Author: Rajiv Khosla
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Author: Lucas A. Haag
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Previous work in the High Plains with alternative planting geometries of corn and grain sorghum has shown potential benefits in dryland production. Studies conducted in 2009-2011 at Tribune, KS evaluated five planting geometries in corn and grain sorghum: conventional, clump, cluster, plant-one skip-one (P1S1), and plant-two skip-two (P2S2). Geometries were evaluated at three plant densities in corn: 3.0, 4.0, and 5.1 plants m−2. Every measured corn production characteristic was affected by planting geometry, seeding rate, or an interaction in at least one of the years. Corn planted in a P2S2 configuration produced the least above-ground biomass, kernels plant−1, kernels ear row−1, and the highest kernel weight. Conventionally planted corn minimized harvest index and maximized stover production. Alternative geometries produced similar harvest indices. Grain yield response to seeding rate varied by geometry and year. Responsiveness and contribution of yield components were affected by geometry. Yield and yield components, other than ears plant−1, were the least responsive to seeding rate in a cluster geometry. Clump planting consistently maximized kernels plant−1. Prolificacy was observed in the cluster treatment and barrenness in the skip-row treatments. Light interception at silking was highest for clump and conventional geometries and lowest for the skip-row treatments. Corn in a P2S2 configuration did not fully extract available soil water. Conventionally planted corn had the lowest levels of soil water at tassel-silk indicating early-season use which potentially affected kernel set. In the lowest yielding year, grain water use efficiency was highest for clump and P2S2. Across-years, grain yields were lower for corn planted in a P2S2 geometry. Across-years corn yields were maximized when planted in clump at low or intermediate plant density, conventional and P1S1 at low plant density, P1S1 at high density, or cluster at any density. Planting grain sorghum in a P1S1 or P2S2 configuration reduced total biomass, grain yield, water use efficiency for grain production (WUEg), and water use efficiency for biomass production (WUEb) compared to conventional, clump, or cluster geometries at the yield levels observed in this study. Total water use was unaffected by planting geometry although cumulative water use at flower / grain fill was higher for conventional, clump, and cluster than for skip-row configurations. Sorghum planted in a conventional geometry was always in the highest grouping of grain yields. Grain yields from sorghum in either a cluster or clump geometry were each in the top yield grouping two of three years. When evaluated across-years, sorghum planted in a clump, cluster, or conventional geometry resulted in similar levels of above-ground biomass, grain yield, WUEg, and WUEb. Clump or cluster planting appear to have substantially less downside in a high yielding year than skip-row configurations. A comparison of corn and sorghum reinforced the findings of others that the relative profitability of the crops is largely dependent on the environment for any given crop year. Relative differences in grain yield, WUEg, WUEb, and net returns varied by year. Net returns over the three year study were maximized by conventional, cluster, and clump planted sorghum as well as clump planted corn.

Author: Sushil Thapa
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Arid regions agriculture
Languages : en
Pages : 368

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Cultivar selection, planting geometry, and plant population are the key factors determining grain sorghum yields in water deficit areas. When soil resources such as water are non-limiting, uniform cropping will provide the greatest efficiency in light interception and photosynthesis, but when resources are limiting, non-uniform treatment of the land or the crop can be an advantage. A 2-yr sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) greenhouse study was conducted to investigate whether clump geometry (three plants clustered) improves microclimate within crop canopy when plants are grown under varying water levels. Plants were grown at two geometries (clump and conventional evenly spaced planting; ESP), two water levels (high and low representing well-watered and drought condition), and three soil surface treatments (lid covered, straw-mulched, and bare surface). Air temperature and relative humidity (RH) within the plant canopy were measured every five minutes at different growth stages. Mean vapor pressure deficits (VPDs) within the clumps were consistently lower than those for ESPs, indicating that clumps improved the microclimate. Clumps had significantly higher harvest index (HI) compared to ESPs (0.48 vs. 0.43), which was largely due to clumps having only 0.4 tillers per plant compared to 1.2 tillers per plant for ESPs. Grain yield was not different between clumps and ESPs. However, results suggest that improved microclimate was likely a reason for clumps producing significantly higher grain yields in previous studies reported in the literature. Corn (Zea mays L.) field studies were conducted in Gruver (Gruver field study, GFS) and Bushland (Bushland field study, BFS), Texas to compare plant canopy temperature, within canopy VPD, grain yield, yield components, and water use efficiency (WUE) for clump (3 plants clustered) and ESP geometries with the same plant populations. At different growth stages for both studies, thermal images were taken for calculating canopy temperature, and temperature and relative humidity within the plant canopy were measured. As a whole, canopy temperatures were significantly lower for clumps compared to ESPs, and mean VPDs within the clumps were consistently lower than those for ESPs, indicating that clumps improved the microclimate. WUE and grain yield showed mixed results, but HI was significantly higher for clumps than that for ESPs in both studies (0.56 vs. 0.54 in GFS and 0.48 vs. 0.45 in BFS). In GFS, plants were grown under three water levels (high, medium, and low). With decreasing irrigation level, canopy temperature and VPD increased and aboveground biomass, grain yield, and HI decreased. Corn plants with medium irrigation level had the highest WUE (1.83 kg m-3) compared to plants at high (1.34 kg m-3) and low (1.22 kg m-3) irrigation levels. Results suggest that growing corn in clumps may be a useful strategy under semi-arid climatic conditions because they improved microclimate, reduced number of tillers, and increased HI with comparable grain yield compared to conventional ESP. Transpiration efficiency (TE) is an important physiological trait in plants for maintaining soil moisture longer and producing high yield with limited water supply. In contrast to other major food crops, little is known about the sorghum TE and its dynamics in relation to environmental VPD. Two simultaneous studies in each of the greenhouse and plant growth chamber were conducted to compare sorghum TE at different growth stages, and to determine the effects of VPD on TE. Plants were grown using lid covered boxes and harvested at six-leaf stage (S1), flag leaf stage (S2), grain filling stage (S3), and grain maturity stage (S4). For all studies, shoot biomass increased linearly with cumulative water used in transpiration. Root biomass increased up to S3 and remained constant thereafter, but shoot biomass as well as shoot: root (S:R) ratio increased consistently from S1 through S4. The overall mean VPDs and shoot transpiration efficiency (TEshoot) for different growth stages were similar within each study. VPDs were different from one study to the other. When data from all studies were combined, ETshoot showed an inverse linear relationship with crop growing period VPD, suggesting that TE decreases as the crop growing period VPD increases. The yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), one of the major crops grown in the Texas High Plains, is mainly affected by drought. Under drought conditions, TE is often considered an important determinant of plant growth and grain yield, which may differ from one cultivar to the other. A greenhouse wheat study was conducted to compare TE among six wheat cultivars namely, Triumph 64 and Scout 66 (released during 1960s), TAM W 101 and TAM 105 (released during 1970s), and TAM 111 and TAM 112 (released after 2000). Plants were grown at high and low water levels with four replications and harvested before anthesis at 62 days after planting. Aboveground dry matter showed a significant linear relationship (P

