scholarly journals Spatial and Temporal Changes in Maize and Soybean Grain Yield, Precipitation Use Efficiency, and Crop Water Productivity in the U.S. Great Plains

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 1189-1208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meetpal S. Kukal ◽  
Suat Irmak
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Increasing Trends ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Precipitation Use Efficiency

Abstract. Sustainable agricultural utilization of the limited water resources demands improvements in understanding the changes in crop water productivity (CWP) in space and time, which is often presented as a potential solution to relieve the growing pressure on fresh water resources. In addition, crop yield needs to be studied in relation to precipitation received annually and during the growing season for its contribution to reduce irrigation water requirements, which is quantified through precipitation use efficiency (PUE). Hence, systematic quantifications, mapping, and analyses of large-scale CWP and PUE levels are needed. This study aims to quantify long-term (1982-2013) information on grain yield, PUE, and CWP for maize and soybean in the U.S. Great Plains counties and to map and analyze them. Multiple public data sources were used, including weather, satellite, and yield datasets for the 834 counties over a 32-year period. Long-term average maize grain yield ranged from 1.56 to 12.81 t ha-1 with a regional average of 6.66 t ha-1. Long-term average soybean grain yield ranged from 0.47 to 3.46 t ha-1 with an average of 2.17 t ha-1. About 87% and 89% of the counties in the region showed increasing trends in grain yield for maize and soybean, respectively, with regional average increasing trends for maize and soybean yield of 0.1014 and 0.0328 t ha-1 year-1, respectively. The regional annual PUE (ANNPUE) and growing season PUE (GRSPUE) were 1.09 and 1.90 kg m-3, respectively, for maize and 0.32 and 0.55 kg m-3, respectively, for soybean. In addition, the regional average increasing trends in maize ANNPUE (exhibited by 88% of counties) and GRSPUE (exhibited by 85% of counties) were 0.0174 and 0.0316 kg m-3 year-1. For soybean, regional average increasing trends in ANNPUE (exhibited by 91% of counties) and GRSPUE (exhibited by 87% of counties) were 0.0048 and 0.0081 kg m-3 year-1. The magnitude of maize CWP varied from 0.30 to 2.97 kg m-3 with a regional average of 1.08 kg m-3, and soybean CWP varied from 0.15 to 0.67 kg m-3 with a regional average of 0.40 kg m-3. It was found that 79% and 86% of the counties showed positive trends in maize and soybean CWP, respectively, and the increasing trend magnitudes were 0.0144 and 0.0047 kg m-3 year-1. Pooled data from all counties and growing seasons were used to develop frequency distribution histograms to quantify the inter-annual variation and distribution characteristics. The level of CWP variability represented via maps revealed regions where opportunity exists for improvements in production system efficiency. A comprehensive understanding of the spatial and temporal patterns in these efficiency indices will provide a basis for decision-making in resource assessments, planning, evaluation, and investment by state and federal agencies and stakeholders. Keywords: Agriculture, Climate, Evapotranspiration, Great Plains, Water productivity.

scholarly journals Past, Present, and Future of Irrigation on the U.S. Great Plains

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 703-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven R. Evett ◽  
Paul D. Colaizzi ◽  
Freddie R. Lamm ◽  
Susan A. O’Shaughnessy ◽  
Derek M. Heeren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Irrigation Technology ◽  
Irrigated Area ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
The U.S

