Grain Yield Of Crop Research Articles

ВПЛИВ ПОПЕРЕДНИКІВ І ФУНГІЦИДУ АБАКУС НА ПОШИРЕННЯ ХВОРОБ ТА ПРОДУКТИВНІСТЬ ЖИТА ПОСІВНОГО (SECALE CEREALE L.) В УМОВАХ ТЕРНОПІЛЬСЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ

The article studies the value of beans and soybeans as precursors of winter sowing rye, and the effectiveness of the Abacus fungicide to reduce the spread of crop diseases in soil and climatic conditions of the Ternopil region.
 The research proves that the pesticide reduces the spread of powdery mildew by 2.7 and 3.0 %, brown rust by 2.9 and 3.2 %, leaf septoria by 6.0, and by 7.1 % in the sowing of rye Kharkiv 98. It shows high technical efficiency of application against the stated above diseases, in particular, 50.2 and 58.7 %, 49.2 and 46.9 %, 69.5 and 70.5 % respectively. 
 The use of Abacus significantly increases the grain productivity of rye, which is sown after soybeans (by 2.06 t/ha), compared to the predecessor of beans (1.66 t/ha). This increase in rye grain yield growth after the soybean precursor due to the fungicide is associated with a significant formation of plant density by 26.9 %, total by 36.1 %, and productive by 21.1 %, an increase in quantity (by 13.4 %) and the grains mass in the rye ears (by 19.1 %) and the higher increase in the biological yield of aboveground mass by 38.4 % for the predecessor of soybeans, compared with the growth of these indicators by 2.8, 25.3, 18.6, 4.6, 9.5, 30.4 % accordingly, sowing rye after beans.
 Despite the higher efficiency of the Abacus fungicide in sowing rye after soybean, for its productivity, a more important factor for crop formation was the predecessor, beans, which indicates a higher grain yield compared to the soybeans predecessor, as well as using the Abacus fungicide by 0.46 t/ha, and also in the absence of chemical protection by 0.86 t/ha.
 Analysis of the elements of productivity showed that the higher value of beans as rye precursor, compared with soybeans, is realized, regardless of the use of pesticides, due to higher plant density by 41.6–74.8 %, total stem density by 21.7–32.2 %, and productive stems density by 17.5–20.0 %, as well as the increase of plant height by 3.1–8.8 %, which led to the increase in total biological yield by 38.2–46.6 % and its component, masses of straw, by 49.0–56.1 %. Measurement of rye ears length, counting the number of spikelets and grains in the inflorescences revealed a slight effect of predecessors on these indicators. Significant increase in vegetative mass of rye after the predecessor of beans and limited influence of both predecessors on the generative sphere of plants led to the decrease in grain yield in crops by 6.1–7.5 % compared to plants sown after soybeans, regardless of fungicide.
 Given the higher value of beans compared to soybeans as precursors of rye in its productivity and lack of significant impact on spread of disease, as well as the high efficiency of the Abacus fungicide, it is recommended sewing rye after beans in crop rotation and use pesticides as a tool efficient in crop cultivation in local soil and climatic conditions.

ОЦЕНКА СОВРЕМЕННЫХ БИОКЛИМАТИЧЕСКИХ РЕСУРСОВ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВ РОСТА УРОЖАЙНОСТИ В ПОСТЦЕЛИННЫХ РЕГИОНАХ УРАЛА И ЗАПАДНОЙ СИБИРИ

