Agricultural Science Commons^™

Seasonal Growth Curves Of Perennial Ryegrass In Mexico, M. E. Z. Velasco, Alfonso Hernández-Garay, J. P. Pérez, V. A. González-Hernández

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An experiment was established at Colegio de Postgraduados Research Station, Texcoco, México to evaluate the seasonal pattern of growth curve of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) swards. Growth rate increases rapidly from a low level immediately after defoliation, and eventually reaches an equilibrium level as the amount of green leaf in the sward stabilize. The time required to reach this state varied according to the season of year, with the four seasons ranked in the order: spring (4 weeks) < summer (5 weeks) < autumn and winter (6 weeks). Once swards reached equilibrium, growth rates started to decline as a consequence of an increase in dead material and pseudostem. These increases were highest in spring and lowest in winter. The results of this study suggest that sward management to maximise herbage production and utilisation in ryegrass swards must be done once the highest green leaf mass is reached. In this trial, it was reached at 5, 6, 6 and 4 weeks in summer, autumn, winter and spring, respectively.

The Effects Of Planting Density On The Dry Matter Yield And The Overwintering Ability Of The Dwarf And Normal Napiergrasses In Two Years After Planting, Yasuyuki Ishii, M. M. Mukhtar, Sayan Tudsri

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of this study is to determine the optimum planting density in napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) among two dwarf varieties introduced from Thailand and two normal ones under three levels of density. Dwarf varieties showed lower plant height and mean tiller weight, and higher leaf area index (LAI) and leaf blade percentage. Crop growth rate was positively correlated with LAI, and net assimilation rate and canopy extinction coefficient (K) were negatively correlated with LAI in the second year, including all dwarf and normal varieties, while K tended to be lower in the dwarf varieties. With the increase in …

Light Interception And Dry Matter Yield In Grass/Legume Mixtures, H. A. Jönsson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The influence of grass variety on light interception and dry matter yield in a grass/clover mixture was studied. Two varieties of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and five varieties of ryegrass (Lolium spp) as components in a mixture were compared during the spring period up to the first cut of the third harvest year. By replacing the timothy variety in the mixture both light interception and dry matter yield were significantly affected. The leaf orientation was thought to be a contributing factor with erect leaves intercepting less light. There were no significant differences neither in light interception nor …

Photosynthetic Light Response Of Tanzania Grass Under Four Levels Of Leaf Temperature, A. C. L. De Mello, P. M. Santos, Carlos G. S. Pedreira, M. Corsi, C. T. Dos S. Dias

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The purpose of this paper is to establish photosynthetic light response curves for Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) under four leaf temperature levels. Photosynthetic rate was measured as a response to levels of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) on the youngest fully expanded leaves of 12 representative tillers with an infra red gas analyzer. The effect of PPFD was tested for each leaf temperature level in a randomized complete block design. Photosynthetic light response curves were adjusted for each leaf temperature using a non-linear hyperbolic model. The maximum photosynthetic response was 25,59; 31,43; 34,57 and 27,53 µmol CO_{2 …}

Nonstructural Carbohydrate Reserves Of Temperate Perennial Grasses In Autumn Early Growth, Y. Tamura, K. Matoba, A. Fushimi, M. Moriyama

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of this study was to determine levels of nonstructural carbohydrate reserves of four temperate perennial grasses: Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), Timothy (Phleum pratense L.), Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) in their early growth stages during the cool autumn temperatures in northern Japan. At the time of sampling, all grasses were in their vegetative stage, and Reed canarygrass was not forming rhizomes. Fructosan concentration in reed canarygrass roots (8.04%) was 22 times that of the leaf blade (0.36%) and twice that of the stem (3.40%); the concentration in reed …

Effect Of Cutting Height On Tiller Population Density And Herbage Biomass Of Buffel Grass, L. S. Beltrán, P. J. Pérez, G. A. Hernández, M. E. García, S. J. Kohashi, H. J. G. Herrera

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The aim of this trial was to investigate the effect of different cutting heights on tiller population density and herbage biomass of Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L) grown in miniature swards in a greenhouse. Four treatments with five replicates: five cm, ten cm, and 20 cm cutting height, and control (without cut) were randomly allocated. Intensity of defoliation affected the cumulative herbage harvested; the ten cm cutting height was greater (404.1 g DM m^-2) than 5 cm (317.6 g DM m^-2) and 20 cm (263.9 g DM m^-2), respectively. Cumulative herbage harvested in …