Highlights Irrigation is key to the productivity of Great Plains agriculture but is threatened by water scarcity. The irrigated area grew to >9 million ha since 1870, mostly since 1950, but is likely to decline. Changes in climate, water availability, irrigated area, and policy will affect productivity. Adaptation and innovation, hallmarks of Great Plains populations, will ensure future success. Abstract. Motivated by the need for sustainable water management and technology for next-generation crop production, the future of irrigation on the U.S. Great Plains was examined through the lenses of past changes in water supply, historical changes in irrigated area, and innovations in irrigation technology, management, and agronomy. We analyzed the history of irrigated agriculture through the 1900s to the present day. We focused particularly on the efficiency and water productivity of irrigation systems (application efficiency, crop water productivity, and irrigation water use productivity) as a connection between water resource management and agricultural production. Technology innovations have greatly increased the efficiency of water application, the productivity of water use, and the agricultural productivity of the Great Plains. We also examined the changes in water stored in the High Plains aquifer, which is the region’s principle supply for irrigation water. Relative to other states, the aquifer has been less impacted in Nebraska, despite large increases in irrigated area. Greatly increased irrigation efficiency has played a role in this, but so have regulations and the recharge to the aquifer from the Nebraska Sand Hills and from rivers crossing the state. The outlook for irrigation is less positive in western Kansas, eastern Colorado, and the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. The aquifer in these regions is recharged at rates much less than current pumping, and the aquifer is declining as a result. Improvements in irrigation technology and management plus changes in crops grown have made irrigation ever more efficient and allowed irrigation to continue. There is good reason to expect that future research and development efforts by federal and state researchers, extension specialists, and industry, often in concert, will continue to improve the efficiency and productivity of irrigated agriculture. Public policy changes will also play a role in regulating consumption and motivating on-farm efficiency improvements. Water supplies, while finite, will be stretched much further than projected by some who look only at past rates of consumption. Thus, irrigation will continue to be important economically for an extended period. Sustaining irrigation is crucial to sustained productivity of the Great Plains “bread basket” because on average irrigation doubles the efficiency with which water is turned into crop yields compared with what can be attained in this region with precipitation alone. Lessons learned from the Great Plains are relevant to irrigation in semi-arid and subhumid areas worldwide. Keywords: Center pivot, Crop water productivity, History, Sprinkler irrigation, Subsurface drip irrigation, Water use efficiency.

scholarly journals A Review of In-Canopy and Near-Canopy Sprinkler Irrigation Concepts

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1355-1364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Freddie R. Lamm ◽  
James P. Bordovsky ◽  
Terry A. Howell Sr.
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Sprinkler Irrigation ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Close Attention ◽  
Water Losses ◽  
Crop Water Demand ◽  
Center Pivot ◽  
The U.S

Abstract. The use of in-canopy and near-canopy sprinkler application with mechanical-move systems is prevalent in the U.S. Great Plains. These systems can reduce evaporative losses by nearly 15%, but they introduce a much greater potential for irrigation non-uniformity and other water losses. This article is a review of these application technologies for mechanical-move sprinkler irrigation systems that have been widely adopted in the region, where irrigation capacities are typically less than those required to meet “fully irrigated” crop water demand and there is limited seasonal precipitation. Close attention to the design, installation, management, and operating guidelines for these systems can prevent many of the non-uniformity and water loss issues that reduce system performance and crop water productivity. Keywords: Center pivot, In-canopy sprinkler application, LEPA, LESA, LPIC, MESA, PARM, Sprinkler irrigation.

Seasonal responses of maize growth and water use to elevated CO2 based on WTDPED experiments: evidences from multiple ecophysiological indicators

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Ma
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Maturity Stage ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Groundwater Supply ◽  
Use Efficiency

<p>The increase in atmosphere carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) concentrations has been the most important environmental change experienced by agricultural systems. It is still uncertain whether grain yield of the global food crop of maize will remain unchanged under a future elevated CO<sub>2</sub> (eCO<sub>2</sub>) environment. A water transformation dynamic processes experimental device (WTDPED) was developed using a chamber coupled with two weighing lysimeters and a groundwater supply system to explore the water-related yield responses of maize to eCO<sub>2</sub>. Two experiments were conducted via the WTDPED under eCO<sub>2</sub> (700 ppm) and current CO<sub>2</sub> (400 ppm) concentrations. Seasonal changes in multiple ecophysiological indicators and related hydrological processes were compared between these two experiments. The results showed that the leaf nitrogen (N) content, chlorophyll content, net photosynthesis rate, and transpiration rate (T<sub>r</sub>) consistently decreased during the seedling to filling stages but notably increased at the maturity stage due to eCO<sub>2</sub> (P<0.05). Nevertheless, the effects were not significant over the entire growing season or for other indicators, i.e., the leaf carbon (C) content, C/N ratio, and leaf area index (P>0.05). Significant decreases in crop height (mean of 15.9%, P<0.05) associated with notable increases in stem diameter (mean of 14.9%, P<0.05) were found throughout the growing season. Dry matter per corncob at the final harvest decreased slightly under eCO<sub>2</sub> (mean of 7.7 g, P >0.05). Soil moisture was not conserved by the decline of T<sub>r</sub> ahead of the filling stage when soil evaporation was likely promoted by eCO<sub>2</sub> instead. The total evapotranspiration changed little (0.2%) over the entire growing season. Although the leaf water use efficiency increased significantly at every growth stage (mean of 27.3%, P<0.05), the grain yield, water productivity and irrigation water use efficiency were not improved noticeably by eCO<sub>2</sub>. This study is critical to accurately predict future crop yield and hydrological changes under climate change.</p>

