Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Cotton In The Ord River Irrigation Area (Oria), Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Cotton has been grown very successfully in the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) of Western Australia.

Cotton was grown commercially in the ORIA between 1964 and 1974. The early industry was subsidised by the Western Australian Government. The industry failed due to an inability to control major insect pests, and problems with quality. The industry never achieved economic yields, and short fibre length and discolouration resulted in substantial discounts.

Cotton has been the dominant irrigated crop in the ORIA since 2021. A cotton production system based on genetically modified varieties has been developed for the ORIA, based on intensive local …

Evaluation Of Dual Purpose Canola And Cereals Grazed With Cattle, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development conducted research to investigate and demonstrate the importance of dual-purpose crops (canola, wheat and barley) to improve the feed availability for cattle (in late autumn to early winter) in mixed farming systems of the high rainfall environment of Western Australia (WA).

The grain yield of a wide range of canola and cereal varieties sown in mid-April were unaffected by the grazing of cattle at a stocking rate of 20 to 22 dry sheep equivalent (DSE) per hectare (ha) for up to 4 weeks at Esperance in 2011.

The grazed crops yielded the …

Assessing The Above- And Belowground Productivity Of Fall-Planted Cover Crop Cultivars In Nebraska's Diverse Ecoregions, Bridget Mckinley

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

Cover crops (CC) provide essential ecosystem services including soil conservation, nutrient cycling, and weed suppression, through the accumulation of aboveground (AGB) and belowground (BGB) biomass. While AGB has been widely studied, BGB contributions, particularly root development and distribution, remain less understood. This study evaluated fall-planted CC across three Nebraska ecoregions, assessing AGB productivity, BGB biomass, and correlations between ground cover, plant height, and AGB.

Thirty treatments, including grasses, legumes, brassicas, and mixtures, were evaluated over two fall growing seasons (2022–2023 and 2023–2024) at three UNL research centers in northeast, west central, and west Nebraska. AGB was highest at west site …

Bio-Based Sprayable Mulch For Weed Control In Row Crop Systems, Camila Chiaranda Rodrigues

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

Improving current crop productivity levels requires transformative advancements in management, engineering, and science. One of the main challenges is the increasing difficulty of weed management due to herbicide-resistant weeds. There is a growing need for alternative weed management methods to reduce pesticide use and improve environmental safety. An emerging technology that is being developed is spray-on films which could help address these challenges. Spray-on films are liquid solutions that after spraying on the soil will dry and form a physical barrier. The overall objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a chicken feather bio-based sprayable mulch film …

Puccinellia (Puccinellia Ciliata) For Dryland Salinity Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Puccinellia (Puccinellia ciliata) is a potentially valuable fodder on waterlogged saline land. Puccinellia, Distichlis and marine couch are the most salt tolerant of the commercially available grasses. It is best suited to areas with more than 400mm annual rainfall and where the watertable is shallow over summer.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that any dryland salinity management is part of a whole farm, and preferably a whole catchment, water management plan.

Roaded Catchments In Wa, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Roaded catchments are earthwork structures designed to increase the amount of run-off from the catchment above a receiving farm dam.

Roaded catchments are lined with clay and compacted to make a smooth surface that reduces infiltration and increases run-off. Roaded catchments should discharge into a silt trap and then into a dam (excavated earth tank). This combined structure should be fenced to exclude livestock.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that roaded catchments are part of an integrated water and salinity management program.

The information in this page is only a guide – seek expert advice before …

Managing Subsurface Water In Wa, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) recommends that subsurface water management is part of an integrated water and salinity program. An integrated program can help to lower water tables and alleviate problems with waterlogging, rising salinity, and infrastructure damage.

Excavated Tanks (Farm Dams), Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Guidelines and information for planning, legal requirements, design, construction and management of excavated tanks for water storage on farm.

Excavated tanks (farm dams) provide effective water storage wherever surface water run-off can be harvested for livestock, crop spraying, irrigation and domestic use on rural properties.

Excavated tanks for rainfall storage are common in the southern agricultural areas of WA.

Well-designed and constructed dams are farm assets, safe and require little maintenance.

Poor design and construction can lead to poor water harvesting and storage, excessive costs, downstream erosion and risks to property and people.

