Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Compatibility Of Stylosanthes Hamata And Stylosanthes Capitata In Mixed Pastures In The Subhumid Zone Of Nigeria, G Tarawali, M Peters

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The forage productivity of sole plots of Stylosanthes capitata and Stylosanthes hamata in comparison with various proportional mixtures of the two legumes and their effect on soil properties and subsequent maize yield were studied in subhumid Nigeria. Dry matter (DM) yields in the mixtures were higher than in the sole stands, with the mixtures of S. hamata and S. capitata reaching 11959 to 14822 kg/ha over a three year period. Total nitrogen and/or organic carbon concentrations in the soil following the three years of legume were higher in the mixtures than in the sole stands, and this resulted in higher …

Long Term Benefits Of Diversified Forage-Oriented Cropping Systems As Compared To Rotations Based Mainly On Cereals Or Maize, E Meister, V Mediavilla, P Weisskopf

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The aim of this study is to assess the long term effects of a forageoriented, versus a maize- and a cereal-oriented crop rotation on the yield potential and soil fertility, as well as the weed, disease and pest development. We report the results after four cropping cycles using silage maize (Zea mays L.) in 1994 and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in 1995 as reference crops for all three rotations. Two years of a grass-clover mixture in a five-year rotation showed positive effects with respect to most soil and plant parameters.

Multiple Uses Of Tropical Forage Legumes For Sustainable Farming In The Moist Savannas Of Africa, L Muhr, S A. Tarawali, M Peters, U Merkel, R Schultze-Kraft, D Berner

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Ensuring that farming in the moist savannas of Africa is maintained, despite increasing population pressure and agricultural demands, necessitates the sustainable integration of crop and livestock enterprises; a role that forage legumes can fulfill. The potential of eleven herbaceous and two shrubby species of forage legumes in an improved fallow or ley-farming system to provide dry season fodder and beneficial effects to a subsequent cereal crop were investigated. Fodder dry matter yields were highest for Stylosanthes guianensis (9.9 t/ha), Centrosema pubescens, and Aeschynomene histrix. Maize yield following S. guianensis was 138% higher than after natural fallow. Similar increases were …

The Beneficial Effects Of Short-Term Rotation Systems Of Winter Forage Crops With Maize On Dry Farming Land Of Southwestern China, S R. Zhou, U Simon, K Mao

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The objective of this study was to sift out the suitable and better short-term rotation systems of winter forage mixture with maize on dry farming land for the local farmers in Southwestern China. Four species of legume, Italian ryegrass and maize were used to organize six treatments for this experiment. The result showed that the three rotation systems of Astragalus sinicus (80%) + Lolium multiflorum (20%) ’ Zea mays, Medicago hisida (70%) + Lolium multiflorum (30%) ’ Zea mays and Vicia villosa (75%) + Lolium multiflorum (25%) ’ zea mays obtained good forage values (TDOM 4.06-4.36 t/ ha, CP 1.10-1.58 …

Microbiome-Enabled Genomic Selection Improves Prediction Accuracy For Nitrogen-Related Traits In Maize, Zhikai Yang, Tianjing Zhao, Hao Cheng, Jinliang Yang

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Root-associated microbiomes in the rhizosphere (rhizobiomes) are increasingly known to play an important role in nutrient acquisition, stress tolerance, and disease resistance of plants. However, it remains largely unclear to what extent these rhizobiomes contribute to trait variation for different genotypes and if their inclusion in the genomic selection protocol can enhance prediction accuracy. To address these questions, we developed a microbiome-enabled genomic selection method that incorporated host SNPs and amplicon sequence variants from plant rhizobiomes in a maize diversity panel under high and low nitrogen (N) field conditions. Our cross-validation results showed that the microbiome-enabled genomic selection model significantly …