An assessment of the bioclimatic potential of agricultural territories is necessary to evaluate the utilization rate and the development of highly efficient zonal resource-saving farming systems. The purpose of the research was to assess the current level of the bioclimatic resources of the post-virgin regions of the Urals and Western Siberia to determine the levels of climatically provided yields, to identify the limiting factors and reserves of field agrocenoses productivity growth. Data on air temperature, precipitation level, air humidity deficit, and yield of grain crops (1990–2019) in the main post-virgin territories of the Orenburg, Kurgan, Omsk regions, and Altai Krai were the object of research. Comparative assessment of the biological productivity of the studied territories was carried out according to the method of D. I. Shashko in points in the context of average productivity. We established that the economic productivity of grain crops in the analyzed regions today was significantly lower than the potential one (calculated according to the bioclimatic potential (BCP)). Even if the grain yield in the Kurgan and Omsk regions is at the highest level (1.36–1.75 t/ha), the efficiency of BCP using is only 27–38 %. Precipitation is the main limiting climatic factor. Lack of precipitation against the background of growing amounts of effective temperatures is accompanied by an increase in air humidity deficits. The conducted studies allowed us to conclude that with the help of highly efficient use of bioclimatic resources in the post-virgin regions of the Urals and Western Siberia under the conditions of modern natural and anthropogenic changes, a significant (2.0–2.5 times) increase in the yield of grain crops is possible compared to the current level. As priorities, when developing adaptive technological methods, along with the careful implementation of technological discipline, one should also consider the technological methods aimed at more complete preservation of atmospheric precipitation and efficient use of soil moisture, including no-till technologies and components of “digital technologies”, as well as pay attention to the development of irrigation.

Growth and ameliorative role of protective plantation in conditions of forest-steppe zone

The systems of protective plantations transform agro-territories of the forest-steppe of the European part of Russia. With an area of artificial linear plantings in the Central Black soil region of 600000 ha, negative natural phenomena and erosion processes in landscapes were significantly reduced. In windbreaks with fast-growing tree species, the highest growth rates are observed with a row spacing of 3.0 m and a tree spacing of 1.0 m. A convex transverse profile is formed in middle-aged stands, where the height of the middle rows is higher by 12.1 - 17.2% than in the extreme. The average tree growth continues up to 30 years. The growth rate is 0.73 - 0.83 m/year with the decrease from the age of 15-24 years. In the system of forest belts during the growing season, there is an increase in relative humidity of 1.8 - 9.8%, which altogether leads to an increase in the yield of grain crops by 330 - 550 kg/ha. The formation of plantings on the arable land of optimal parameters and structures will make it possible to have biological structures of long-term use with an increasing reclamation effect.

A set of data on retrospective grain yield for neural network modeling

Theoretical, methodological and applied aspects of creating a database (DB) of long-term retrospective information about the yield of grain crops are considered. The database is designed for statistical processing and modeling of multi-year data. Statistical information on annual levels of grain yield is the basis for planning, forecasting, management and optimization of agricultural production. To implement these tasks and their information support, we use design methods and models that allow us to build relational databases that provide statistical and neural network modeling of interannual variability of yield levels. The data storage format (*.csv) is justified, which provides in-depth processing and statistical analysis using built-in Python libraries. The review statistical analysis of productivity on the example of grain crops grouped by annual intervals is presented, and their features are revealed.

Influence of precipitation variability and temperature conditions on the yield of grain crops in Northern Kazakhstan

The article considers the influence of climate variability (precipitation and air temperature) on the yield of grain crops in Northern Kazakhstan. The paper uses data from some weather stations in the Northern regions of Kazakhstan, located in the main grain-growing zone. Because of the research, the dependence of grain yield on temperature and humidity for specific years of the last decades has been revealed. With an increase in precipitation, there is an increase in productivity in the North Kazakhstan and Kostanay regions, and the decrease in precipitation has a greater impact on the decrease in productivity in the Akmola and Pavlodar regions. Using the regression equation, the dependence of grain yield on the variability of air temperature and precipitation in the Akmola region (for the Esil weather station), a retrospective analysis was performed with the restoration of yield values for 1969-2019. The results of comparing the restored and the true (actual) yield showed a good correlation-0.84, which confirmed the reliability of the values. There are quite close relationships between the decrease in yield at high summer temperatures with reduced humidity, and the increase in yield at low summer temperatures, which is typical for the steppe and forest-steppe regions of Northern Kazakhstan. The yield of grain crops in the Akmola region, in the area of the Esil weather station, was affected by 72% by moisture, and 28% by other factors.

