Novel crop science to improve yield and resource use efficiency in water-limited agriculture

2010 ◽  
Vol 149 (S1) ◽  
pp. 123-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. DAVIES ◽  
J. ZHANG ◽  
J. YANG ◽  
I. C. DODD
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Crop Management ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
World Population ◽  
Use Efficiency

SUMMARYGlobally, agriculture accounts for 0·80–0·90 of all freshwater used by humans and, in many crop production systems, this water use is unsustainable. The current paper focuses on the potential exploitation of novel drought stress biology in both crop improvement programmes and via changed crop management practices. The aim is to deliver ‘more crop per drop’. In order to respond to the challenge of feeding a world population of seven billion and growing, it is concluded that an interdisciplinary approach is needed involving new genetic opportunities and plant breeding. It is also shown how crop management can exploit the drought stress physiology of plants to deliver improved water productivity without sacrificing crop yield.

scholarly journals Soil and Crop management relation with water use efficiency in Dryland agriculture

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (01) ◽  
pp. 75-89
Author(s):  
Attia El Gayar
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Crop Management ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dry Land ◽  
Use Efficiency

The problem of shortage of water to crops can be resolved by increasing total water supply available to plants, increasing water use relative to other losses and efficient management of scarce water. Biophysically, solutions to many of the problems will require the improvement of soil, water, and crop management at the field, plot, and farm level: first, to increase the capture and retention of incoming (rain) water; and second, to maximize the proportion of that water productively transpired by the crop. Dry land agriculture under rain fed conditions is found mainly in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. In the harsh environments of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and West Asia and North Africa (WANA), water is the principal factor limiting crop yield. A review has been carried out on soil and crop management research that can increase the water use efficiency. The WANA production systems are dominated by cereals, primarily wheat in the wetter and barley in the drier areas, in rotation with mainly food legumes such as chickpea, lentil and forage legumes. The SSA production systems are generally characterized by cereal/legume mixed-cropping dominated by maize, millet, sorghum, and wheat. The major constraints in both regions to crop production are low soil fertility, insecure rainfall, and low-productive genotypes, low adoption of improved soil and crop management practices, and lack of appropriate institutional support. Different cropping systems and accompanying technologies are discussed. Results indicate that there is an advantage to apply these technologies but being function of socio-economic and bio-physical conditions. It is recommended that future research focuses on integrated technology development while taking into account also different levels of scale such as field, village, and watershed.

scholarly journals Assessment of Fertilizer Management Strategies Aiming to Increase Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Wheat Grown Under Conservation Agriculture

Agronomy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Santillano-Cázares ◽  
Fidel Núñez-Ramírez ◽  
Cristina Ruíz-Alvarado ◽  
María Cárdenas-Castañeda ◽  
Iván Ortiz-Monasterio
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Use Efficiency ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Nitrogen Use ◽  
Agronomic Efficiency ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
N Management

Sustainable crop production systems can be attained by using inputs efficiently and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) parameters are indirect measurements of sustainability of production systems. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of selected nitrogen (N) management treatments on wheat yields, grain and straw N concentration, and NUE parameters, under conservation agriculture (CA). The present study was conducted at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in northwest, Mexico. Seventeen treatments were tested which included urea sources, timing, and methods of fertilizer application. Orthogonal contrasts were used to compare groups of treatments and correlation and regression analyses were used to look at the relationships between wheat yields and NUE parameters. Contrasts run to compare wheat yields or agronomic efficiency of N (AEN) performed similarly. Sources of urea or timing of fertilizer application had a significant effect on yields or AEN (p > 0.050). However, methods of application resulted in a highly significant (p < 0.0001) difference on wheat yields and agronomic efficiency of N. NUE parameters recorded in this study were average but the productivity associated to NUE levels was high. Results in this study indicate that wheat grew under non-critically limiting N supply levels, suggesting that N mineralization and reduced N losses from the soil under CA contributed to this favorable nutritional condition, thus minimizing the importance of N management practices under stable, mature CA systems.

scholarly journals Adaptation of the CROPGRO Model to Simulate Yield of Fresh-market Tomato

HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 572f-572
Author(s):  
J.M.S. Scholberg ◽  
B.L. McNeal ◽  
J.W. Jones ◽  
S.J. Locascio ◽  
S.R. Olsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Crop Management ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Yield Values ◽  
Fertilizer Rates

Modeling the growth of field-grown tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) should assist researchers and commercial growers to outline optimal crop management strategies for specific locations and production systems. A generic crop-growth model (CROPGRO) was previously adapted to simulate the growth of fresh-market tomato under field conditions. Plant growth and development of field-grown tomato, and fruit yields, will be outlined and compared to model predictions for a number of locations in Florida, nitrogen fertilizer rates, and irrigation management practices. Possible application of the model to quantify effects of crop management on crop production will be discussed using simulated yield values for a wide range of environmental conditions.