scholarly journals Long-term trends in total inorganic nitrogen and sulfur deposition in the U.S. from 1990 to 2010

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuqiang Zhang ◽  
Rohit Mathur ◽  
Jesse O. Bash ◽  
Christian Hogrefe ◽  
Jia Xing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Dry Deposition ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Total Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Wet Forests ◽  
Increasing Trends ◽  
The U.S

Abstract. Excess deposition (including both wet and dry deposition) of nitrogen and sulfur are detrimental to ecosystems. Recent studies have investigated the spatial patterns and temporal trends of nitrogen and sulfur wet deposition, but few studies have focused on dry deposition due to the scarcity of dry deposition measurements. Here, we use long-term model simulations from the coupled WRF-CMAQ model covering the period from 1990 to 2010 to study changes in spatial distribution as well as temporal trends in total (TDEP), wet (WDEP) and dry deposition (DDEP) of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) and sulfur (TSO4). We first evaluate the model's performance in simulating WDEP over the U.S. by comparing the model results with observational data from the U.S. National Atmospheric Deposition Program. The coupled model generally underestimates the WDEP of both TIN (including both the oxidized nitrogen deposition-TNO3, and the reduced nitrogen deposition-NHX) and TSO4, with better performance in the eastern U.S. than the western U.S. TDEP of both TIN and TSO4 show significant decreases over the U.S., especially in the east due to the large emission reductions that occurred in that region. The decreasing trends of TIN TDEP are caused by decrease of TNO3, and the increasing trends of TIN deposition over the Great Plains and Tropical Wet Forests regions are caused by increases in NH3 emissions although it should be noted that these increasing trends are not significant. TIN WDEP shows decreasing trends throughout the U.S., except for the Marine West Coast Forest region. TIN DDEP shows significant decreasing trends in the region of Eastern Temperate Forests, Northern Forests, Mediterranean California and Marine West Coast Forest, and significant increasing trends in the region of Tropical Wet Forests, Great Plains and Southern Semi-arid Highlands. For the other three regions (North American Deserts, Temperate Sierras and Northwestern Forested Mountains), the decreasing or increasing trends were not significant. Both the WDEP and DDEP of TSOx have decreases across the U.S., with a larger decreasing trend in the DDEP than that in the WDEP. Across the U.S. during the 1990–2010 period, DDEP of TIN accounted for 58–65 % of TDEP of TIN. TDEP of TIN over the U.S. was dominated by deposition of TNO3 during the first decade, which then shifts to reduced nitrogen (NHX) dominance after 2003 resulting from combination of NOx emission reductions and NH3 emission increases. The sulfur DDEP is usually higher than the sulfur WDEP until recent years, as the sulfur DDEP has a larger decreasing trend than WDEP.