Leaf Appearance Rate In Brachiaria Decumbens Grown In Nitrogen And Potassium Rates, M. D. C. Ferragine, F. A. Monteiro, S. C. Da Silva

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A greenhouse experiment was carried out with Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. cv. Basilisk grown in nutrient solution. Five nitrogen rates (42; 140; 238; 336 and 434 mg/L) and three potassium rates (78; 234 and 390 mg/L) were studied in a factorial experiment, in a randomized complete block design, with four replications. Green leaf number was evaluated in six times in the first period of growth (27, 30, 33, 36, 39 and 42 days after transplanting) and nine times in the second period (45, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66 and 69 days after transplanting). Data was registered in three plants …

Morphogenesis And Defoliation Frequency Of Italian Ryegrass (Lolium Multiflorum) And Paspalum Urvillei In Lowland Under Three Levels Of P And K, Fernando L. F. De Quadros, A. G. S. Pigatto, D. G. Bandinelli, E. Marchezan, Marta G. Da Rocha

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This trial was conducted to evaluate growth dynamics and defoliation frequency of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and Paspalum urvillei in a lowland area under three levels of P and K. Using randomization tests we observed that, in a general way, fertilizer treatments were not the determinant factors of leaf appearance and elongation rates for both species. Only the leaf appearance rate of Paspalum urvillei at 100 % of recommendation level and the elongation rate for Italian ryegrass, in the same treatment, was different. Probably other factors, like drainage, are contributing to these results. I. ryegrass phyllochron ranged from …

Variability In Herbage Mass And Chemical Composition Within A Timothy Sward, O. Niemeläinen, E. Miettinen, P. Virkajärvi, L. Alakukku, K. Hakala

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Variability in herbage mass (HM) and chemical composition of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) sward was studied in a three-hectare field. The field, which was flat, was divided into twelve sections and a sampling site was randomly selected in each. The study was carried out in Sotkamo (64^o 01’N, 28^o22’E) research station in Finland. Snow depth and frost conditions were measured in winter and soil water content was monitored in the growing season at each sampling site. Observations on the crop included assessment of herbage ground cover and winter damage percentage, stand height and HM and analysis …

Effects Of Temperature, Nitrogen Fertilisation And Leaf And Tiller Age On Specific Leaf Area Of Brachiaria Decumbens, J. Busqué, M. Herrero

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens Stapf) micro-swards were grown under controlled environmental conditions at different temperatures and nitrogen fertilisation rates. Specific leaf area was responsive both to temperature and nitrogen, but did not change with the level of insertion of the leaf in the tiller. Senescing leaves had higher specific leaf area than old extended green leaves and these had higher values than new extended green leaves. Changes in specific leaf area were more related to changes in leaf area and more exactly to changes in leaf width.

The Use Of Cover Crops After A Maize Crop In The North Of Spain, D. Báez, M. Pinto, M. Rodríguez, G. Besga, J. M. Estavillo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This work intends to study N leaching losses in a field assay when crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) and italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) was incorporated into the soil and quantify the their effect on N₂O, N total gaseous losses under controlled soil moisture and temperature conditions. Field assay: A split-plot design where main plot was the cover crop and the subplot was the rate of fertilizer (0 and 150 kg N ha^-1) applied to the subsequent maize crop. Laboratory assay: Residues of italian ryegrass and crimson clover were mixed with soil in containers, …

Multi-Year Application Of Dairy Slurry On Grassland: Effects On Crop, Soil Biota, Soil Nutrients, And N2O Emission, Shabtai Bittman, C. G. Kowalenko, D. E. Hunt, N. Patni, J. Paul, D. Raworth, J. Hountin, T. A. Forge, C. M. Monreal, O. Schmidt

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The long-term effects of using manure as the principal nutrient source in intensive crop production systems are not well known. This paper reports on the effects of multi-year application of fertilizer or dairy slurry on a tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) sward. Slurry sustained greater grass yield than chemical fertilizer. Unlike fertilizer, slurry supplied 70 to 120 kg N/ha one year after application but little after one year; 4-years of manure applications built up the stable organic matter pool in the soil. Manure-N was less prone to leaching but more prone to N₂O emissions than fertilizer-N. Manured …

Sewage Sludge As An Alternative Fertilizer For Tropical Pasture Grasses, M. B. Adjei, J. E. Rechcigl

