Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Field Research Report: Results From The Enreec Vri Field For The 2021, 2022, And 2023 Crop Seasons, Derek M. Heeren, Ali T. Mohammed, Eric Wilkening, Christopher M. U. Neale, Alan L. Boldt, Ankit Chandra, Precious Nneka Amori, Ivo Z. Goncalves, Yeyin Shi, Guillermo R. Balboa

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Conference Presentations and White Papers

Long-term irrigation management research has been conducted from 2014 to 2023 for corn and soybean at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center (ENREEC) Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) Field located in subhumid east-central Nebraska (in the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District). The objective of this report was to present the overall results from the VRI Field for 2021 to 2023. Across the three growing seasons, there were the following irrigation treatments: Best Management Practice (BMP), 50% BMP, 125% BMP, rainfed, Spatial ET Modeling Interface (SETMI), SDD1, SDD2, machine-learning-based Cyber-Physical System (CPS), a student team recommended rate, and industry …

Integrating Livestock And Cropping Systems: Interseeding Cereal Rye Into Corn For Late Season Grazing, K. J. Soder

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Corn (Zea mays) grown for grain is harvested too late in the year in many temperate regions to establish a cover crop to provide winter ground cover and an opportunity for late season grazing. The objective of this project is to evaluate the effect of interseeding cereal rye (Secale cereale) into corn for use as grazed forage after corn grain harvest on corn grain yield and additional grazing day/ha. In a 4-year study, corn was planted (64,246 plants/ha) in spring on two, 4.8-ha fields in central Pennsylvania. Cereal rye was interseeded (135 kg/ha) into the corn …

Perennializing Marginal Croplands: Going Back To The Future To Mitigate Climate Change With Resilient Biobased Feedstocks, Salvador Ramirez Ii, Marty R. Schmer, Virginia L. Jin, Robert B. Mitchell, Catherine E. Stewart, Jay Parsons, Daren D. Redfearn, John J. Quinn, Gary E. Varvel, Kenneth P. Vogel, Ronald F. Follett

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Managing annual row crops on marginally productive croplands can be environmentally unsustainable and result in variable economic returns. Incorporating perennial bioenergy feedstocks into marginally productive cropland can engender ecosystem services and enhance climate resiliency while also diversifying farm incomes. We use one of the oldest bioenergy-specific field experiments in North America to evaluate economically and environmentally sustainable management practices for growing perennial grasses on marginal cropland. This long-term field trial called 9804 was established in 1998 in eastern Nebraska and compared the productivity and sustainability of corn (Zea mays L.)—both corn grain and corn stover—and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum …

Assessing The Evaporation Method For Soil-Water Retention Curve Development And Comparison Of Soil-Water Characteristics Across Different Tillage Practices In A Furrow-Irrigated Corn (Zea Mays L.) System, Jeferson Prass Pimentel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The thesis comprises three studies. The first study in this thesis (Chapter I) focused on a six-year corn field experiment to assess the influence of conservation agricultural practices on soil properties and their long-term effects on water-use efficiency and yield. Non-tillage management did not significantly reduce soil bulk density compared to conventional tillage, as no differences were observed between non-tillage and tillage systems throughout the 6-year experiment. There was no difference in total water-use efficiency among soil management practices in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Even though in one year of the study, a significant 24 kg ha-1 mm-1 improvement …

Methods For Improving Potassium Fertilizer Recommendations For Corn In South Dakota, Andrew J. Ahlersmeyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Corn (Zea mays L.) is a vital commodity in South Dakota’s agricultural sector. Optimal corn production occurs when there are sufficient mineral nutrients in the soil, especially potassium (K). Applications of K fertilizer are used when soil test K (STK) levels are deficient. Therefore, producers need reliable, thoroughly tested fertilizer recommendations to make profitable decisions and maintain environmental stewardship. South Dakota K fertilizer recommendations have not been updated in nearly 20 years. Simultaneously, changes in corn genetics, management practices, and climate patterns suggest that the critical soil test value (CSTV) for STK may have shifted in that same time frame. …

Arkansas Corn And Grain Sorghum Research Studies 2021, Victor Ford, Jason Kelley, Nathan Mckinney Ii

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The 2021 edition of the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Research Studies Series includes research results on topics pertaining to corn and grain sorghum production, including weed, disease, and insect management; economics; sustainability; irrigation; post-harvest drying; soil fertility; mycotoxins; cover crop management; and research verification program results. Our objective is to capture and broadly distribute the results of research projects funded by the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Board. The intended audience includes producers and their advisors, current investigators, and future researchers. The Series serves as a citable archive of research results.

