Analysis of high yielding maize production - a study based on a commercial crop

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 296 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Birch ◽  
G. McLean ◽  
A. Sawers

This paper reports on the use of APSIM – Maize for retrospective analysis of performance of a high input, high yielding maize crop and analysis of predicted performance of maize grown with high inputs over the long-term (>100 years) for specified scenarios of environmental conditions (temperature and radiation) and agronomic inputs (sowing date, plant population, nitrogen fertiliser and irrigation) at Boort, Victoria, Australia. It uses a high yielding (17 400 kg/ha dry grain, 20 500 kg/ha at 15% water) commercial crop grown in 2004–05 as the basis of the study. Yield for the agronomic and environmental conditions of 2004–05 was predicted accurately, giving confidence that the model could be used for the detailed analyses undertaken. The analysis showed that the yield achieved was close to that possible with the conditions and agronomic inputs of 2004–05. Sowing dates during 21 September to 26 October had little effect on predicted yield, except when combined with reduced temperature. Single year and long-term analyses concluded that a higher plant population (11 plants/m2) is needed to optimise yield, but that slightly lower N and irrigation inputs are appropriate for the plant population used commercially (8.4 plants/m2). Also, compared with changes in agronomic inputs increases in temperature and/or radiation had relatively minor effects, except that reduced temperature reduces predicted yield substantially. This study provides an approach for the use of models for both retrospective analysis of crop performance and assessment of long-term variability of crop yield under a wide range of agronomic and environmental conditions.

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. G. Gaynor ◽  
R. J. Lawn ◽  
A. T. James

The response of irrigated soybean to sowing date and to plant population was evaluated in field experiments over three years at Leeton, in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) in southern New South Wales. The aim was to explore the options for later sowings to improve the flexibility for growing soybean in double-cropping rotations with a winter cereal. The experiments were grown on 1.83-m-wide raised soil beds, with 2, 4, or 6 rows per bed (years 1 and 2) or 2 rows per bed only (year 3). Plant population, which was manipulated by changing either the number of rows per bed (years 1 and 2) or the within-row plant spacing (year 3), ranged from 15 to 60 plants/m2 depending on the experiment. Two sowings dates, late November and late December, were compared in years 1 and 3, while in year 2, sowings in early and late January were also included. Three genotypes (early, medium, and late maturity) were grown in years 1 and 2, and four medium-maturing genotypes were grown in year 3. In general, machine-harvested seed yields were highest in the November sowings, and declined as sowing was delayed. Physiological analyses suggested two underlying causes for the yield decline as sowing date was delayed. First and most importantly, the later sown crops flowered sooner after sowing, shortening crop duration and reducing total dry matter (TDM) production. Second, in the late January sowings of the medium- and late-maturing genotypes, harvest index (HI) declined as maturity was pushed later into autumn, exposing the crops to cooler temperatures during pod filling. Attempts to offset the decline in TDM production as sowing was delayed by using higher plant populations were unsuccessful, in part because HI decreased, apparently due to greater severity of lodging. The studies indicated that, in the near term, the yield potential of current indeterminate cultivars at the late December sowing date is adequate, given appropriate management, for commercially viable double-cropping of soybean in the MIA. In the longer term, it is suggested that development of earlier maturing, lodging-resistant genotypes that retain high HI at high sowing density may allow sowing to be delayed to early January.


2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 313 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Peake ◽  
M. J. Robertson ◽  
R. J. Bidstrup

Optimum plant population and irrigation strategies for maize grown in the Dalby district of the Darling Downs in Queensland, Australia, were investigated using the APSIM crop simulation model. After testing the model against three seasons of experimental data, simulation experiments using different irrigation strategies were conducted across a range of plant populations ranging from 20 000 to 80 000 plants/ha, on two soil types with plant available water capacities (PAWC) of 146 mm and 220 mm. All soil type × plant population × irrigation strategy scenarios were simulated using the historical climate record for Dalby from 1889 to 2004, in order to obtain long-term average yield and gross margins (LGM) for each scenario. Soil water was reset to two-thirds of PAWC at sowing in each year. Plant populations required to achieve maximum LGMs ranged from 50 000 to 80 000 plants/ha across the range of scenarios, and were higher than currently recommended by district agronomists for partially irrigated maize. The use of higher plant populations increased season-to-season variability in grain yield and gross margins and may not be a suitable strategy for growers who do not want to increase their risk of crop failure. Partially irrigated maize achieved substantially higher gross margins in years where a positive Southern Oscillation Index phase was recorded in August, and the use of higher plant populations in such years also increased long-term profitability, but also increased the risk of crop failure. Economic gains were achieved by varying the timing and amount of irrigation within a limited available irrigation volume, with a single 100 mm irrigation giving greater LGMs than two 50 mm irrigation events on both soil types, when the irrigation events were scheduled to fill a soil water deficit equal to the effective irrigation volume. However, under full irrigation the use of smaller irrigation volumes increased LGMs on the 146 mm PAWC soil, demonstrating the importance of timely irrigation scheduling on low PAWC soils.


