Annual Crops Research Articles

TOMATO GROWING TECHNOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE CULTURE

Tomato is a heat-loving annual crop that belongs to the nightshade family. Seeds begin to germinate at temperatures no lower than 10–15 °C. At a soil temperature of 15 °C, 14–22 days pass from sowing to emergence, and if it is below 10 °C, the seeds do not germinate at all.

TOMATO GROWING TECHNOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE CULTURE

Tomato is a heat-loving annual crop that belongs to the nightshade family. Seeds begin to germinate at temperatures no lower than 10–15 °C. At a soil temperature of 15 °C, 14–22 days pass from sowing to emergence, and if it is below 10 °C, the seeds do not germinate at all.

Genome-wide association analysis reveals novel candidate loci and a gene regulating tiller number in orchardgrass

Tillers are specialized lateral shoots arising from axillary buds at basal nodes, and are also an important agronomic trait that determines the aboveground biomass and grain yield of various gramineous crops. So far, few genes have been reported to control tiller formation and most have been in the annual crop rice (Oryza sativa). Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) is an important perennial forage crop with great economic and ecological value, but its genes regulating tillering have remained largely unknown. In the present study, we used a natural population of 264 global orchardgrass germplasms to determine genes associated with quantitative variation in tiller number through genome-wide association study analysis. A total of 19 putative loci and 55 genes associated with tiller number were thus identified. Additionally, 26 putative differentially expressed genes with tiller number, including DgCYC-C1, were identified by RNA-seq and genome-wide association study analysis. DgCYC-C1 which is involved in cell division, was overexpressed, revealing that DgCYC-C1 positively regulates tiller number. These results provide some new candidate genes or loci for the improvement of tiller number in crops, which might advance new sustainable strategies to meet global crop production challenges.

Average daily gain in lambs grazing mixed annual forage species compared with single species and relationship to feed on offer

Context Annual forage crops provide high-quality fodder for livestock during typical autumn and winter feed-gaps in the south-east of Australia and benefits through rotations in cropping systems. While benefits from intercropping with cereals and pasture or mixing canola and peas have been studied in Australia, the potential animal-production benefits of grazing mixed annual species forage crops have not been examined. Aims To determine average daily gain (ADG) and rumen fluid parameters when sheep graze mixtures of annual fodder crops compared with a single species. Methods Ninety six Dorset × Border Leicester × Merino lambs (mean = 44.3 ± 0.55 kg) were allocated to one of the following four treatment groups (n = 24/treatment) on the basis of sex and liveweight; a single species brassica control (canola) (Br) or annual forage species mixes containing brassica (canola, turnip, radish) and cereal (wheat, cereal rye) (B + C), brassica and legume (vetch, arrowleaf clove) (B + L) or brassica, cereal and legume (B + C + L). Liveweight and rumen fluid parameters were assessed prior to grazing and again 21 and 35 days after the commencement of grazing. Key results Mean ADG from Day 0 to Day 21 was lower for female, but not male, lambs grazing the Br control (231 ± 23 g head−1 day−1) than for those grazing any forage mix (B + C = 292 ± 23 g head−1 day−1, B + L = 296 ± 23 g head−1 day−1, B + C + L = 310 ± 22 g head−1 day−1). Liveweight change over 35 days of grazing was not different between any forage mixtures. Rumen fluid pH was higher (P < 0.001) for sheep grazing forages containing cereals (B + C = 6.97 ± 0.06, B + C + L = 6.86 ± 0.06) than for those grazing brassica or legume (Br = 6.59 ± 0.06, B + L = 6.68 ± 0.06). Total volatile fatty acid concentration was lower and rumen pH was higher when sheep grazed B + C than when they grazed any other forage mix. Conclusions The higher ADG in females grazing mixtures than in those grazing the Br was related to higher dry matter on offer. Further research should determine whether the lower pH observed when sheep grazed brassica and legume than when grazing mixes containing cereals is associated with subacute rumen acidosis and reduced fibre degradation and forage energy utilisation. Implications Mixed forage species can provide higher DM on offer and ADG. Improved rumen efficiency could be related to improved growth.