The principle of identity of conditions for zonal tests of grain harvesters

The paper presents the analysis results of the methods applied to comparative tests of combine harvesters for threshing grain crops in various climatic zones of Russia. In the USSR, in accordance with the current GOSTs, machine testing stations carried out comparative tests of combines during threshing grain crops with a yield of 4 t/ha by direct combining method in the phase of full ripeness of grain, but no later than 7 days after its onset. At the design stage, the throughput of a combine harvester is calculated taking into account the design parameters of the working bodies of the combine, engine power, thresher width, specific power per unit of throughput, hopper volume and other factors. The classification of combines according to design parameters does not characterize their potential functionality and work efficiency under production conditions with significant fluctuations in the yield of grain crops. It is necessary to comply with the main principle of comparative tests of combines – the identity of their operating conditions. If this principle is violated, it makes no sense to analyze the results. It is necessary to substantiate the methodology of comparative tests of combines in various climatic zones of the country. Given the different yields in certain zones of Russia, especially in the Siberian region, it is necessary to determine not only the nominal throughput for the rational use of the harvester, but also to what extent it can vary depending on harvesting conditions. A technological passport is needed for each combine, which will allow to quickly develop an operation process chart for threshing grain crops in relation to a specific field and taking into account yield and other production efforts. Operation process charts, unlike technological passports, determine the task for performing specific work, subject to technological modes, that ensure high quality products by direct combining and swath harvesting methods with rational loading of the combine thresher. They help to identify actual and estimated cost of grain, taking into account the need in combines and combine operators.

Identification and validation of genetic loci for tiller angle in bread wheat.

Two major QTL for tiller angle were identified on chromosomes 1AL and 5DL, and TaTAC-D1might be the candidate gene for QTA.caas-5DL. An ideal plant architecture is important for achieving high grain yield in crops. Tiller angle (TA) is an important factor influencing yield. In the present study, 266 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between Zhongmai 871 (ZM871) and its sister line Zhongmai 895 (ZM895) was used to map TA by extreme pool-genotyping and inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM). Two quantitative trait loci (QTL) on chromosomes 1AL and 5DL were identified with reduced tiller angle alleles contributed by ZM895. QTA.caas-1AL was detected in six environments, explaining 5.4-11.2% of the phenotypic variances. The major stable QTL, QTA.caas-5DL, was identified in all eight environments, accounting for 13.8-24.8% of the phenotypic variances. The two QTL were further validated using BC1F4 populations derived from backcrosses ZM871/ZM895//ZM871 (121 lines) and ZM871/ZM895//ZM895 (175 lines). Gene TraesCS5D02G322600, located in the 5DL QTL and designated TaTAC-D1, had a SNP in the third exon with 'A' and 'G' in ZM871 and ZM895, respectively, resulting in a Thr169Ala amino acid change. A KASP marker based on this SNP was validated in two sets of germplasm, providing further evidence for the significant effects of TaTAC-D1 on TA. Thus extreme pool-genotyping can be employed to detect QTL for plant architecture traits and KASP markers tightly linked with the QTL can be used in wheat breeding programs targeting improved plant architecture.