Corn Response To Wastewater-Recycled Phosphorus Fertilizers, Shane R. Ylagan, Kristofor R. Brye

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The ability to recycle phosphorus (P) from wastewaters could provide a sustainable, continuous source of P that might also help protect surface water quality from P enrichment. The mineral struvite (MgNH4PO4 · 6H2O) is an understudied material that can be created from P- and nitrogen (N)-containing wastewater and has been shown to have agricultural fertilizer value. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of electrochemically precipitated struvite (ECST), chemically precipitated struvite (Crystal Green; CG), diammonium phosphate (DAP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), rock phosphate (RP), and triple superphosphate (TSP) on corn (Zea mays) response in a greenhouse pot study. …

Statistical And Machine Learning Methods Evaluated For Incorporating Soil And Weather Into Corn Nitrogen Recommendations, Curtis J. Ransom, Newell R. Kitchen, James J. Camberato, Paul R. Carter, Richard B. Ferguson, Fabián G. Fernández, David W. Franzen, Carrie A. M. Laboski, D. Brenton Myers, Emerson D. Nafziger, John E. Sawyer, John F. Shanahan

John E. Sawyer

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer recommendation tools could be improved for estimating corn (Zea mays L.) N needs by incorporating site-specific soil and weather information. However, an evaluation of analytical methods is needed to determine the success of incorporating this information. The objectives of this research were to evaluate statistical and machine learning (ML) algorithms for utilizing soil and weather information for improving corn N recommendation tools. Eight algorithms [stepwise, ridge regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso), elastic net regression, principal component regression (PCR), partial least squares regression (PLSR), decision tree, and random forest] were evaluated using a dataset …

Factors Influencing The Spatial Distribution Of Southern Rust In Corn, Justin Bailey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Southern rust caused by the fungus Puccinia polysora (Underwood) is the most economically important foliar disease in corn (Zea mays) (Linnaeus) (Cyperales: Poaceae)) for Arkansas. The objective of this work was to determine distribution of southern rust in corn and to determine factors that may control its distribution.

During the 2017 and 2018 season, seven corn fields in Arkansas were rated for southern rust. After disease confirmation, fields were marked with GPS sample point locations in a grid pattern across the entire field. Ratings for disease severity were taken below, at, and above the ear leaf at each point every …

Candidate Perennial Bioenergy Grasses Have A Higher Albedo Than Annual Row Crops, Jesse N. Miller, Andy Vanloocke, Nuria Gomez-Casanovas, Carl J. Bernacchi

Andy VanLoocke

The production of perennial cellulosic feedstocks for bioenergy presents the potential to diversify regional economies and the national energy supply, while also serving as climate ‘regulators’ due to a number of biogeochemical and biogeophysical differences relative to row crops. Numerous observational and model-based approaches have investigated biogeochemical trade-offs, such as increased carbon sequestration and increased water use, associated with growing cellulosic feedstocks. A less understood aspect is the biogeophysical changes associated with the difference in albedo (a), which could alter the local energy balance and cause local to regional cooling several times larger than that associated with offsetting carbon. Here, …

Residual Effects Of Nitrogen Fertilization On Soil Nitrogen Pools And Corn Growth, Meghan E. Moser

Open Access Theses

Given the dynamic nature of soil nitrogen (N), inorganic N fertilization to corn (Zea mays L.) has potential to alter N pool balance by creating an accumulation or depletion of soil N. Current corn N recommendations in the common corn-soybean rotation of Indiana strive to find the best N rate that maximizes producer profit. Increasing our understanding of soil N will inform producers if they should adjust fertilizer rates for corn to influence maintenance of organic N and Carbon. Our objective was to determine residual N effects from fertilized corn in a corn-soybean rotation by measuring (1) soil N …

Response Of Drought Tolerant And Conventional Corn To Limited Irrigation, I. Kisekka, F. Lamm

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the response of two commercial hybrids (DKC 62-27 DGVT2PRO [drought tolerant trait (DT)] and DKC 62-98 VT2PRO [conventional]) to limited irrigation. Preliminary results from the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons at Southwest Research-Extension Center near Garden City, Kansas, indicate the effect of irrigation capacity on corn yield was significant (P<0.001)for both hybrids. The effect of the drought tolerance trait on yield was not significant (P>0.05)in both years. The effect of the interaction between irrigation capacity and corn hybrid on yield was also not significant (P>0.05) …

Mobile Drip Irrigation Evaluation In Corn, I. Kisekka, T. Oker, G. Nguyen, J. Aguilar, D. Rogers

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Mobile Drip Irrigation (MDI) involves attaching driplines to center pivot drops. MDI has potential to eliminate water losses due to spray droplet evaporation, water evapo­ration from the canopy, and wind drift. MDI also may reduce soil water evaporation due to limited surface wetting. A study was conducted with the following objectives: 1) compare soil water evaporation under MDI and in-canopy spray nozzles; 2) evalu­ate soil water redistribution under MDI at 60 inch dripline lateral spacing; 3) compare corn grain yield, water productivity, and irrigation water use efficiency; and 4) compare end-of-season profile soil water under MDI and in-canopy spray at …