Landscape Dynamics and Environmental Fragility Zoning in Hinh River Basin: Insights for protecting natural ecosystems

The landscapes in the Hinh River Basin are crucial and highly sensitive to climate change for the coastal province of Phu Yen and the entire south-central coastal region of Vietnam, offering vital environmental services to its downstream areas. Hinh River Basin has a rich system of rivers and streams and abundant surface water resources. However, it remains one of the region's top localities at risk and a very vulnerable region. This study aims to evaluate the changes in landscape (LC) over 10 years (2010-2023) and predict LC over the next six years using machine-learning (ML) algorithms on Google Earth Engine. To achieve these study goals, we establish: (i) potential environmental fragility (PEF) levels based on: terrain slope; geological domains; river hierarchy; percentage of sand in soil; annual mean precipitations; and (ii) emergent environmental fragility (EEF) levels through the addition of LC parameter to model. The methodology includes integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) into a Geographic Information System (GIS). Results show that three LC types (water, annual industrial crop, forest) are related to extremely high EEF. The predictive model suggests that, by 2030, the forest and annual industrial crop LCs in the study area will increase by around 20%. The analysis results show that there has been an increase in the area of planted forests, which can confirm the futher effectiveness of agricultural, forestry, afforestation and forest protection programmes in the study area (Plan for the implementation of forestry development strategy for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, Phu Yen Province, No 126/KH-UBND 13/7/2021; and Decision on the approval of the project for planting 15 million trees in Phu Yen Province for the period 2021-2025, No 1646/QĐ-UBND 16/11/2021).

394 Cover crops for efficient grazing systems

Abstract Grazing of cool-season cover crops provides a sustainable solution for extending the grazing season while potentially reducing the environmental impact of conventional row-crop farming practices. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate how different mixtures of cover crops affect stocker performance when grazed. The study was conducted across 18 paddocks that were sown with grass [‘Coker’ oat (Avena sativa)], grass + legume [‘Dixie’ crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum)], or grass + legume + brassica [‘Turnip’ brassica (Brassica rapa subsp.; rapa)] at the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center in Headland, AL. These paddocks were randomly assigned to either grazed or un-grazed conditions (n = 3). In this study, yearling beef steers with an average body weight (BW) of 266 ± 44 kg were grazed in paddocks using the put and take method to maintain a forage allowance of 1 kg dry matter per kilogram of BW. Forage samples were collected biweekly to analyze biomass, botanical composition, and forage nutritive value. Grazing occurred from January 17 to March 22, 2023 (65 d). Steer BW were recorded at the beginning and end of the grazing season to calculate average daily gain. The data were subjected to analysis as a two-way ANOVA using Glimmix in SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC), harvest date was considered a repeated measure. No treatment × grazing interaction was observed on forage yield performance [average (AVG) forage yield kg DM/ha; P = 0.460]. In addition, no difference was observed among the different cover crop mixtures (AVG forage yield kg DM/ha; P = 0.670). Grazed paddocks had a greater crude protein when compared with ungrazed paddocks (Grazed vs. Ungrazed %; P = 0. 017). However, there was no effect of cover crop mixture on crude protein (CP) concentration (AVG CP %; P = 0.670 for treatment effect). These results indicate that cool-season annual cover crops can provide sufficient forage yield and quality to support sufficient animal gains, even during the relatively short grazing season. Incorporating cover crops not only improves agricultural sustainability but can also enhance the resilience and long-term health of the agroecosystem.

Biomass yield, crude protein yield and nitrogen use efficiency over nine years in annual and perennial cropping systems