Повышение эффективности растениеводства за счет оптимизации сроков полевых работ

Abstract. Violation of the optimal timing of field work and irrational structure of acreage leads to a decrease in crop yield. The purpose is to show ways to improve the efficiency of grain production due to earlier terms of wheat harvesting. The objects of the study were operational data on the timing of field work and the yield of grain crops in the agricultural sector of the Kurgan region and in the fields of the Kurgan research Institute, weather data. Common methods of comparative, statistical, factor, and correlation analyses were used. Results. It was found that the most favorable conditions for harvesting grain crops are formed in August. At the same time, as of September 1, 2019, 21 % of the area of grain crops was removed in the Kurgan region, and 71 % as of October 1. The yield of grain harvested in September was 5.7 t/ha below removed in August, loss of income – 6.2 thousand rubles/ha. Price for grain sold in September, is often lower than in August, and another minus 1.5 thousand rubles. The Early cleaning provide earlier crops. For more effective optimization of work terms, it is proposed to keep their records and analysis in the e-book of field history developed at the Kurgan research Institute. It was found that with minimal availability of agricultural machinery, the yield on fields in different hydrothermal conditions varied slightly due to the use of a wide range of sowing dates from May 2 to May 31 and the rational structure of varieties. About 10 % of crops under winter wheat allowed to start harvesting 2–3 weeks before spring and it is more profitable to sell grain. Agricultural producers are recommended to optimize the terms of harvesting spring wheat due to earlier sowing dates, taking into account the validity for each field and the introduction of winter wheat into circulation. The scientific novelty lies in the analysis of the conditions of sowing and harvesting operations in the economy that have developed over the past 5 years in the context of each field.

The influence of light gray forest soil cultivation systems and the use of fertilizers and biological product on the root supply and crop yields in the crop rotation link in the Volga-Vyatka region

Relevance and methods . The article deals with the impact of resource-saving systems for processing light-gray forest soil, the use of fertilizers and the biological product Stimix ® Niva on the value of root availability and yield of grain crops in the link of the spring wheat — pea — oats rotation in the Volga-Vyatka region. Results. The use of minimal tillage and No-till technology increases the average value of the root availability index of spring wheat plants of the ester variety to 59.2–59.6%. The use of straw destructors (ammonium nitrate and Stimix ® Niva) on the background of N 60 P 60 K 60 when growing peas of the Krasiviy variety using No-till technology reduces the rate of root availability (17.4 and 16.6%) compared to their separate use (27.6 and 29.7%) and the use of the background N 60 P 60 K 60 (25.2%). The lowest root security of Yakov variety of oat plants when using zero technology for its production is 30.8%. The highest yield of spring wheat was obtained in the variant with non-soil shallow tillage with the joint use of N 60 P 60 K 60 and ammonium nitrate as a straw destructor — 3.99 t/ha. The highest yield of peas of the variety Krasiviy was obtained where the main tillage was used by plowing with a plow with dumps with the use of ammonium nitrate as a straw destructor, both on the fertilized background N 60 P 60 K 60 (2.76 t/ha), and on not fertilized (2.70 t/ha). The highest average yield of Yakov variety of oats was obtained with the traditional system of soil treatment for it — 4.12 t/ha. The use of direct sowing technology provides the lowest yield of grain crops in the link of the crop rotation spring wheat – peas – oats: spring wheat 1.17–3.28 t/ha, peas 0.74–2.24 t/ha, oats 1.15–3.78 t/ha.

Photosynthetic potential of spring barley in the conditions of the Lower Volga region

Relevance. Increasing grain production requires new ways to increase the yield of grain crops. The study of the interaction of plants depending on the distance from the forest strip is currently of particular relevance. Methods. The scientific article presents the results of the study of spring barley depending on the distance from the forest strips. The purpose of the research was to conduct a comparative analysis of the photosynthetic activity of spring barley crops. The object of research is spring barley Medicum 139. The studies were carried out on the experimental field NVNIISKh, located in the light chestnut subzone of the dry steppe zone of chestnut soils of the Lower Volga. To achieve this goal it was necessary to determine and calculate: the area of the sheet surface; photosynthetic activity of crops; amount of dry phytomass; the net productivity of photosynthesis. Results. Studies have shown that the maximum photosynthetic potential (AF) was reached the phase of “egress into the tube-earing”, when it was 1.5 times higher than in the phase of “tillering-egress into the tube” and “earing-milk ripeness”. The net productivity of photosynthesis (NPF) of spring barley was maximum in the phase of exit to the tube-tillering, minimum in the phase of earing — milk ripeness. The accumulation of dry matter was also observed maximum in the phase of exit to the heading-earing tube, minimal in the phase of heading-milk ripeness. The leaf area affected the formation of the mass of 1000 grains and the number of productive stems in the heading phase: R = 0.5 ... 0.7; R = 0.5 ... 0.6, respectively, depending on the distance from the forest strip. In the phase of milk ripeness a reliable correlation was established between the leaf surface area and the mass of grains in the main ear in 2017, 2018 and 2019 ( R = 0.7, 0.5, 0.6, respectively). The beneficial effect of protective forest stands on soil properties, as well as on the growth, condition and productivity of crops, is noted. The results of the study indicate the important role of forest strips. The scope of development is the soil zone of the Lower Volga.