Alternative Cropping Systems With Limited Irrigation, A. Schlegel

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A limited irrigation study involving six cropping systems was initiated at the Southwest Research-Extension Center near Tribune, KS, in 2012. The cropping systems were two annual systems (continuous corn [C-C] and continuous grain sorghum [GS-GS]) and four 2-year systems (corn-sorghum [C-GS]), corn-sunflower [C-SF], corn-winter wheat [C-W], and corn-wheat/double sunflower [C-W/SF]). In 2015, corn yields were lower following corn than other crops while wheat and grain sorghum yields were similar for all rotations. This tended to agree with the 3-year average yields except for average sorghum yields being higher following corn than sorghum. Sunflowers were destroyed by rodents and no yields …

Tillage Study For Corn And Soybean: Comparing Vertical, Deep, And No-Till, E. A. Adee

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The need for tillage in corn and soybean production in the Kansas River Valley continues to be debated. The soils of the Kansas River Valley are highly variable, with much of the soil sandy to silty loam in texture. These soils tend to be relatively low in organic matter (<2%) and susceptible to wind erosion. Although typically well drained, these soils can develop compaction layers under certain conditions. A tillage study was initiated in the fall of 2011 at the Kansas River Valley Experiment Field near Topeka to compare deep vs. shallow vs. no-till vs. deep tillage in alternate years. Corn and soybean crops are rotated annually. This is intended to be a long-term study to determine if soil characteristics and yields change in response to a history of each tillage system.

The Effect Of Increasing Rates Of Biochar On Corn Grown In Salinas Clay Loam, Joshua Fridlund

Agricultural Education and Communication

In order to sustain the ever growing global population, agriculture needs to not only increase yields but to increase yields in a way that is sustainable and is either environmentally neutral or has a positive effect on the environment. Biochar offers a solution to this challenge with numerous environmental benefits, as well as agricultural benefits (Lehman and Joseph 2009). The agricultural benefits of biochar have been well documented in tropical climates, with the benefits of biochar for other climates, such as temperate climates and Mediterranean climates, relatively unknown (Blackwell et. al. 2009). To determine the effect of biochar on agricultural …

A Regional Investigation Of In-Season Nitrogen Requirement For Maize Using Model And Sensor-Based Recommendation Approaches, Laura J. Stevens

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

N management for corn can be improved by applying a portion of the total N during the growing season, allowing for adjustments responsive to actual field conditions. This study was conducted to evaluate two approaches for determining in-season N rates: Maize-N model and active crop canopy sensor. Various sensor algorithms designed for making in-season N recommendations from crop canopy sensor data were evaluated. The effects of corn hybrid and planting population on recommendations with these two approaches were considered. In a 2-yr study, a total of twelve sites were evaluated over a 3-state region, including sites in Missouri, Nebraska, and …

Modeling Gross Primary Production Of Irrigated And Rain-Fed Maize Using Modis Imagery And Co2 Flux Tower Data, Joshua L. Kalfas, Xiangming Xiao, Diana X. Vanegas, Shashi B. Verma, Andrew E. Suyker

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Abstract

Information on gross primary production (GPP) of maize croplands is needed for assessing and monitoring maize crop conditions and the carbon cycle. A number of studies have used the eddy covariance technique to measure net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO₂ between maize cropland fields and the atmosphere and partitioned NEE data to estimate seasonal dynamics and interannual variation of GPP in maize fields having various crop rotation systems and different water management practices. How to scale up in situ observations from flux tower sites to regional and global scales is a challenging task. In this study, the Vegetation …

An Integrated Crop- And Soil-Based Strategy For Variable-Rate Nitrogen Management In Corn, Darrin F. Roberts

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

Nitrogen (N) management in cereal crops has been the subject of considerable research and debate for several decades. Historic N management practices have contributed to low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Low NUE can be caused by such things as poor synchronization between soil N supply and crop demand, uniform application rates of fertilizer N to spatially variable landscapes, and failure to account for temporally variable influences on soil N supply and crop N need. Active canopy reflectance sensors and management zones (MZ) have been studied separately as possible plant- and soil-based N management tools to increase NUE. Recently, some have …

Nitrate Production As Affected By Grain-Crop Residues On The Surface Of The Soil, T. M. Mccalla, J. C. Russel

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

The purpose of this bulletin is to present the data on nitrate contents and nitrate production in tests where straw or stalk residues were left on the surface through subsurface tillage, as compared with check treatments where these residues were plowed under or were absent. Nine of these tests were at Lincoln, Nebraska, and one was at the Hastings, Nebraska, Hydrological Project. Two tests were conducted in 1939, four in 1941, and four in 1942.

Studies Concerning The Elimination Of Experimental Error In Comparative Crop Tests, T. A. Kiesselbach

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

It is apparent that many sources of error have unconsciously entered into comparative crop yield tests. The very important matter of overcoming variation in soil conditions as a source of experimental error has been quite extensively studied and reported by various investigators during the past decade. The means suggested for reducing such error have been (1) repetition of plats and (2) correction of yields according to check plats planted to a uniform variety or treatment at stated intervals. Both methods have proved of value and a combination of both may often be used advantageously. Some danger always exists of error …