Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is being evaluated as a bioenergy crop for the northern Great Plains. Field measurements of CO2, CH4, and N2O flux are needed to estimate the net greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of this biofeedstock. The study objective was to determine effects of recommended Nitrogen (N) fertilization (67 kg ha 1 of N applied) and unfertilized switchgrass on growing season soil-a...

Fertilizer is a powerful productivity-enhancing input, but SSA uses very little. Historical trends are abysmal (Figure 1). In 1970, SSA used <5kg/ha while other developing regions used >15 kg/ha. In the 25 years from 1970 to 1995 fertilizer consumption grew only .23 kg/ha/year. Current use is only 9 kg/ha, down from OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: The research highs of 11-12. This contrasts sharply wit...

With uncertainty in future irrigation water availability and regulations on nutrient application amounts, experimentally determined effects of “controllable” management strategies such as nitrogen (N), water, and their combination on crop water productivity (CWP, also known as crop water use efficiency) and actual evapotranspiration (ETa) are essential. The effects of various N application rate...

During 1996–2006, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland (MAFF), MTT Agrifood Research and the Finnish Geodetic Institute performed a joint remote sensing satellite research project. It evaluated the applicability of optical satellite (Landsat, SPOT) data for cereal yield estimations in the annual crop inventory program. Four Optical Vegetation Indices models (I: Infrared polynomia...

A series of experiments was carried out at Students Farm, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam to evaluate the effect of NPK, micronutrients and N-placement on the growth and yield of sunflower during 2005-2006. The sunflower cv. HO-1 was studied under 7 different NPK levels and placement methods (0-0-0 NPK kg ha, 6030-30 NPK kg ha (N as broadcast), 60-30-30 NPK kg ha (N as fertigation), 90-4...

To compare the performance of steer calves managed under different stocking rates (SR; 3.7, 6.2, 8.6, and 11.1 steers/ha for 140 d; chi(I1)) and N fertilization rates (112, 224, and 336 kg of N/ha; chi(I2)) in May 1996, 1997, and 1998, 72 steer calves (BW = 231 +/- 2.5 kg) were assigned randomly to one of 12 0.81-ha dallisgrass (51%)/common bermudagrass (32%) pastures. One-third of the fertiliz...

In laboratory, greenhouse and field tests, we determined the effects of combining full rates of the defoliants tribufos and thidiazuron and the herbicide thifensulfuron-methyl with half rates of the insecticides lambda-cyhalothrin or azinphos-methyl, and the combination of tribufos and thidiazuron, both in half rates, on mortality of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman and on th...

An experiment to evaluate the control of soybean cyst nematodes compared 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year nonhost rotations with continuous soybeans (Glycine max) in 0.2-ha plots. In a second 1-year rotation, the plots were planted to soybean or corn (Zea mays) after fumigation in the spring with a split application of 1,3-dichloropropene (748.2 liters/ha). The effects of the nematicide were apparent...