Баланс фосфору за різних систем удобрення в агроценозі Центрального Лісостепу

Goal. To give a comparative assessment of the balance of phosphorus, and to determine a connection with the productivity of cereals in the short crop rotation for long-term application of organic and organo-mineral fertilizer systems in the Central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. By-products of crops were used as organic fertilizer at saturation of the crop rotation with the legume. Methods. Studies were carried out in the stationary field experiment in the Cherkasy state agricultural experimental station of NSC «Institute of agriculture of NAAS» in 2011–2019 on the area of 0.75 ha in 5 fields with the seed size of the plot 30 m2, and 4-times repeatability. They used field, laboratory, comparative-calculation, and mathematical methods. Results. At the use of organic fertilizer system, a strong correlation was revealed between the output of f.u. and the main products and the rate of turnover and balance capacity of P2O5: in the first case, the opposite (R=0.65–0.69±0.02; R2=0.42–0.48), in the second — direct (R=0.67–0.85±0.02; R2=0.45–0.72). Compared to the organo-mineral fertilizer system correlation weakened somewhat. Per unit of output of f.u. and the primary product increase of the capacity of the P2O5 balance was in 1.78 and 2.11 times smaller. Between the P2O5 balance capacity and balance capacity of N and CO2 was a direct correlation on the average level: R=0.53±0.02; R2=0.23 for N, and R=0,90±0,03; R2=0,86 — for CO2. Per unit of the capacity growth of balance of phosphorus, they fixed 7.62 kg N and 0.79 tons of CO2, which was significantly higher as compared to the organo-mineral fertilizer system. Conclusions. Assessment of dynamics of yield of grain crops in 2011–2019 had shown the following: in organic fertilizer system the increasing trends were detected in winter wheat and barley; in organo-mineral fertilizer system regression coefficients for the variable degree functions at the cultivation of barley were higher in 1.5–1.8 times, winter wheat — were approaching each other. Grain yields at the use of organic and organo-mineral fertilizer systems of cultivation were decreasing, at the use of organic fertilizer system, the drop in trend was in 1.9 times less.

Spatialization of Actual Grain Crop Yield Coupled with Cultivation Systems and Multiple Factors: From Survey Data to Grid

The spatialization of actual grain crop yield helps to understand the spatial heterogeneity of yield and support for the precise farming and targeted farmland management. However, inadequate consideration and quantification of anthropogenic factors affecting the estimation of actual yield distribution easily cause uncertainties in recent researches. Here, we developed a new grain crop yield spatialization (GCYS) model in order to downscale the yield from county to grid scale. The GCYS model is composed of four modules: (a) cultivated land Net Primary Productivity (NPP) calculation module, (b) comprehensive agricultural system construction module, (c) key factors establishment module, and (d) integration and validation module. Its novelty is to realize the actual grain crop yield spatialization from county scale to grid scale by quantifying and spatializing the comprehensive agricultural system when considering the diversity of cultivated structure and field management factors. Taking Guizhou and Guangxi Karst Mountains Region as a study-area, the GCYS model is developed and tested. The determination coefficients of regression analysis between agricultural survey data and spatialization results of paddy rice yield calculated by our model reach 0.72 and 0.76 in 2000 and 2015, respectively (p < 0.01). The results visualize the spatial pattern of actual grain crop yield at the grid scale, which show a gradually decreasing trend from southeast to northwest. With an increase in potential yield and improvement of field management technologies, the actual average yield of grain crops per unit increased form 4745.10 kg/ha of 2000 to 5592.89 kg/ha of 2015. Especially in high-yield zones in southeast area, mechanized cultivation became the dominated factor, rather than chemical fertilizer application. This demonstrates that our model can provide a reference for agricultural resource utilization and policy-making.