DPIRD recommends that excavated tanks should be …

The Impact Of Cervid Herbivory On Industrial Fiber Hemp In East Central Illinois, Nicholas C. Cheney, Isaac Slaven, Barbara S. Carlsward

Journal of Agricultural Hemp Research

The last several years have seen large increases in white-tailed deer populations across the United States. Many studies have analyzed the effects that white-tailed deer have on different ecosystems. However, little to no studies have analyzed the effects of white-tailed deer on the production of industrial hemp fiber. In this study, we examined two different varieties of hemp fiber crops, and the impact white-tailed deer may have on their production. Our study was conducted in a flat test plot with surrounding woods and known white-tailed deer traffic in central Illinois, using two (6 × 6 m) plots that were adjacent …

Improving Rice Yield Using Sensor Based Nitrogen Application And Best Management Practices (Bmps) In Rice-Soybean And Rice-Crawfish Rotational Systems, Charles Darnall

LSU Master's Theses

Sustainable rice farming requires effective nutrient management and conservation practices to maintain high yields and minimize environmental impact. Implementing best management practices (BMPs) promotes lower fertilizer application rates, increased N use efficiency, improves soil health, and water quality. Demonstration fields established in two different rotational cropping systems (rice-soybean and rice-crawfish) in Kaplan, LA in 2023. In each rotation system, the benefits of BMPs (sensor based mid-season N management and cover cropping) compared to farmer’s practice (FP) were evaluated using yield, yield components, soil and water quality as metrics. The rice-soybean fields in 2023 and 2024 were both planted with PVL03 …

Trucks, Trains, And Barges: For Brazilian Soybeans, It’S Not Your Grandpa’S Infrastructure Anymore, Fabio Mattos

Cornhusker Economics

In the popular movie “Planes, Trains & Automobiles”, the tagline said, “Steve Martin had no reason to panic… until John Candy came along”. In the soybean market, we could say, “We had no reason to panic… until Brazil came along”. Brazil has been rapidly growing its soybean production for the last 30 years and has recently become the largest exporter in the world. In 2024/25, USDA estimates that Brazil will account for 58% of soybean exports worldwide, followed by the United States with 28%. These are roughly the numbers for 2023/24 and 2022/23 as well.

Still, despite the massive growth …

Electric Interrow Control Of Lupine Plants Does Not Adversely Affect The Neighboring Non-Target Lupine Plants, Catherine Borger, Miranda J. Slaven

Journal articles

Interrow weed control is used in a wide range of crops, traditionally applied via physical cultivation or banded herbicide application. However, these methods may result in crop damage, development of herbicide resistance, or off-target environmental impacts. Electric interrow weed control presents an alternative, although its potential impact on crop yield requires further investigation. One of the modes of action of electric weed control is the continuous electrode–plant contact method, which passes a current through the weed and into the roots. As the current passes into the roots, it can potentially disperse through the soil to neighboring root systems. Such off-target …

Identification And Characterization Of Resistance To Meloidogyne Enterolobii And M. Incognita In Sweetpotato Genotypes, David M. Galo Espinal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Root-knot nematodes (RKN), Meloidogyne spp., are significant agricultural pests that cause severe economic losses on a wide range of agricultural crops worldwide, including sweetpotato. The economic viability of the sweetpotato industry in the United States is threatened by Meloidogyne enterolobii, which reproduces on sweetpotato cultivars resistant to other RKN species. To address this issue, 69 sweetpotato genotypes were evaluated to identify sources of resistance to M. enterolobii (Me) and M. incognita (Mi). Results showed that twenty-six genotypes were highly resistant to Me and eleven were resistant to Mi, with three genotypes showing resistance to …

Your Sco/Eco Policy Under The Hood: What County Yield Is The Rma Using?, Cory Walters, Ken Harrison, Connor Whalen

Cornhusker Economics

Over the past decade, crop insurance has continued to expand contract offerings through new area-based policies. Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) was introduced in the mid-2010s. Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) was introduced in the early 2020s, and Margin Protection (MP) was introduced in the mid-to-late 2010s. The ECO premium subsidy was recently increased for the 2025 crop year to further encourage producer participation. Both the SCO and ECO programs have experienced increased participation for a variety of reasons.