Emerging biorefinery technologies can lead to new applications and new markets for various types of crop biomass. This may allow significant changes in agricultural production from crop rotations dominated by annual grain and seed crops towards annual or perennial cropping systems composed with the aims of higher biomass yield and environmental sustainability. In this study, we investigated 7 annual and 7 perennial cropping systems on a sandy loam soil, with large differences in N fertilization. Yield of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) was measured over nine growing seasons from 2013 to 2021. A conventional four-year cash crop rotation with cereals and winter oil seed rape served as a reference and achieved mean annual yields of DM and CP of 10.5 and 0.85 Mg ha−1 y−1, respectively, across the nine years. Continuous maize and triticale had significantly higher DM and CP yields, with 57 and 15 % increases in DM yield compared to the reference crop rotation, respectively. Optimized four-year crop rotations with various annual crops including triticale, maize, beet, hemp or faba bean and various intermediate crops achieved 51–84 % and 42–78 % higher yield of DM and CP, respectively. Perennial cropping systems with festulolium and tall fescue with three or four harvests per year achieved 63–65 % higher DM yield and 192–200 % higher CP yield (2.47–2.55 Mg ha−1 y−1) compared to the cash crop rotation. Perennial cropping systems with miscanthus and willow had high DM but low CP yield. As a measure of nitrogen use efficiency, partial factor productivity of DM yield (PFPDM) and CP yield (PFPCP) were calculated, and both varied significantly between cropping systems, with highest PFPDM for M. × giganteus and willow (114–192 kg DM kg N−1) and lowest for festulolium and tall fescue (38–40 kg DM kg N−1). PFPCP was highest for the optimized crop rotations (6.88–7.94 kg CP kg N−1) and lowest for miscanthus (2.94–4.98 kg CP kg N−1). Across 12 of the cropping systems, which included both protein crops and lignocellulosic crops, there was a non-linear DM yield response to N fertilization rate with PFPDM decreasing from 134.9 to 37.2 kg DM kg N−1 when increasing the N rate from 50 to 500 kg ha−1 y−1. On the other hand, there was a linear CP yield response and, therefore, a constant PFPCP of 5.94 kg CP kg−1 N across N fertilization rates. The results clearly indicate that cropping systems can be modified to achieve higher DM and CP yields but also that choice of cropping system and optimal N fertilization may need adjustment depending on the use of the harvested biomass, the possibilities for biorefining into various components and products as well as the economic value of the components.

Mild three-stage alkali-oxygen treatment preserving the native macromolecular structure of lignin for effective disassembling of tobacco stalk

Tobacco stalks, as one of the annual economic crops rich in biomacromolecules such as cellulose and hemicellulose, are more difficult to decompose into cellulose fibers due to their high degree of lignification compared to other ordinary straw feedstocks, resulting in their underutilization. In this study, we developed a mild three-stage alkali‑oxygen (AO) process to efficiently deconstruct the tobacco stalk cell walls. The process, involving alkaline dosages of 15 %, 10 %, and 3 % at each stage, effectively dissociated the cell walls and yielded cellulose fibers with high brightness (42.0 % ISO). The organics in the spent liquor, including lignin, hemicellulose, and small-molecular extracts, were isolated through acid/ethanol precipitation and organic solvent extraction. Lignin characterization by 2D HSQC NMR indicated that the majority of native β-aryl ether linkages were preserved after AO treatment, making it suitable for producing chemicals or biofuels via depolymerization. Additionally, the small-molecular extracts contained numerous depolymerized products from lignin and carbohydrates, as well as bioactive compounds derived from the tobacco stalk. Overall, this mild, efficient, and eco-friendly process offers a promising approach for the valorization of tobacco stalks and similar biomass resources.

Integrated farming optimization ensures high-yield crop production with decreased nitrogen leaching and improved soil fertility: The findings from a 12-year experimental study

