rizosfera). com exceção de H. rufa e P. maximum, sem adubação. De todas as forrageiras analisadas, a rizosfera de Zornia sp. adubada, foi a que melhor se apresentou tanto em número quanto em porcentagem de bactérias solubilizadoras. O número total de microrganismos foi maior nos tratamentos não adubados para todas as gramíneas analisadas e maior nos tratamentos adubados para todas as leguminosas com exceção de S. capitata. Os fungos solubilizadores de fosfatos, não foram considerados, uma vez que estavam presentes em quantidades bem pequenas