A Survey of Glyphosate-Resistant Waterhemp (Amaranthus rudis) in Missouri Soybean Fields and Prediction of Glyphosate Resistance in Future Waterhemp Populations Based on In-Field Observations and Management Practices

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 656-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin K. Rosenbaum ◽  
Kevin W. Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Glyphosate Resistance ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Herbicide Treatment ◽  
Amaranthus Rudis

A survey of soybean fields containing waterhemp infestations was conducted just prior to harvest in 2008 and 2009 to determine the frequency and distribution of glyphosate-resistant waterhemp in Missouri, and to determine if there are any in-field parameters that may serve as indicators of glyphosate resistance in this species in future crop production systems. Glyphosate resistance was confirmed in 99 out of 144, or 69%, of the total waterhemp populations sampled, which occurred in 41 counties of Missouri. Populations of glyphosate-resistant waterhemp were more likely to occur in fields with no other weed species present at the end of the season, continuous cropping of soybean, exclusive use of glyphosate for several consecutive seasons, and waterhemp plants showing obvious signs of surviving herbicide treatment compared to fields characterized with glyphosate-susceptible waterhemp. Therefore, it is suggested that these four site parameters, and certain combinations of these parameters, serve as predictors of glyphosate resistance in future waterhemp populations.

scholarly journals Surface lime and silicate application and crop production system effects on physical characteristics of a Brazilian Oxisol

Soil Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 778
Author(s):  
G. S. A. Castro ◽  
C. A. C. Crusciol ◽  
C. A. Rosolem ◽  
J. C. Calonego ◽  
K. R. Brye
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Production System ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Soil Physical Properties ◽  
Physical Characteristics ◽  
Forage Crop

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of crop rotations and soil acidity amelioration on soil physical properties of an Oxisol (Rhodic Ferralsol or Red Ferrosol in the Australian Soil Classification) from October 2006 to September 2011 in Botucatu, SP, Brazil. Treatments consisted of four soybean (Glycine max)–maize (Zea mays)–rice (Oryza sativa) rotations that differed in their off-season crop, either a signal grass (Urochloa ruziziensis) forage crop, a second crop, a cover crop, or fallow. Two acid-neutralising materials, dolomitic lime (effective calcium carbonate equivalent (ECCE) = 90%) and calcium-magnesium silicate (ECCE = 80%), were surface applied to raise the soil’s base saturation to 70%. Selected soil physical characteristics were evaluated at three depths (0–0.1, 0.1–0.2, and 0.2–0.4 m). In the top 0.1 m, soil bulk density was lowest (P < 0.05) and macroporosity and aggregate stability index were greatest (P < 0.05) in the forage crop compared with all other production systems. Also, bulk density was lower (P < 0.05) and macroporosity was greater (P < 0.05) in the acid-neutralising-amended than the unamended control soil. In the 0.1–0.2-m interval, mean weight diameter and mean geometric diameter were greater (P < 0.05) in the forage crop compared with all other production systems. All soil properties evaluated in this study in the 0.2–0.4-m interval were unaffected by production system or soil amendment after five complete cropping cycles. Results of this study demonstrated that certain soil physical properties can be improved in a no-tillage soybean–maize–rice rotation using a forage crop in the off-season and with the addition of acid-neutralising soil amendments. Any soil and crop management practices that improve soil physical properties will likely contribute to sustaining long-term soil and crop productivity in areas with highly weathered, organic matter-depleted, acidic Oxisols.

Crop management: principles and practices.

2021 ◽  
pp. 89-123
Author(s):  
Dennis B. Egli
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yield ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Seed Quality ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Crop Management ◽  
Planting Date ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Variety Selection

Abstract This chapter discusses planting-seed quality, variety selection, plant population, planting date and row spacing. The goal of crop management is to create the perfect environment for the growth of the crop, where the perfect environment is characterized by the absence of stress or other factors that reduce crop growth and yield. This goal may be impossible or uneconomical to achieve, but that does not detract from its usefulness as a goal. The management practices discussed in this chapter are fundamental components of grain production systems that contribute to reaching the goal of the perfect environment. There are many management options available to an individual producer; selecting the best combination is not always easy and it may be constrained by factors outside the realm of the physiological processes controlling crop yield.