Context or problemSustainable farming practices, including precision fertilization, water-saving irrigation and recycling of organic materials, have been implemented worldwide in recent decades to achieve high crop yields and minimize nonpoint source pollution. However, the comprehensive impacts of these agricultural practices have seldom been systematically evaluated in field production. As agricultural intensification started in the 1980s, most previous studies focused on a single practice in the context of low land productivity. Objective or research questionThe objective of this research is to investigate and evaluate how holistic farming practices affect both crop production and environmental quality. MethodsWe reported findings from a 12-year experiment (2008–2020) in the highly intensive North China Plain (NCP) farming region, and conventional and optimized farming measures were compared. Three field treatments with annual double cropping (winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and summer maize (Zea mays L.)) were chosen in the study, i.e., control without nitrogen (N) application (CK), farmers’ conventional practices (CON), and optimized practices (OPT), were chosen for this study. ResultsCompared with the CON treatment, OPT reduced N fertilizer input by 41.4 % and irrigation water by 27.1 % but produced similar grain yields; OPT increased the N recovery efficiency (REN) and N utilization efficiency (NUT2E) by 90.4 % and 53.0 %, respectively; these values were much greater than the increases in REN (+56.1 %) and NUT2E (+25.5 %) when soil N change was not considered. Similarly, compared with those in the CON treatment, the soil N stock (0–60 cm) in the OPT treatment increased by 8.4 %, and the N loss via leaching, ammonia volatilization and N2O + NO + N2 decreased by 47.1 %, 11.4 % and 28.6 %, respectively. ConclusionsOur study revealed that the integration of optimized practices of organic material recycling, precision fertilization and water-saving irrigation substantially reduced N losses, mainly through decreased N leaching, but maintained fertilizer N in the root-zone soil layer, which is important for a sustainable and high-yield crop production. Implications or significancesThe dissemination of these optimized practices to other regions in China and beyond will be highly important for achieving the dual goals of food security and environmental protection.

Groundwater table prediction and seasonal variation influenced by short rotation willow plantation on marginal riparian lands of the Prairie potholes in Canada

Shallow groundwater consumption via phreatophytic transpiration and resulting vegetation-linked groundwater table (GWT) fluctuation is a typical soil hydrological process in wetland riparian areas. However, upland and riparian land use alterations may further influence the shallow GWT fluctuation, temporally and spatially. In this multi-year field study, we investigated whether introducing short rotation willow (SRW) positively or negatively affects the shallow GWT, soil water availability, and soil health on marginal riparian lands of the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). We compared the impact of SRW on these parameters to two common land uses: annual crop (AC) and pasture (PA). Depth to GWT was monitored via data loggers from 28 wells in two semi-arid PPR sites. The GWT depth varied by land use practices only in site B (p < 0.001; PA > SRW = AC) but not significantly in site A (p = 0.325), and the patterns were inconsistent between sites. In GWT depth prediction, the performance of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was better than Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models but was inconsistent alike with field observations. The GWT depth responded to seasonal precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (ET) patterns. The monthly GWT fluctuations peaked between June and August due to increased precipitation, while they were lower during May and September with reduced precipitation; however, these variations were not significant (p > 0.05). Higher precipitation and lower potential ET throughout the wet year (i.e., in 2014) significantly (p < 0.05) raised GWT (i.e., decreased depth to GWT) under all land uses, and vice versa. Our study indicated that planting SRW in marginal riparian land of the PPR would not negatively impact shallow GWT or soil water availability. Moreover, the SRW plantation could also help manage soil salinity without severely depleting the soil's nutrient pools or diminishing soil quality and health indicator parameters measured during the first rotation.

The long-term nitrogen fertilizer management strategy based on straw return can improve the productivity of wheat-maize rotation system and reduce carbon emissions by increasing soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration

ProblemFacing the multiple objectives of increasing production, carbon sequestration, and nitrogen reduction in farmland, optimizing straw and nitrogen fertilizer management to achieve a balance between grain production and ecological safety in the wheat-maize rotation system has become increasingly critical and urgent. MethodsThis study conducted a five-year field experiment in the Guanzhong Plain of China from 2017 to 2021 to investigate the effects and synergistic regulatory mechanisms of straw disposal methods (straw return, no-straw return) and nitrogen application rates (0, 150, 225, 300 kg ha−1) during the maize season on soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, crop yield, and soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil toatl nitrogen (STN) content. ResultsThe results showed that under the scenario of no-straw return, fertilization increased soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by 35.9–64.0 %, and annual total crop yield by 16.4–22.8 %; however, under the straw return scenario, the increase in soil N2O emissions due to fertilization decreased to 26.7–62.0 %, while the yield increase rose to 19.5–25.9 %. The interaction effect between straw return and nitrogen application was significant, with straw return boosting the contribution rate of nitrogen application to yield (2.2–4.4 %) and simultaneously reducing the contribution rate of nitrogen application to N2O emissions (3.0–27.5 %). The study also indicated that the yield-increasing effect of straw return continued to increase with the duration of straw return, with the contribution rate to yield reaching 9.9 % after three years of continuous straw return, while the contribution rate of nitrogen application to yield increased by an average of 3.0 % per year. This suggests that there is significant potential for coupling straw return with reduced nitrogen application. Straw return combined with nitrogen fertilizer increased SOC content by 7.9–40.1 % and 3.7–12.5 %, STN content by 1.0–22.8 % and 6.1–13.9 %, respectively, compared to sole nitrogen application and sole straw return. Pathway analysis indicated that straw return combined with nitrogen fertilizer mainly enhanced soil carbon-nitrogen sequestration, improved fertilizer utilization efficiency and crop nutrition levels, reduced net global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI), and synergistically regulated to increase yield while reducing GHG emissions. ConclusionThe study highlights that straw return lowers the threshold for nitrogen application levels, suggesting that regulating nitrogen application levels between 224 and 256 kg ha−1 during the maize season, and maintaining a nitrogen application level of 195 kg ha−1 during the wheat season, is beneficial for long-term stable production and emission reduction in the wheat-maize rotation system farmland.

Soil Physical and Chemical Properties under Shea Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) at Different Stages of Growth

Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), is one of the dominant agro-forestry species in Otuke district of Northern Uganda. Due to its economic importance and, in line with the numerous threats the tree is faced with, there is an urgent need for measures to conserve this species, for example, through incorporating annual food crops in the Shea tree parkland. This, however, requires a better understanding of tree-soil-food crop interactions. A number of studies of this aspect either considered only the mature Shea tree gardens or did not provide a clear distinction between the physiological states of the Shea tree. This was the motivation for this study where we compare variation in soil properties under mature and young Shea tree gardens with sites not having trees in Okwang sub-county, Otuke district. Five soil samples (up to 15 cm deep for top soil and 15-30 cm for sub-soil) were obtained per treatment using a soil auger. Our results show that in the top soil, only percent sand varied among the treatments, while, in the sub-soil, only percentage nitrogen and average phosphorus varied among the treatments. We also found that percentage top soil organic matter and percentage of sub-soil sand had negative strong correlations with maize and soybean yields, while percentage sub-soil clay had a strong positive correlation with maize and soybean yield. We conclude that variations in soil physical and chemical properties under Mature and Young Shea gardens only occur for those properties that have a direct link to tree residues

Growth, yield and quality variability of flue-cured tobacco in response to soil and climatic factors in Northern Vietnam

Flue-cured tobacco is an annual industrial crop cultivated widely in more than 120 countries, with yield and quality varying between cultivars and with ecological factors. This study investigated variability of four flue-cured tobacco cultivars in response to 11 environmental factors, including soil properties and climatic conditions. The cultivars were grown in four locations in the northern upland region of Vietnam over two years. Growth characteristics, yield, leaf quality, and stability statistics were assessed. Variability and significant effects of cultivar, location, year, and their interactions on plant performance were observed. Positive associations between plant growth characteristics and yield were identified. Fresh and dry yields were significantly positively correlated with soil available nitrogen phosphorus, and temperature. All leaf quality characteristics were significantly correlated with soil available nitrogen, phosphorus, and sunshine hours. Canonical correlation analysis showed that yield was strongly influenced by four ecological factors. Leaf nitrogen and chlorine contents were influenced by seven and nine ecological factors, respectively. Low stability statistics, low average sum of ranks, moderate to high yield and leaf quality indicated that D65 was the most stable cultivar across locations and years. GL2 and GL7 were desired for their stability in leaf quality and yield, respectively.