The effect of probe geometry on rind puncture resistance testing of maize stalks

BackgroundStalk lodging (breaking of plant stems prior to harvest) is a major impediment to increasing agricultural yields of grain crops. Rind puncture resistance is commonly used to predict the lodging resistance of several crop species. However, there exist no standard operating procedures or suggested protocols for conducting rind penetration experiments. In addition, experimental details of rind penetration tests such as the shape and size of the penetrating probe are rarely reported in the literature. This has prevented meta-analysis of results and has likewise prevented key findings of past studies from being replicated. As a first step towards establishing an agreed upon measurement standard for rind puncture resistance this study investigates the effect of the puncturing probe’s geometry on test results.ResultsResults demonstrate that probe geometry has a significant impact on test results. In particular, results showed that a 2 mm diameter chamfered probe produced stronger correlations with stalk bending strength than a 1.5 mm diameter pointed probe. The chamfered probe was also more strongly correlated with geometric features of the stalk that are known to influence stalk lodging resistance (e.g., rind thickness, diameter and section modulus). In addition, several alternative rind penetration metrics were investigated, and some were found to be superior to the most common rind penetration metric of maximum load.ConclusionsThere is a need in the agricultural and plant science community to create agreed-upon operating procedures and testing standards related to mechanical traits of plant stems. In particular, a standardized probe geometry and insertion rate for rind penetration studies are needed to enable greater interoperability and meta-analysis of results. Probe shape and size should be reported in any study conducting rind penetration tests as these factors significantly impact test results.

Soil nitrogen sequestration in a long-term fertilizer experiment in central China

Aim of study: To evaluate the effects of a long-term manuring and fertilization experiment on the soil total N concentration and its storage and sequestration rates in the rice-wheat cropping system.Area of study: A rice-wheat rotation area in central China.Material and methods: A 35-yr long-term fertilizer experiment was conducted with 9 treatments: unfertilized (Control), N, P, and K fertilizers, manure (M) and M combined with N, P, and K fertilizers treatments. Soil total N input amount, total N concentration, total N storage amount and N sequestration rate in soil were calculated.Main results: The soil total N input amount, N concentration, N storage amount and N sequestration rate were significantly influenced by M and chemical fertilizers. In total, 0.017-0.021 g N/kg soil accumulated in the organic M plots, whereas only 0.005-0.007 g in chemical fertilizer alone plots. The highest soil total N storage amount was 6.09 t/hain the M alone plot, and the lowest value was 4.46 tN/ha in the N fertilizer alone plot. The highest N sequestration rate in soil was 0.061 t N/ha/yr in the high amount M plus NPK fertilizers plot, and the lowest value was 0.002 tN/ha/yr in the N fertilizer alone plot. A significant nonlinear regression relationship existed between the total N sequestration rate in soil and annual total N input amount. Moreover, the average soil total N concentration was significantly positively correlated with the average grain yield of crop and soil organic C concentration. The soil total N sequestration rate in M alone or M combined with inorganic fertilizer treatments were increased compared with inorganic fertilizer alone treatments.Research highlights: Considering crop yields and total N sequestration rate in soil, the use of manure combined with inorganic fertilizer should be recommended in the rice-wheat cropping system.