2020-2021 Field Seasons Of Maize Gxe Project Within The Genomes To Fields Initiative, Dayane Cristina Lima, Alejandro Castro Aviles, Ryan Timothy Alpers, Alden Perkins, Dylan L. Schoemaker, Martin Costa, Kathryn J. Michel, Shawn Kaeppler, David Ertl, Maria Cinta Romay, Joseph L. Gage, James Holland, Timothy Beissinger, Martin Bohn, Edward Buckler, Jode Edwards, Sherry Flint-Garcia, Michael A. Gore, Candice N. Hirsch, Joseph E. Knoll, John Mckay, Richard Minyo, Seth C. Murray, James Schnable, Rajandeep S. Sekhon, Maninder P. Singh, Erin E. Sparks, Peter Thomison, Addie Thompson, Mitchell Tuinstra, Jason Wallace, Jacob D. Washburn, Teclemariam Weldekidan, Wenwei Xu, Natalia De Leon

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Objectives: This release note describes the Maize GxE project datasets within the Genomes to Fields (G2F) Initiative. The Maize GxE project aims to understand genotype by environment (GxE) interactions and use the information collected to improve resource allocation efficiency and increase genotype predictability and stability, particularly in scenarios of variable environmental patterns. Hybrids and inbreds are evaluated across multiple environments and phenotypic, genotypic, environmental, and metadata information are made publicly available. Data description: The datasets include phenotypic data of the hybrids and inbreds evaluated in 30 locations across the US and one location in Germany in 2020 and 2021, soil …

Evaluation Of Sweet Grain Sorghum Silage For Dairy Cows As An Alternative To Irrigated Maize Silage, W. G. Do Nascimento, Y. Barrière, X. Charrier, Christian Huyghe, J. C. Emile

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Under European dairy cattle rearing conditions, whole plant maize silage is the main part of the dairy cow's diet especially during the winter season. Nevertheless maize production can be limited in some areas because summer rainfall is insufficient and so irrigation is necessary. Grain sorghum hybrids, and especially sweet sorghum types, are potentially of great interest to avoid this water consumption (Lemaire et al., 1996, Legarto, 2000). For this reason we evaluated in 2003 the benefits and limits of a sweet grain sorghum silage for dairy milk production, compared to an irrigated maize silage. We paid particularl attention to …

Effects Of Cattle Slurry, Their Solid And Liquid Fractions And Mineral N Fertilizers On Italian Ryegrass And Maize Forage Yield, H. Trindade, J. Coutinho, N. Moreira

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Solid-liquid slurry separation techniques expand possibilities to improve slurry use efficiency and to reduce its negative environmental impact. These possibilities arise from the different behaviour of the two fractions concerning the release of nutrients, namely nitrogen (N), due to different C:N ratios (≈30 for the solid fraction and ≈7 for the liquid fraction).

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of cattle-slurry and their solid and liquid fractions applied at sowing time of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum cv. Andrea) and forage maize on crop dry matter (DM) yield. In the NW region of Portugal these two …

Effects Of Nitrogen Fertiliser On Nitrate Leaching And Production Of Autumn-Sown Italian Ryegrass In A Double-Cropping System On A New Zealand Dairy Farm, Errol R. Thom, A. A. Judge, R. N. Jensen, M. S. Sprosen, Sterwart F. Ledgard, W. D. Catto

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

On intensive dairy farms in New Zealand, winter Italian ryegrass crops are combined with summer maize silage crops in double-cropping systems. Limited data (Davies & Neilson, 1975) showed variable ryegrass yield responses to nitrogen (N) fertiliser when grown after maize. Nitrogen leaching losses were not measured in this experiment but Ledgard et al. (1988) showed that late autumn/early winter N applications are vulnerable to leaching. Different rates of N fertiliser were applied to Italian ryegrass grown after maize to assess yield responses and levels of nitrate leaching.