2012 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 352-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Morgan ◽  
D. Garabana ◽  
R. M. Rideout ◽  
E. Román ◽  
A. Pérez-Rodríguez ◽  
...  

Abstract Morgan, M. J., Garabana, D., Rideout, R. M., Román, E., Pérez-Rodriguez, A. and Saborido-Rey, F. 2013. Changes in distribution of Greenland halibut in a varying environment. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 352–361. Fish are expected to respond to changing oceanographic temperature by altering their distribution. Off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, there have been major changes in oceanographic temperature over the last several decades, with both record cold and record warm years being observed. Greenland halibut is an important flatfish species in the area, and is distributed in deep waters over a very wide geographic range. Thus, it might be buffered from temperature change in the overall area by reduced temperature variation at depth, and the diverse temperature conditions over its wide range. We examined intrapopulation variation in temperature and depth distribution, and the biological changes in relation to changes in available temperature. On the Flemish Cap, variation in available temperature was limited, and changes in depth were related to changing age composition and the differential depth distribution with age/size. In other areas there was a larger decline in available temperature, and associated with this, Greenland halibut moved to deeper waters and occupied warmer temperatures than they had previously. Concurrently, growth declined and condition increased. This study shows that shifts in distribution may not result in maintenance of homogeneous environmental conditions, and that resulting biological changes will be difficult to predict.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Fontana ◽  
Lan-Wei Yeh ◽  
Shing Hei Zhan ◽  
Shao-Lun Liu

Invasive freshwater macroalgae are rarely described. Recently, a freshwater red alga, Montagnia macrospora, was introduced from South America to East Asia via the global aquarium trade. The earliest reported occurrence of this alga in Taiwan was dated 2005. To determine whether or not M. macrospora has become an invasive species in Taiwan and to understand its traits that facilitated its invasion, we took a total-evidence approach that combines ecological background examination and population genetic analysis. Our island-wide survey showed that this alga is widespread in the field in Taiwan, where the climate greatly differs from that of South America. Our population genetic analyses showed that the cox2-3 sequences were identical in all the samples of M. macrospora from Taiwan, consistent with our observations that the alga mainly expanded through asexual reproduction. Furthermore, our long-term ecological assessments and field observations revealed that M. macrospora can grow under a wide range of environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, pH, and light conditions), self-sustain for nearly a decade, and bloom in polluted waters. Taken together, these data suggest that M. macrospora has successfully invaded the freshwater ecosystems in Taiwan due to its ability to undergo asexual reproduction and to self-sustain under broad environmental conditions. We hope that our study brings attention to invasive freshwater algae, which have been overlooked in conservation planning and management.


1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 1401-1404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucius Stebbins ◽  
David Daisley

A reliable and simple device suitable for long-term recording of activity in natural environmental conditions is described. It is inexpensive to make, assembled with standard electronic components, and adaptable for a wide range of animal sizes. Instructions for assembly which can be interpreted with a minimum of electronics knowledge and parts lists with catalog numbers for a common Canadian electronics retailer are provided.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iulia Simona Soare ◽  
Minodora Andreea Betivoiu ◽  
Sorina Carmen Martin ◽  
Anca Elena Sirbu ◽  
Carmen Gabriela Barbu ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
pp. 66-73
Author(s):  
A. Simonova ◽  
S. Chudakov ◽  
R. Gorenkov ◽  
V. Egorov ◽  
A. Gostry ◽  
...  

The article summarizes the long-term experience of practical application of domestic breakthrough technologies of preventive personalized medicine for laboratory diagnostics of a wide range of socially significant non-infectious diseases. Conceptual approaches to the formation of an integrated program for early detection and prevention of civilization diseases based on these technologies are given. A vision of the prospects for the development of this area in domestic and foreign medicine has been formed.


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