Multi‐Decadal Soil Moisture and Crop Yield Variability—A Case Study With the Community Land Model (CLM5)

AbstractWhile the impacts of climate change on global food security have been studied extensively, the capability of emerging tools that couple land surface processes and crop growth in reproducing inter‐annual yield variability at regional scale remains to be tested rigorously. In this study, we analyzed the effects of weather variations between years (1999–2019) on regional crop productivity for two agriculturally managed regions with contrasting climate and cropping conditions: the German state of North Rhine‐Westphalia (DE‐NRW) and the Australian state of Victoria (AUS‐VIC), using the latest version of the Community Land Model (CLM5) and the WFDE5 (WATCH Forcing Data methodology applied to ECMWF reanalysis version 5) reanalysis. Overall, the simulation results were able to reproduce the total annual crop yields of certain crops, while also capturing the differences in total yield magnitudes between the domains. However, the simulations showed limitations in correctly capturing inter‐annual differences of crop yield compared to official yield records, which resulted in relatively low correlation coefficients between 0.07 and 0.39 in AUS‐VIC and between 0.11 and 0.42 in DE‐NRW. The mean absolute deviation of simulated winter wheat yields was up to 4.6 times lower compared to state‐wide records from 1999 to 2019. Our results suggest the following limitations of CLM5: (a) limitations in simulating yield responses from plant hydraulic stress; (b) errors in simulating soil moisture contents compared to satellite‐derived data; and (c) errors in the representation of cropland in general, for example, crop parameterizations and human influences.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in homegrown crops: Accumulation and human risk assessment

Homegrown crops can present a significant exposure source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to humans. Field studies studying PFAS accumulation in multiple vegetable food categories and examining the potential influence of soil characteristics on vegetable bioavailability under realistic exposure conditions are very scarce. Crop PFAS accumulation depends on a complex combination of factors. The physicochemical differences among the numerous PFAS makes risk assessment very challenging. Thus, simplification of this complexity into key factors that govern crop PFAS accumulation is critical. This study analyzed 29 targeted legacy, precursor and emerging PFAS in the vertical soil profile (0–45 cm depth), rainwater and edible crop parts of 88 private gardens, at different distances from a major fluorochemical plant. Gardens closer to the plant site showed higher soil concentrations which could be linked with historical and recent industrial emissions. Most compounds showed little variation along the soil depth profile, regardless of the distance from the plant site, which could be due to gardening practices. Annual crops consistently accumulated higher sum PFAS concentrations than perennials. Highest concentrations were observed in vegetables, followed by fruits and walnuts. Single soil-crop relationships were weak, which indicated that other factors (e.g., porewater) may be better measures of bioavailability in homegrown crop accumulation. Regression models, which additionally considered soil characteristics showed limited predictive power (all R2 ≤ 35%), possibly due to low variability in crop concentrations. Human intake estimations revealed that the PFAS exposure risk via crop consumption was similar nearby and remotely from the plant site, although the contribution to the overall dietary exposure can be relatively large. The tolerable weekly intake was frequently exceeded with respect to fruit and vegetable consumption, thus potential health risks cannot be ruled out.

Drought sensitivity analysis of meteorological and vegetation indices in Dak Nong, Vietnam

ABSTRACT Drought poses an increasing threat to agricultural sustainability in Dak Nong, Vietnam. This study investigates the sensitivity of meteorological and vegetation indices (VIs) to drought conditions in the region. We analyzed 23 years (2000–2022) of data from 11 meteorological stations and remote sensing imagery covering various crop types. Our methodology involved correlating multiple VIs (VHI, VCI, TCI, and TVDI) with meteorological drought indices (SPI and SPEI) at different time scales. Results reveal a strong correlation (r &amp;gt; 0.7, p &amp;lt; 0.001) between the vegetation health index (VHI) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), particularly at a 4-month time scale (SPEI4). This combination proved most effective for drought monitoring across diverse vegetation types. Spatial analysis identified drought-sensitive zones covering 10.8% of the province, with steep terrain and limited river density. These areas, predominantly occupied by perennial agriculture, annual crops, and production forests, show heightened vulnerability to water scarcity. Our findings provide a scientific basis for targeted drought management strategies, including establishing an early warning system using SPEI4 and VHI, implementing water-efficient agricultural practices, and prioritizing farmer support in high-risk areas. This study enhances drought resilience and sustainable water resource management in Dak Nong and similar tropical regions.

Phenotypic limits of crop diversity: a data exploration of functional trait space.