Increase In Forage Maize Production By Bacterial Fertilisers, D. Egamberdiyeva, G. Hoflich

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Farmers in many countries value green material generated from maize as a high quality forage. Its inclusion in dairy cow diets can improve forage intake, increase animal performance and has the potential to reduce production costs (Phipps, 1994). Restrictions on the use of chemical fertilisers and a renewed interest in organic sustainable farming systems in general, has restored attention to crop rotations The increase of maize production using bacterial fertilisers also gives alternative ways to reduce chemical fertilisers in forage production. Increased uptake of nutrients such as N, P, and K and crop yield was reported with rhizobacteria (Lazarovits & …

Genomes To Fields 2022 Maize Genotype By Environment Prediction Competition, Dayane Cristina Lima, Jacob D. Washburn, José Ignacio Varela, Qiuyue Chen, Joseph L. Gage, Maria Cinta Romay, James Holland, David Ertl, Marco Lopez-Cruz, Fernando M. Aguate, Gustavo De Los Campos, Shawn Kaeppler, Timothy Beissinger, Martin Bohn, Edward Buckler, Jode Edwards, Sherry Flint-Garcia, Michael A. Gore, Candice N. Hirsch, Joseph E. Knoll, John Mckay, Richard Minyo, Seth C. Murray, Osler A. Ortez, James C. Schnable, Rajandeep S. Sekhon, Maninder P. Singh, Erin E. Sparks, Addie Thompson, Mitchell Tuinstra, Jason Wallace, Teclemariam Weldekidan, Wenwei Xu, Natalia De Leon

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Objectives The Genomes to Fields (G2F) 2022 Maize Genotype by Environment (GxE) Prediction Competition aimed to develop models for predicting grain yield for the 2022 Maize GxE project field trials, leveraging the datasets previously generated by this project and other publicly available data.

Data description This resource used data from the Maize GxE project within the G2F Initiative [1]. The dataset included phenotypic and genotypic data of the hybrids evaluated in 45 locations from 2014 to 2022. Also, soil, weather, environmental covariates data and metadata information for all environments (combination of year and location). Competitors also had access to ReadMe …

The Effects Of Offering Grass Or Maize Silages To In-Lamb Ewes On Body Weight And Condition Changes, Colostrum Yield And Quality, T. F. Crosby, P. J. Quinn, J. J. Callan, P. Reilly, B. Flynn, D. Cunningham, T. Massey

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Hay and more recently grass silage (GS) have been the traditional feeds for sheep in Ireland over the winter period. Alternatives such as maize silage (MS) are becoming increasingly important as winter forage sources especially for cattle. This study sought to evaluate grass silage and maize silage when offered to pregnant ewes.

Factors Affecting Bag Silo Densities And Losses, R. E. Muck, B. J. Holmes

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Bag silos (polyethylene tubes, 30 to 90 m length, 2.4 to 3.7 m diameter, 0.22 mm thick) are used on approximately one-third of the dairy farms in the U.S.A. for making silage, and the level of adoption is increasing rapidly. Unfortunately, almost no research data have been published on these types of silos. Our objective was to measure densities and losses in bag silos at three farms, looking for causes of variation in both.

Effect Of A New Microbial Strain As An Inoculant On The Quality Of Maize Silage, J. G. Kim, J. S. Ham, E. S. Chung, S. Seo, J. K. Lee

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Lactic acid bacteria play a key role in making silage from forage, and lactic acid bacteria selected from good silage could be expected to be suitable inocula for making good silage. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the such novel lactic acid bacteria for making high quality maize silage.

Options For Improved Biomass Production In Feeding Systems For Dairying In High Rainfall Environments In New Zealand, John M. De Ruiter, D. R. Wilson, S. Maley, S. M. Henton

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

New Zealand dairy production has expanded into marginal climates and soil types on the premise of excellent profitability and efficient utilisation of forage. Annual pasture production in the cool West Coast of the South Island (rainfall 2042-2933 mm) is15,000 kg. Increased farm production and feeding of high quality biomass, from imported feed or supplementary feed crops grown on- farm, are needed to improve milk solid output. Small plot trials with spring and early summer-sown brassicas, cereals and maize were the focus for development of systems to maximise and manage the seasonal feed supply. The effect of sowing time, fertiliser timing …