Author: Grant Johnson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Arid regions agriculture
Languages : en
Pages : 92

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Author: Jack T. Musick
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Agricultural research
Languages : en
Pages : 28

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Book Description

Author: R. Renick. A. Peries
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Sorghum
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description

Author: Manoj Menon
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889630986
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 122

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Book Description

Author: Ignacio A. Ciampitti
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0891186271
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 528

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Book Description
Sorghum is among the top five cereals and one of the key crops in global food security efforts. Sorghum is a resilient crop under high-stress environments, ensuring productivity and access to food when other crops fail. Scientists see the potential of sorghum as a main staple food in a future challenged by climate change. The contributors provide a comprehensive review of sorghum knowledge. The discussion covers genetic improvements, development of new hybrids, biotechnology, and physiological modifications. Production topics include water and nutrient management, rotations, and pest control. Final end uses, sorghum as a bioenergy crop, markets, and the future of sorghum are presented. IN PRESS! This book is being published according to the “Just Published” model, with more chapters to be published online as they are completed.

Author: Yared Assefa
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128003952
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 125

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Book Description
Corn and grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor L) are among the top cereal crops world wide, and both are key for global food security. Similarities between the two crops, particularly their adaptation for warm-season grain production, pose an opportunity for comparisons to inform appropriate cropping decisions. This book provides a comprehensive review of the similarities and differences between corn and grain sorghum. It compares corn and sorghum crops in areas such as morphology, physiology, phenology, yield, resource use and efficiency, and impact of both crops in different cropping systems. Producers, researchers and extension agents in search of reliable scientific information will find this in-depth comparison of crops with potential fit in dryland and irrigations cropping systems particularly valuable. - Presents a wide range of points of comparison - Offers important insights for crop decision making

Author: Jason Waite
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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The Ogallala Aquifer is a large underground water source located under the High Plains and is used as the primary irrigation source for producers in the region. Hyper-extraction of the Ogallala is causing a reduction in irrigation capacity for a large part of the region. Confined animal feeding operations in western Kansas rely upon irrigated crops, mainly corn [Zea mays (L.)] as a source of feed. Research has shown that forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Monech] could meet the demands of the confined animal feeding operations while using less water than corn. An experiment was designed to evaluate corn and forage sorghum in Western Kansas. The objective of this research was to evaluate the water use and growth characteristics of irrigated and dryland corn and forage sorghum. Field experiments were conducted at two locations (Tribune Experiment Station, Tribune and a cooperator's field near Hoxie, Sheridan County Kansas) in 2011-2013. The experimental design at Tribune was a randomized complete block with four replications. A traditional replicated design was not possible at Hoxie. Multiple subsamples per plot were obtained and data are reported as means with standard errors. Corn and forage sorghum were grown under both dryland and fully irrigated conditions at both locations. Neutron access tubes were installed to monitor soil water. Aboveground biomass, intercepted solar radiation and volumetric soil water content were recorded at 5 sampling dates each growing season. Water use was similar between irrigated corn and forage sorghum. There were differences in biomass from year to year between the irrigated crops. Dryland water use was similar between the two crops and also had differences in biomass from year to year. Yields were significantly lower than average for all crops in 2012 due to drought conditions. Solar radiation interception correlated with aboveground biomass measurements. Aboveground biomass from the forage sorghum and corn was ensiled both years and analyzed for nutrient composition. This research suggests that forage sorghum silage may be an acceptable replacement for corn silage in areas with reduced irrigation capacities.