Subsoil Testing Required To Detect The Rundown Of Soil Potassium To Deficient Levels For Wheat Production On Loam-Textured Soils, Craig Scanlan, Richard Bell, Miaomiao Cheng, Tim Boyes

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Context

Long-term negative potassium (K) balances in crop production have depleted soil K levels in Western Australia (WA). Previous research has focussed on sand-textured soils, but recently, monitoring of crops grown on loam-textured soils has shown deficient or marginal shoot K concentrations where Colwell K 0–10 cm is above current critical levels.

Aims

The aims were to examine whether grain yield responses to fertiliser K can be detected on loam-textured soils and if soil test calibration curves can be identified for these soils.

Methods

Eight field trials were conducted with wheat on loam-textured soils. The same experimental design was used …

Effect Of Crop Age On Seed Yield Of Arachis Pintoi At Two Sites In Costa Rica, Pedro J. Argel, Alfredo Valerio

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Arachis pintoi is a forage legume well adapted to the humid tropics of Costa Rica. Seed production studies were carried out at two contrasting localities within the country, Gulipiles (very humid tropics) and San Isidro (seasonal evergreen tropical forest). The accessions CIAT 18748, 18744 and 17434 cv. Amarillo of A. pinloi were vegetatively planted at both sites. Seed yields were measured at 8, 12, 16 and 20 months post- planting inGulipiles, and at·8, 16 and 20 months in San Isidro. Mean seed yields among accessions were similar in San Isidro but significantly different in Gulipiles; however, the contrary occurred in …

Efficient Nitrogen Fertilization In Grass Seed Crops With Regard To Soil Mineral Nitrogen Content And Analyzing Grass Tillers In Spring, W Schoberlein, H J. Wahl

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

When applying the Nmln method in grass seed crops analogously lo that in cereal crops we proceed from the experience that for a mean level of mineralisation, the sum total of soil-borne Nm1n available to plants at the beginning of the growth period and Nd Input in the form of fertiliser will provide sufficient N to the crop. The total quantity of mineral soil-borne N and fertiliser N is considered as the nominal value. The required N input can be derived from the difference between nominal value and mineral soil-borne N (Nd = nominal value• Nrnin>· For Dactylis glomerata …

Effects Of Aneuploidy On Seed Production In Autopolyploid Forage Crops, A Elgersma

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Between the selection of a population and its commercial use, several generations of multiplication are necessary. The essential feature in variety maintenance is that no genetic changes occur during multiplication. In seed-propagated species, however, during each multiplication cycle natural selection takes place at ihe gamete, zygote, seed and plant level. In induced autopolyploids high frequencies of aneuploids can occur. Aneuploidy not only affects the seed yield level, but also the selection processes that occur during multiplication. It may cause genetic shift and affect variety stability. Species differ in their tolerance to aneuploids. It is not possible to eliminate aneuploidy by …

Effects Of Ratooning And Protection From Diseases And Birds On Seed Production In Guinea Grass, Okoro Oji, F N. Madubuike, F.O C. Ezedinma

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Effects of ratooning and protection from diseases and birds on seed production in guinea grass (Pannicum maximum L.) were assessed in a study from October 1986 to April 1987. Treatments included ratooning and mancozeb application with or without protection from birds (netting). Highest yield occurred with combined netting and mancozeb application. Mancozeb sp,aying without netting gave lower seed yield than netting without fungicide spraying. Seed yield, which generally decreased with ratooning, was lowest among unnetted and unsprayed crops. Prom anthesis to seed maturation lasted, on average, 9 days, and seeds borne on the upper part of the panicle matured …

Potential For Improved Honey Bee Pollination Efficiency From Easy-To-Trip Lucerne, L R. Teuber, E E. Knapp

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The principal pollinator of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) in California, USA is the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.). However, honey bees are notoriously inefficient pollinators of lucerne because they learn to avoid tripping the floret. Easy-to-trip lucerne florets could reduce this problem. These studies were designed to determine the inheritance of ease of tripping and assess the effect of ease of tripping on the rate of outcrossing. Both additive and digenic variance for ease of tripping were significant, resulting in a heritability of 34.0:1:16.2%. Ease of tripping had no influence on outcrossing rate, which was estimated to average …