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study was conducted to determine the effects of source (Liquid sludge at pH 7 (LS7) or pH 11 (LS11), cake biosolid (CB) or ammonium nitrate (AM)) by rate (0, 80 or 160 kg ha^-1) of N application on bahiagrass forage yield, quality and tissue composition. Same plots were fertilized in March 1998 and 1999. Forage yield was measured at 30 d intervals from May through November and subsamples were dried and ground for quality analyses. The 2-year mean forage yield was similar for AM, LS7 and LS 11 fertilizer applications. Forage yield from CB application was 30% …

Phosphorus Fertilizer And Stocking Rate Effects On Soil Microbial Biomass Of A Long-Term Dairy Farmlet Experiment, S. R. Aarons, C. R. O’Connor, C. J. P. Gourley

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effects of a range of P fertilizer rates and dairy cow stocking rates on microbial biomass carbon and phosphorus were compared in a long-term farmlet trial in southeastern Australia. Pastures were stocked at 2, 3, or 4 cows/ha and received fertilizer at rates of 0, 35, 70 or 140 kgP/ha. There was no effect of either P fertilizer rate or stocking rate on microbial biomass C from 1995 to 1998. Increasing P application rate significantly increased the chloroform-released microbial P flush measured, but stocking rate had no effect on microbial P. There were significant temporal changes, with the seasonal …

Dry Matter Accumulation And Partitioning Between Vegetative And Reproductive Organs In Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa L.), E. D. Bolaños-Aguilar, Christian Huyghe, B. Julier, C. Ecalle

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This work investigated the partitioning of dry matter between vegetative and reproductive plant organs in alfalfa during the reproductive period under field conditions. Two French varieties (Europe and Magali) were studied. Both varieties showed similar growth pattern of the different plant organs in 1998 and 1999. The mean dry matter of vegetative organs (shoots and leaves) over the two years was higher in Europe (567g/m²) than Magali (470g/m²). No vegetative growth was observed during the reproductive period. The root organs (measured to a depth of 0.20 m) and the reproductive organs showed an increase in dry …

Herbage Seed Production Possibilities In Finland, O. Niemeläinen, M. Kinnari

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the seed production variety experiments in Finland from 1977 to 1992 the mean seed yield of timothy (Phleum pratense) cultivar Alma was 717 kg ha^-1, of meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) cv. Boris 622 kg ha^-1, of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) cv. Retu 350 kg ha^-1, of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) cv. Riikka, of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) cv. Haka 295 kg ha^-1, and red clover (Trifolium pratense) cv. Hankkijan Venla 403 kg ha^-1. From 1988 to 1998 annual …

Farmers’ Adoption And Perceived Benefits Of Diversified Crop Rotations In The Margins Of U.S. Corn Belt, Tong Wang, Jin Hailong, Yubing Fan, Oladipo Obembe, Dapeng Li

Economics Faculty Publications

Monoculture and simplified two-crop rotation systems compromise the ecosystem services essential to crop production, diminish agricultural productivity, and cause detrimental effects on the environment. In contrast to the simplified two-crop rotation, diversified crop rotation (DCR) refers to rotation systems that contain three or more crops. Despite multiple benefits generated by DCR, its usage has dwindled over the past several decades. This paper examined determinants of farmers' adoption decisions and perceived benefits of DCR in the west margins of the U.S. Corn Belt where crop diversity has declined. We analyzed 708 farmer responses from a farmer survey conducted in the eastern …

Drift Reduction By Orienting Boom Sprayers’ Nozzles Against The Wind Direction, Medet Itmeç, Ali Bayat, Ömer Barış Özlüoymak

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Wind drift is a very critical issue in pesticide applications. In recent experiments, the application of pesticides is focus on precision farming. In this study, a spraying system that could manipulate trajectories of droplets to decrease drift was tested in a wind tunnel. Three nozzles (XR11002, AIXR11002 and TTJ6011002) were used at three operating pressures (200 kPa, 300 kPa, 400 kPa), with four orientation angles of nozzles against wind direction (0°, 5°, 10°, 15°), and three wind velocities (1.5, 2, and 2.5 m s^-1) with three repetitions. A statistical factorial CRD was used with Tukey Post Hoc Test …

Effects Of Micro-Rates Of 2,4-D And Dicamba On Lettuce And Pumpkin In Nebraska, Xinzheng Chen

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

Off-target herbicide injury from dicamba and 2,4-D is an increasingly common problem for specialty crop growers in the Midwestern United States. Both lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.) are common specialty crops grown in Nebraska, and their proximity to corn and soybean production makes these crops susceptible to herbicide drift injury and yield loss. The objectives of this thesis research was to quantify crop injury and yield loss in greenhouse- and field-grown lettuce and field-grown pumpkins at different growth stages after exposure to sub-lethal doses of dicamba or 2,4-D. Dose response curves were generated to determine …