Ensiling Characteristics And Nutritive Value Of Browse/Maize Forage Mixtures, F. B. Bareeba, H. Kato, Elly N. Sabiiti

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The practice of growing fodder tree and shrubs is being advocated for and adopted in smallholder dairy production systems. In Uganda, Calliandra calothyrsus, Gliricidia sepium, and Leucaena leucocephala have been identified and recommended as the most suitable species (Sabiiti, 2001). However tree foliage contains toxic compounds (Lowry, 1990), which may be alleviated by ensiling. The objective of the experiment was to study the ensiling characteristics of browse/ maize forage mixtures and their nutritive value when fed to lactating dairy cows.

2018–2019 Field Seasons Of The Maize Genomes To Fields (G2f) G X E Project, Dayane Dayane Lima, Alejandro Castro Aviles, Ryan Timothy Alpers, Bridget A. Mcfarland, Shawn Kaeppler, David Ertl, Maria Cinta Romay, Joseph L. Gage, James Holland, Timothy Beissinger, Martin Bohn, Edward Buckler, Jode Edwards, Sherry Flint‑Garcia, Candice N. Hirsch, Elizabeth Hood, David C. Hooker, Joseph E. Knoll, Judith M. Kolkman, Sanzhen Liu, John Mckay, Richard Minyo, Danilo E. Moreta, Seth C. Murray, Rebecca Nelson, James C. Schnable, Rajandeep S. Sekhon, Maninder P. Singh, Peter Thomison, Addie Thompson, Mitchell Tuinstra, Jason Wallace, Jacob D. Washburn, Teclemariam Weldekidan, Randall J. Wisser, Wenwei Xu31, Natalia De Leon

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Objectives This report provides information about the public release of the 2018–2019 Maize G X E project of the Genomes to Fields (G2F) Initiative datasets. G2F is an umbrella initiative that evaluates maize hybrids and inbred lines across multiple environments and makes available phenotypic, genotypic, environmental, and metadata information. The initiative understands the necessity to characterize and deploy public sources of genetic diversity to face the challenges for more sustainable agriculture in the context of variable environmental conditions.

Data description Datasets include phenotypic, climatic, and soil measurements, metadata information, and inbred genotypic information for each combination of location and year. …

A Leaf-Level Spectral Library To Support High-Throughput Plant Phenotyping: Predictive Accuracy And Model Transfer, Nuwan K. Wijewardane, Huichun Zhang, Jinliang Yang, James C. Schnable, Daniel P. Schachtman, Yufeng Ge

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Leaf-level hyperspectral reflectance has become an effective tool for high-throughput phenotyping of plant leaf traits due to its rapid, low-cost, multi-sensing, and non-destructive nature. However, collecting samples for model calibration can still be expensive, and models show poor transferability among different datasets. This study had three specific objectives: first, to assemble a large library of leaf hyperspectral data (n=2460) from maize and sorghum; second, to evaluate two machine-learning approaches to estimate nine leaf properties (chlorophyll, thickness, water content, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur); and third, to investigate the usefulness of this spectral library for predicting external datasets …

Irish Dairy Farming: Effects Of Introducing A Maize Component On Grassland Management Over The Next 50 Years, A. J. Brereton, N. M. Holden

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Typical management of Irish dairy units is based on a low-cost spring-calving strategy with 90% of annual feed derived from grass grown on the farm. Almost 70% of feed is from grazed grass managed by rotational grazing, the remainder is conserved forage and concentrates. The objectives of the work were to examine how the management system has to be modified when part of the dairy unit land is allocated to maize silage instead of grass silage production, and to examine how climate change over the next 50 years will impact on grass and maize management within the production system.