Water Use Efficiency as a Constraint and Target for Improving the Resilience and Productivity of C3and C4Crops

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 781-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D.B. Leakey ◽  
John N. Ferguson ◽  
Charles P. Pignon ◽  
Alex Wu ◽  
Zhenong Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Canopy Structure ◽  
Complex Trait ◽  
Carbon Gain ◽  
Crop Development ◽  
Component Traits ◽  
Use Efficiency

The ratio of plant carbon gain to water use, known as water use efficiency (WUE), has long been recognized as a key constraint on crop production and an important target for crop improvement. WUE is a physiologically and genetically complex trait that can be defined at a range of scales. Many component traits directly influence WUE, including photosynthesis, stomatal and mesophyll conductances, and canopy structure. Interactions of carbon and water relations with diverse aspects of the environment and crop development also modulate WUE. As a consequence, enhancing WUE by breeding or biotechnology has proven challenging but not impossible. This review aims to synthesize new knowledge of WUE arising from advances in phenotyping, modeling, physiology, genetics, and molecular biology in the context of classical theoretical principles. In addition, we discuss how rising atmospheric CO2concentration has created and will continue to create opportunities for enhancing WUE by modifying the trade-off between photosynthesis and transpiration.

Improving Dryland Crop Simulation by Assimilating Soil Moisture and Vegetation Data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Lu ◽  
Justin Sheffield
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
State Parameter ◽  
Aquacrop Model

&lt;p&gt;Global population is projected to keep increasing rapidly in the next 3 decades, particularly in dryland regions of the developing world, making it a global imperative to enhance crop production. However, improving current crop production in these regions is hampered by yield gaps due to poor soils, lack of irrigation and other management practices. Here we develop a crop modelling capability to help understand gaps, and apply to dryland regions where data for parametrizing and testing models is generally lacking. We present a data assimilation framework to improve simulation capability by assimilating in-situ soil moisture and vegetation data into the FAO AquaCrop model. AquaCrop is a water-driven model that simulates canopy growth, biomass and crop yield as a function of water productivity. The key strength of AquaCrop lies in the low requirement for input data thanks to its simple structure. A global sensitivity analysis is first performed using the Morris screening method and the variance-based Extended Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (EFAST) method to identify the key influential parameters on the model outputs. We begin with state-only updates by assimilating different combinations of soil moisture and vegetation data (vegetation indices, biomass, etc.), and different filtering/smoothing assimilation strategies are tested. Based on the state-only assimilation results, we further evaluate the utility of joint state-parameter (augmented-states) assimilation in improving the model performance. The framework will eventually be extended to assimilate remote sensing estimates of soil moisture and vegetation data to overcome the lack of in-situ data more generally in dryland regions.&lt;/p&gt;

Weed management: fact or fable?

1981 ◽  
Vol 295 (1076) ◽  
pp. 185-197 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Growth Regulators ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Leguminous Crops

Weed management is a new term for the age-old practice of employing all available means, in a planned way, to keep weed populations under control. It seeks to distinguish the systematic approach to weed control, based on scientific knowledge and rational strategies, from the pragmatic destruction of weeds. The remarkable efficiency of herbicides has in recent years emphasized the latter and allowed revolutionary methods of crop production to be practised. These have, however, led to serious new weed problems which in turn require more intensive herbicide use. The need for a weed management approach is increasingly recognized. New opportunities for this are provided by the availability of numerous herbicides and plant growth regulators and a growing understanding of the biology, ecology and population dynamics of weeds in relation to crop production systems. Examples discussed include: systematic control of grass weeds in intensive cereals in Britain, weed control in rice and in soybeans, the control of aquatic weeds by biological and chemical methods and an experimental zero-tillage cropping system for the humid tropics based on herbicides, growth regulators and ground-cover leguminous crops. In such management systems, interference of weed behaviour by exogenous growth regulators is likely to be of increasing significance. Constraints on the adoption of weed management practices include lack of support for weed science as a discipline, limited appeal to the agrochemical industry and inadequate extension services in many countries.

scholarly journals Greenhouse Tomato Limited Cluster Production Systems: Crop Management Practices Affect Yield

HortScience ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 893-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Logan S. Logendra ◽  
Thomas J. Gianfagna ◽  
David R. Specca ◽  
Harry W. Janes
Keyword(s):  
Harvest Index ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Fruit Number ◽  
Greenhouse Tomato ◽  
Single Cluster

Limited-cluster production systems may be a useful strategy to increase crop production and profitability for the greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). In this study, using an ebb-and-flood hydroponics system, we modified plant architecture and spacing and determined the effects on fruit yield and harvest index at two light levels. Single-cluster plants pruned to allow two leaves above the cluster had 25% higher fruit yields than did plants pruned directly above the cluster; this was due to an increase in fruit weight, not fruit number. Both fruit yield and harvest index were greater for all single-cluster plants at the higher light level because of increases in both fruit weight and fruit number. Fruit yield for two-cluster plants was 30% to 40% higher than for singlecluster plants, and there was little difference in the dates or length of the harvest period. Fruit yield for three-cluster plants was not significantly different from that of two-cluster plants; moreover, the harvest period was delayed by 5 days. Plant density (5.5, 7.4, 9.2 plants/m2) affected fruit yield/plant, but not fruit yield/unit area. Given the higher costs for materials and labor associated with higher plant densities, a two-cluster crop at 5.5 plants/m2 with two leaves above the cluster was the best of the production system strategies tested.

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