Genetic Diversity And Population Structure Of Sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum L.) Collected From Seven Philippine Regions For Use As Breeding Stocks For Crop Improvement, Jan Leandro Acedera, Jhun Laurence Rasco, Jemimah Banganan, Antonio Lalusin

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Selection of parents for hybridization relies on the information on their genetic relationship and diversity which are essential in any breeding program. This study aimed to estimate the extent of genetic diversity and population structure of 76 sugarcane accessions from seven regions in the Philippines using 57 morphological characters and 50 microsatellite markers. The sugarcane collections exhibited moderate to high diversity with mean of H’ = 0.72 for qualitative and H’ = 0.75 for quantitative morphological characters, respectively. This is corroborated by the analysis of variance (ANOVA) of agronomic parameters, except for stalk length. Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic …

Data From A Public–Industry Partnership For Enhancing Corn Nitrogen Research, Curtis J. Ransom, Jason Clark, Gregory Mac Bean, Chris Bandura, Matthew E. Shafer, Newell R. Kitchen, Et.Al

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Improving corn (Zeamays L.) N managementis pertinent to economic andenvironmental objectives. However, there are limited comprehensive data sources to develop and test N fertilizer decision aid tools across a wide geographic range of soil and weather scenarios. Therefore, a public-industry partnership was formed to conduct standardized corn N rate response field studies throughout the U.S. Midwest. This research was conducted using a standardized protocol at 49 site-years across eight states over the 2014–2016 growing seasons with many soil, plant, and weather related measurements. This note provides the data (found in supplemental files), outlines the data, summarizes key findings, and highlights …

Three Lc-Ms Plant Metabolomics Studies Of Hop (Humulus) Species: Wild H. Neomexicanus, Drought Stress, And Agricultural Terroir, Taylan Morcol

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The hop plant (Humulus L., Cannabaceae) is a dioecious, perennial, twining vine with a long history of human use. Nowadays, hop plants are generally grown for their inflorescences (“cones”), which are used in brewing for their phytochemical metabolites. Many of these metabolites are involved in plant stress response and communication. Genetics and environment are two major factors that affect plant metabolism. In three separate metabolomics studies, this project examined the effects of both genetic and environmental factors on hop phytochemistry.

In the first study, 23 hop genotypes were grown in two different locations in the Pacific Northwest region of …

How Is Organic Farming Performing Agronomically And Economically In Sub-Saharan Africa?, Christian Schader, Anja Heidenreich, Irene Kadzere, Irene Egyir, Anne Muriuki, Joseph Bandanaa, Joseph Clottey, John Ndungu, Christian Grovermann, Gianna Lazzarini, Johan Blockeel, Christian Borgemeister, Adrian Muller, Fred Kabi, Komi Fiaboe, Noah Adamtey, Beate Huber, Urs Niggli, Matthias Stolze

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The potential of organic agriculture and agroecological approaches for improving food security in Africa is a controversial topic in global discussions. While there is a number of meta-analyses on the environmental, agronomic and financial performance of organic farming, most of the underlying data stems from on-station field trials from temperate regions. Data from sub-Sahara Africa in particular, as well as detailed real-farm data is scarce. How organic farming is implemented in sub-Saharan Africa and how it performs in a smallholder context remains poorly understood. We applied a novel observational two-factorial research design, which allowed to evaluate the impacts of i) …

Evaluating Livestock Farmers Knowledge, Beliefs, And Management Of Arboviral Diseases In Kenya: A Multivariate Fractional Probit Approach, Paul Nyamweya Nyangau, Jonathan Makau Nzuma, Patrick Irungu, Menale Kassie

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Globally, arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) infections continue to pose substantial threats to public health and economic development, especially in developing countries. In Kenya, although arboviral diseases (ADs) are largely endemic, little is known about the factors influencing livestock farmers’ knowledge, beliefs, and management (KBM) of the three major ADs: Rift Valley fever (RVF), dengue fever and chikungunya fever. This study evaluates the drivers of livestock farmers’ KBM of ADs from a sample of 629 respondents selected using a three-stage sampling procedure in Kenya’s three hotspot counties of Baringo, Kwale, and Kilifi. A multivariate fractional probit model was used to assess the …

Estimating Maize Lethal Necrosis (Mln) Severity In Kenya Using Multispectral High-Resolution Data, Kyalo Richard, Elfatih M. Abdel-Rahman, Sevgan Subramanian, Johnson O. Nyasani, Michael Thiel, Hossein J. Jozani, Christian Borgemeister, Bester T. Mudereri, Tobias Landmann