The Feeding Value Of Conserved Whole-Crop Wheat And Forage Maize Relative To Grass Silage And Ad-Libitum Concentrates For Beef Cattle, K. Walsh, P. O'Kiely, F. O'Mara

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Grass is the predominant forage ensiled in Ireland. However, the relatively modest yields achieved in a single harvest allied to variability in digestibility and ensilability (and thus in intake and animal performance response) and the likelihood of effluent production create disadvantages for grass silage compared to the potential of some alternative forage crops. Thus, alternative forages are worthy of consideration on many farms. The objectives of this study were to quantify the relative intake, digestibility and performance of beef cattle offered grass silage, forage maize silage and whole-crop wheat (fermented or urea-treated), rank these relative to cattle offered an ad …

Yield And Composition Of Forage Maize: Interaction Of Harvest Date, Cultivar And Plastic Mulch, E. M. Little, P. O'Kiely, J. C. Crowley, G. P. Keane

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Forage maize is established as a crop with the potential to consistently supply high yields of quality forage on some Irish farms. Despite its success, considerable variability in crop yield, quality and maturity at harvest can exist from year to year. These reflect differing prevailing weather conditions, particularly temperature during May to September. The use of plastic mulch has increased the likelihood of achieving higher yields of high quality crops and has permitted maize production to extend into areas once considered unsuitable for the crop. In this experiment two cultivars of differing maturity were grown with or without plastic mulch …

Fermentation Characteristics Of Maize/Sesbania Bi-Crop Silage, M. Kondo, J. Yanagisawa, K. Kita, H. Yokota

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Maize is one of the main forages for dairy production and is a suitable material for silage making because of high fermentable carbohydrates, high counts of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and low buffering capacity (BC) (Nishino et al. 2003; McDonald et al. 1991). Whole crop maize silage is high in energy but low in crude protein (CP). On the other hand, legumes are high in CP but difficult to conserve because of their low water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and high BC. It might be possible that maize/legume bi-crop silage compensate for their negative points. Sesbania is a legume originated …

An Evaluation Of The Inclusion Of Alternative Forages With Grass Silage-Based Diets On Carcass Composition And Meat Quality Of Beef Cattle Offered Two Contrasting Grass Silages, T. W. J. Keady, F. O. Lively, D. J. Kilpatrick, B. W. Moss

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Recent studies have shown that the inclusion of some alternative forages with grass silage-based diets can increase animal performance of beef cattle. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of including either maize or whole crop wheat (WCW) silages with grass silage-based diets on meat quality of beef cattle offered two levels of concentrate.

Comparison Of Different Maize Hybrids Cultivated And Fermented With Or Without Sorghum, Sz. Orosz, Z. Bellus, Zs. Kelemen, E. Zerényi, J. Helembai

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In Hungary our key forage crop is silage maize, however, the joint growing of maize and sorghum is increasingly important in arid regions. The reason is, that sorghum varieties tolerate well the various ecological stresses (drought). The joint growing of maize and sorghum varieties has several advantages and disadvantageous in respect of yields, safety of production, fermentability of the crop and nutrient content of the silage. The basis of realising the complementary qualities of the two crops and of the successful joint growing and preservation is the suitable pairing of hybrid varieties.

On Correlation Between Canopy Vegetation And Growth Indexes Of Maize Varieties With Different Nitrogen Efficiencies, Xia Zhao, Shuaili Wang, Tao Wen, Jiamin Xu, Bao Huang, Shufeng Yan, Gangqiang Gao, Yali Zhao, Hongping Li, Jiangfang Qiao, Jinliang Yang, Lianhai Wu, Hongwei Wang, Tianxue Liu, Xinyuan Mu

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Studying the canopy spectral reflection characteristics of different N-efficient maize varieties and analyzing the relationship between their growth indicators and spectral vegetation indices can help the breeding and application of N-efficient maize varieties. To achieve the optimal management of N fertilizer resources, developing N-efficient maize varieties is necessary. In this research, maize varieties, i.e., the low-N-efficient (Zhengdan 958, ZD958), the high-N efficient (Xianyu 335, XY335), the double-high varieties (Qiule 368, QL368), and the double inefficient-type varieties (Yudan 606 YD606), were used as materials. Results indicate that nitrogen fertilization significantly increased the vegetation indices NDVI, GNDVI, GOSAVI, and RVI of maize …