Relationships between crop genetic and functional diversity are key to addressing contemporary agricultural challenges. Yet, there are few approaches for quantifying the relationship between genetic diversity and crop functional trait expression. Here, we introduce 'functional space accumulation curves' to analyze how trait space increases with the number of crop genotypes within a species. We explore the potential for functional space accumulating curves to quantify genotype-trait space relationships in four common annual crop species: barley (Hordeum vulgare), rice (Oryza sativa), soybean (Glycine max), and durum wheat (Triticum durum). We also employ these curves to describe genotype-trait space relationships in the wild annual Arabidopsis thaliana, which has not been subjected to artificial selection. All five species exhibited asymptotic functional space accumulation curves, suggesting a limit to intraspecific functional crop diversity, likely due to: dominant phenotypes represented by several genotypes;or functional redundancy that might exist among genotypes. Our findings indicate that there is a diminishing return of functional diversity with increasing number of genotypes. Our analysis demonstrates the efficacy of functional space accumulation curves in quantifying trait space occupancy of crops, with implications for managing crop diversity in agroecosystems, and genetic diversity in crop breeding programs.

Anticipatory Technoeconomic Evaluation of Kentucky Bluegrass-Based Perennial Groundcover Implementations in Large-Scale Midwestern US Corn Production Systems

Perennial groundcover (PGC) has promise as a scalable approach to generating natural resource benefits and sustainable biofuel feedstock while preserving the high yields of annual row crop production. Partnering row crops with temporally and spatially complementary low-growing, shallow-rooted perennials, such as Kentucky bluegrass (KBG) (Poa pratensis L.), is one example of an emerging PGC system. PGC’s ecosystem benefits can only be fully realized if commercial-scale adoption occurs, which hinges on its economic feasibility. This paper utilizes an enterprise budget framework to detail and compare the expected cost and revenue of establishing and maintaining PGC in row crop systems with standard continuous corn (SCC) (Zea mays L.) production, including stover harvest, but excluding economic incentives for ecosystem services. Optimistic and pessimistic assumptions were used, along with Monte Carlo simulation, to characterize the uncertainty in results. In the optimistic stover market scenario, Year 1 net returns for PGC averaged USD 84/ac less than for SCC; Year 2+ net returns averaged USD 83/ac more, meaning that cost parity with SCC occurs by the second PGC system year. Without stover revenue, parity is achieved after five years. These results affirm that PGC’s economic viability is critically impacted by a groundcover’s lifespan, the yield parity with SCC, and the availability of a stover market.

Measuring the Influence of Key Management Decisions on the Nitrogen Nutritional Status of Annual Ryegrass-Based Forage Crops

Measuring the Influence of Key Management Decisions on the Nitrogen Nutritional Status of Annual Ryegrass-Based Forage Crops

Characterization of the typology of producers in the “sembrando vida” program in Oaxaca, Mexico

In Mexico, research work documented at plot in the field or producer level is uncommon and with limited information, due to the fact that it is expensive and requires specialized personnel. This research work carried out by the National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research (INIFAP) and financed by the National Council of Humanities, Science and Technology (CONAHCYT) was based on a field diagnosis to determine the description of the typology of the participating "sowers'' producers enrolled in the Sembrando Vida Program (PSV), of the Federal Goverment of Mexico belonging to the state of Oaxaca, and thus, be able to implement strategies for training and follow-up attention on a massive scale. A total of 383 sample surveys were analyzed from a population of 37,719 small producers representing an estimated crop area of 56,578 hectares distributed in two regions of the state of Oaxaca. It is concluded that the diagnosis continues to be a fundamental information tool to identify and address more precisely and timely the problems at the farmer's plot level and with any type of crop. Another fundamental activity was the visit or technical visits to the territories that are representative of the regions in order to validate the information obtained. With the results obtained in this research, it was possible to address the main problems through personalized and directed technical assistance under the scheme of field schools (learning-by-doing) throughout the development of annual and fruit crops that the planters have in the MIAF within their PUPs (Small Production Units). Likewise, insert the main training needs at the express and consensual request of all program stakeholders: researchers-trainers, PSV technicians and sowers.