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) is a severe disease in maize that significantly reduces yields by up to 90% in maize-growing regions such as Kenya and other countries in Africa. The disease causes chlorotic mottling of leaves and severe stunting which leads to plant death. The spread of MLN in the maize-growing regions of Kenya has intensified since the first outbreak was reported in September 2011. In this study, the RapidEye (5 m) imagery was combined with field-based data of MLN severity to map three MLN severity levels in Bomet County, Kenya. Two RapidEye images were acquired during maize stem elongation …

Predicting Non-Native Insect Impact: Focusing On The Trees To See The Forest, Ashley N. Schulz, Angela M. Mech, Matthew P. Ayres, Jamal J.K. Gandhi, Nathan P. Havill, Daniel A. Herms, Angela M. Hoover, Ruth A. Hufbauer, Andrew M. Liebhold, Travis D. Marsico, Kenneth F. Raffa, Patrick C. Tobin, Daniel R. Uden, Kathryn A. Thomas

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Non-native organisms have invaded novel ecosystems for centuries, yet we have only a limited understanding of why their impacts vary widely from minor to severe. Predicting the impact of non-established or newly detected species could help focus biosecurity measures on species with the highest potential to cause widespread damage. However, predictive models require an understanding of potential drivers of impact and the appropriate level at which these drivers should be evaluated. Here, we used non-native, specialist herbivorous insects of forest ecosystems to test which factors drive impact and if there were differences based on whether they used woody angiosperms or …

Effect Of Fungicide Application On Seed Yield Of Perennial Ryegrass, Piotr Goliński

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In four plot experiments established according to random blocks, application effectiveness of propiconazol + carbendazim (Tilt), propiconazol + fenpropimorph (Archer), flusilazol + carbendazim (Alert) and epoxiconazol + crezoxim-metil (Juwel) pesticides regarding the infection by fungal diseases of plant inflorescence structure, biological floret site utilisation, thousand seed weight and harvested seed yield of perennial ryegrass cv. Anna (2n) and cv. Maja (4n) was analysed. The Archer preparation was found to be the most effective, both in the case of Anna and Maja cultivars. Its application was found to increase seed yield in Anna and Maja cultivars by, respectively, 21,5% and 14,5%. …

Genetic Control Of Parthenogenesis In Kentucky Bluegrass: Results From A Sexual X Apomictic Cross, E. Albertini, G. Barcaccia, A. Porceddu, D. Rosellini, Mario Falcinelli

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Apomixis, as it exists in Poa pratensis L., permits to combine genotype fixation with propagation by seed. The process of apomictic seed production involves the formation of embryo sacs without meiotic reduction (apospory) and embryos without egg cell fertilization (parthenogenesis). Further information on the genetic control of apomixis was obtained by analyzing aposporous parthenogenesis and the segregation of molecular markers in a progeny resulting from a “sexual” (S) x “apomictic”(A) cross. Data from the 35 F₁ plants examined so far have shown that parthenogenesis segregated 1:1, confirming control by a dominant gene, simplex in the parthenogenetic parent. Analysis of …

Effects Of Water Stress On Seed Production In Ruzi Grass (Brachiaria Ruziziensis Germain And Everard), N. Wongsuwan, A. C. P. Chu, B. R. Watkin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Water stress at different stages of reproductive development influenced seed yield in Ruzi grass differently. Under mild water stress, the earlier in the reproductive developmental stage the stress was applied (before ear emergence) the faster the plants recovered and the less the ultimate damage to inflorescence structure and seed set compared with the situation where water stress occurred during the later stages after inflorescences had emerged. Conversely, severe water stress before ear emergence had a severe effect in damaging both inflorescence numbers and seed quality. Permanent damage to the reproductive structures resulted in deformed inflorescences. Moreover, basal vegetative tillers were …

Effect Of Temperature On Phenology In Triple-Awned Grass (Stipagrostis Plumosa), Hossein Azarnivand, H. Dastmalchi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Phenology of triple-awned grass in different stages of vegetative growth, flowering and seed falling was investigated. Each phenological stage was related to minimum and maximum air and soil surface temperatures. Soil surface temperature was measured two times per day during different seasons. Climate data were obtained from the nearest weather station. The study was carried out in sand dunes of band-e-rig of Kashan in the central region of Iran. This species is important in terms of wind erosion control and livestock feeding in arid areas. The results showed that air temperatures ranged from –22 ^oC to 41.5 ^oC …