A Glass Bead Semi-Hydroponic System For Intact Maize Root Exudate Analysis And Phenotyping, Martha G. Lopez-Guerrero, Peng Wang, Felicia Phares, Daniel P. Schachtman, Sophie Alvarez, Karin V. Van Dijk

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Although there have been numerous studies describing plant growth systems for root exudate collection, a common limitation is that these systems require disruption of the plant root system to facilitate exudate collection. Here, we present a newly designed semi-hydroponic system that uses glass beads as solid support to simulate soil impedance, which combined with drip irrigation, facilitates growth of healthy maize plants, collection and analysis of root exudates, and phenotyping of the roots with minimal growth disturbance or root damage. Results: This system was used to collect root exudates from seven maize genotypes using water or 1 mM CaCl2, …

Mycorrhizae In Maize (Zea Mays L.) Cropping Systems Respond Differently To Nitrogen Fertilization Under Increasing Crop Rotational Diversity, Morgan Mcpherson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) remain a vital obligate symbiont of nearly all plants. It is well established that the symbiosis between AMF and host plant improves plant nutrient acquisition, alleviates abiotic and biotic environmental stressors, defends against plant pathogens, and contributes to overall plant fitness and productivity through modification of the soil habitat. Modifications include increased soil aggregation and stability, carbon sequestration through provision of fungal wall precursors to soil organic matter (SOM) formation, and enhanced nutrient cycling in the mycorrhizosphere. The goal of this dissertation was to assess how AMF respond to nitrogen (N) fertilization regimes in maize cropping …

Impact Of Urbanization Trends On Production Of Key Staple Crops, José F. Andrade, Kenneth G. Cassman, Juan I. Rattalino Edreira, Fahmuddin Agus, Abdullahi Bala, Nanyan Deng, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Urbanization has appropriated millions of hectares of cropland, and this trend will persist as cities continue to expand. We estimate the impact of this conversion as the amount of land needed elsewhere to give the same yield potential as determined by differences in climate and soil properties. Robust spatial upscaling techniques, well-validated crop simulation models, and soil, climate, and cropping system databases are employed with a focus on populous countries with high rates of land conversion. We find that converted cropland is 30–40% more productive than new cropland, which means that projection of food production potential must account for expected …

Implications Of Cover Crop Planting And Termination Timing On Rainfed Maize Production In Semi-Arid Cropping Systems, Alexandre T. Rosa, Cody Creech, Roger W. Elmore, Daran Rudnick, John L. Lindquist, Miguel Fudolig, Liberty E. Butts, Rodrigo Werle

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Despite the potential to increase soil organic matter, cycle soil nutrients, and suppress weeds, there is a concern that cover crops (CCs) soil water use negatively impacts subsequent crops in water-limited environments. Cover crop management practices such as planting and termination timing may mitigate the detrimental impacts of CCs in semi-arid cropping systems. To determine the effects of CCs under water-limited environments, we evaluated the total CC biomass produced in the fall and spring, soil water content during the subsequent maize growing season, weed density and biomass, crop residue, and soil nutrients at the maize V6 development stage, and maize …

Contributions Of Individual Cover Crop Species To Rainfed Maize Production In Semi-Arid Cropping Systems, Alexandre T. Rosa, Cody Creech, Roger W. Elmore, Daran Rudnick, John L. Lindquist, Liberty Butts, Italo K. Pinho De Faria, Rodrigo Werle

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cover crop (CC) species selection can contribute to reducing soil penetration resistance (brassica species), improved soil nitrogen (N) cycling (legume species), and suppression of weeds (grass species). However, one of the main concerns about including CCs in water-limited environments is soil water use and the consequences to subsequent crops. To determine the effects of individual CC species under water-limited environments, we evaluated fall and spring CC biomass produced, and soil water and N content, penetration resistance, weed density and biomass during the maize growing season, and maize grain yield. The experiment was conducted under a winter wheat-maize-fallow rotation at two …