The role of soil fertility in the management of agricultural bioproductivity

Relevance and methods. The optimal selection of precursors and methods of biologization can increase the return of organic matter to the soil, increase the yield and productivity of crops. Corn was studied on irrigation, and crops (sorghum, oats, winter wheat) in crop rotation were studied on the bogar. To elucidate the general patterns of plant development in the system of forest strips and in experimental fields (bogar), statistical processing of the research results was used in the Exel and Statistica software packages, which is based on the generalization and synthesis of the results, which makes it possible to reach forecasts of plant development during the growing season. The soil is light chestnut, heavy loamy, with a humus content in the arable layer of 1.74%, the pH of the soil solution is 8.1. The content of easily hydro-lyzable nitrogen is low — 3.2–3.9 mg/100 g of soil, average phosphorus mobile — 2.1–3 mg and exchange potassium increased — 30–40 mg/100 g of soil. The amount of average annual rainfall is 339.7 mm.Results. A study of the data showed that regardless of crop rotation the maximum content of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) was observed in the tillering phase, then decreased. The correlation coefficient on irrigation shows the tightness of communication over the entire array and gives grounds to use the approximation of the multiple regression equation as predictive in the system of forest stripes on irrigation: Y = a + b1 Х1 + b2X2 and on the dry land: Y = a + b1X1 + b2X2 + b3X3. In dry years the yield of grain crops (corn, sorghum, oats, winter wheat) ranges from 0.59 to 1.73 t/ha. In wet years the yield of grain crops increases to 4.95 t/ha. With the help of programs you can calculate the amount of fertilizer for a given yield and manage the bioproductivity of crops in the system of forest belts and on the dry land. The importance of soil fertility in managing bioproductivity is based on the optimal selection of precursors and methods of biologization, which can increase the yield of grain crops. The scope of the recommendations is the Lower Volga soil zone.

SNP-based association study of kernel architecture in a worldwide collection of durum wheat germplasm.

Durum wheat, genetic resource with favorable alleles is considered as natural gene pool for wheat breeding. Kernel size and weight are important factors affecting grain yield in crops. Here, association analysis was performed to dissect the genetic constitution of kernel-related traits in 150 lines collected from 46 countries and regions using a set of EST-derived and genome-wide SNP markers with five consecutive years of data. Total 109 significant associations for eight kernel-related traits were detected under a mix linear model, generating 54 unique SNP markers distributed on 13 of 14 chromosomes. Of which, 19 marker-trait associations were identified in two or more environments, including one stable and pleiotropic SNP BE500291_5_A_37 on chromosome 5A correlated with six kernel traits. Although most of our SNP loci were overlapped with the previously known kernel weight QTLs, several novel loci for kernel traits in durum were reported. Correlation analysis implied that the moderate climatic variables during growth and development of durum are needed for the large grain size and high grain weight. Combined with our previous studies, we found that chromosome 5A might play an important role in durum growth and development.

The Response of Teff [Eragrostis teff (Zucc) Trotter] to Nitrogen Fertilizer Application and Row Spacing: A Review

Teff [ Eragrostis tef (Zucc) Trotter] is one of the most important crops in Ethiopia. It ranks the first among cereals in the country in area coverage and second in the production volume. Despite its importance, the production and productivity of this particular crop are highly constrained by several biotic and abiotic factors. Some of the factors contributing to the low yield of teff are low soil fertility and suboptimal use of mineral fertilizers in addition to weeds, old method of seed sowing, erratic rainfall distribution in lower altitudes, method of row planting, lack of high yielding cultivars, lodging, water-logging and late planting of the crop which exposes it to moisture stress. The productivity of teff is very low compared to other major cereal crops. On the other hand, under conditions where most growth requirements are available and inorganic matter rich soils, the application of fertilizers without knowing its fertility status causes yield and fertilizer losses. Likewise, producers do not give attention to teff row spacing, even if it has an advantage of shorter maturity days, highest plant height, highest panicle length, and the number of tillers and less lodging index percentages. Since, grain yield increased with the increase of plant height, panicle length and number of tillers per plant. Therefore, the optimum supply of nitrogen fertilizer and medium row spacing increased the grain yield of crops. Keywords: teff; inter-row spacing; and grain yield DOI : 10.7176/ALST/78-02 Publication date: February 29 th 2020

Investigating the effects of inter-annual weather variation (1968–2016) on the functional response of cereal grain yield to applied nitrogen, using data from the Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments

The effect of weather on inter-annual variation in the crop yield response to nitrogen (N) fertilizer for winter wheat (Triticum aestivvum L.) and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was investigated using yield data from the Broadbalk Wheat and Hoosfield Spring Barley long-term experiments at Rothamsted Research. Grain yields of crops from 1968 to 2016 were modelled as a function of N rates using a linear-plus-exponential (LEXP) function. The extent to which inter-annual variation in the parameters of these responses was explained by variations in weather (monthly summarized temperatures and rainfall), and by changes in the cultivar grown, was assessed.The inter-annual variability in rainfall and underlying temperature influenced the crop N response and hence grain yields in both crops. Asymptotic yields in wheat were particularly sensitive to mean temperature in November, April and May, and to total rainfall in October, February and June. In spring barley asymptotic yields were sensitive to mean temperature in February and June, and to total rainfall in April to July inclusive and September.The method presented here explores the separation of agronomic and environmental (weather) influences on crop yield over time. Fitting N response curves across multiple treatments can support an informative analysis of the influence of weather variation on the yield variability. Whilst there are issues of the confounding and collinearity of explanatory variables within such models, and that other factors also influence yields over time, our study confirms the considerable impact of weather variables at certain times of the year. This emphasizes the importance of including weather temporal variation when evaluating the impacts of climate change on crops.

Assessment of foliar-applied phosphorus fertiliser formulations to enhance phosphorus nutrition and grain production in wheat

The ability to utilise foliar-applied phosphorus (P) as a strategy to increase the P status and yield of grain crops grown in dryland regions with variable climates is attractive. Several P formulations with varying pH, accompanying cations and adjuvants were tested for their effectiveness as foliar fertilisers for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants, first under controlled and then under field conditions. Experiments under controlled conditions suggested that several formulations with specific chemistries offered promise with respect to wheat fertiliser-P recovery and biomass responses. These formulations were then evaluated in two field experiments, and although wheat grown at the sites showed substantive responses to soil-applied P, there was no significant grain-yield response to foliar-applied P. Following the limited responses to foliar-applied fertiliser in the field, we used an isotopic dilution technique to test the hypothesis that the variation in responses of wheat to foliar addition of P could be explained by a mechanism of substitution, whereby root P uptake is downregulated when P is taken up through the leaves, but this was proven not to be the case. We conclude that foliar P application cannot be used as a tactical fertiliser application to boost grain yield of wheat in dryland regions.

Modern approaches to adaptive tillage complexes in crop rotation and intensive land use in the Middle Urals

The article presents the results of many years of research on soil treatment systems and techniques. It is established that for the conditions of the Perm region on sod-podzolic loamy soils, the most optimal system of basic treatment and reception is: 1. in grain-grass crop rotations with clean and occupied pairs, when applying medium and high doses of mineral and organic fertilizers, disk, minimum and plow-disk processing systems are most effective, ensuring the level of productivity of crop rotations is not lower than during annual plowing. At the same time, the humus content does not decrease, and the cost of soil processing is reduced by 20 – 35%. To obtain maximum productivity in grain-grass crop rotations, multi-depth processing is promising, in which the costs are at the same level as the costs of ordinary processing, including annual plowing to a depth of 22-24 cm.2. in grain-steam crop rotations, when applying medium and high doses of fertilizers, the most perspective processing is that which includes ploughing by 40 cm per pair, disking by 14 cm and ploughing by 20 cm for spring crops. Carrying out soil ploughing to a depth of 20 cm with SibIME stands instead of annual plowing is more effective, since this processing does not reduce the humus content, reduces the cost of processing by 17.8% and the yield of grain crops is not lower than with plow processing.