INFLUENCE OF CROP WATER ENVIRONMENT AND DRY MATTER ACCUMULATION ON GRAIN YIELD OF NO-TILL WINTER WHEAT

1989 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. ENTZ ◽  
D. B. FOWLER
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
No Till ◽  
Use Efficiency

The influence of crop water environment on the productivity of no-till winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ’Norstar’) was observed for 17 site-years of trials in Saskatchewan between 1984 and 1986. Growing season precipitation (P) averaged 212 mm (approximately 120% of average) and pan evaporation (E) averaged 749 mm for these trials. Precipitation was approximately evenly distributed across the growing season while E increased from a low of 6.5 mm d−1 in early May to a high of 8.3 mm d−1 immediately after anthesis. Consequently, water stress was highest after anthesis. Total evapotranspiration (ET) (soil water use to 130 cm plus growing season P) ranged from 171 to 364 mm and approximately 20% of the ET was derived from soil water reserves. The average ratio of ET before and after anthesis was 1:7:1 and in many instances water utilized after anthesis was almost exclusively derived from intermittent rainfall events. Several yield-water models were fit to the data in order to establish a relationship between the crop water environment and grain yield. Yields ranged from 1316 to 5003 kg ha−1 and were most closely associated with the water environment (soil water, E and P) during the time from stem elongation to anthesis (r2 = 0.71). Water use efficiency, expressed as kg ha−1 grain yield divided by ET, ranged from 6.3 to 18.8 kg ha−1 mm−1 and was positively correlated with spikes m−2 (r = 0.59*), kernel weight (r = 0.73**), dry matter at anthesis (r = 0.84**), and negatively correlated with E during the 30 days prior to anthesis (r = 0.75**). Both dry matter at anthesis and dry matter at maturity were linearly correlated with grain yield (r = 0.85** and 0.92**, respectively). Both observations suggested that high grain yields required high dry matter yields.Key words: Wheat (winter), precipitation, evaporation, soil water, water use efficiency, models

scholarly journals Maize Seedling Establishment, Grain Yield and Crop Water Productivity Response to Seed Priming and Irrigation Management in a Mediterranean Arid Environment

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 756
Author(s):  
AbdAllah M. El-Sanatawy ◽  
Ahmed S. M. El-Kholy ◽  
Mohamed M. A. Ali ◽  
Mohamed F. Awad ◽  
Elsayed Mansour
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Deficit Irrigation ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Seed Priming ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Crop Water Productivity ◽  
Irrigation Regimes

Water shortage is a major environmental stress that destructively impacts maize production, particularly in arid regions. Therefore, improving irrigation management and increasing productivity per unit of water applied are needed, especially under the rising temperature and precipitation fluctuations induced by climate change. Laboratory and field trials were carried out in the present study, which were aimed at assessing the possibility of promoting maize germination, growth, grain yield and crop water productivity (CWP) using seed priming under different irrigation regimes. Two seed priming treatments, i.e., hydro-priming and hardening versus unprimed seeds, were applied under four irrigation regimes, i.e., 120, 100, 80 and 60% of estimated crop evapotranspiration (ETc). The obtained results indicated that increasing irrigation water from 100% up to 120% ETc did not significantly increase grain yield or contributing traits, while it decreased CWP. Deficit irrigation of 80 and 60% ETc gradually decreased grain yield and all attributed traits. Seed priming significantly ameliorated seedlings’ vigor as indicated by earlier germination, higher germination percentage, longer roots and shoots, and heavier fresh and dry weight than unprimed seeds with the superiority of hardening treatment. Additionally, under field conditions, seed priming significantly increased grain yield, yield contributing traits and CWP compared with unprimed treatment. Interestingly, the results reflect the role of seed priming, particularly hardening, in mitigating negative impacts of drought stress and enhancing maize growth, grain yield and attributed traits as well as CWP under deficit irrigation conditions. This was demonstrated by a significant increase in grain yield and CWP under moderate drought and severe drought conditions compared with unprimed treatment. These results highlight that efficient irrigation management and seed priming can increase maize yield and water productivity in arid environments.

scholarly journals Long-Term Mineral Fertilization Improved the Grain Yield and Phosphorus Use Efficiency by Changing Soil P Fractions in Ferralic Cambisol

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waqas Ahmed ◽  
Kailou Liu ◽  
Muhammad Qaswar ◽  
Jing Huang ◽  
Qinghai Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Paddy Soils ◽  
P Fractions ◽  
Mineral Fertilization ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Soil P ◽  
Soil P Fractions ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Labile P

Elevated mineral fertilization may change the composition and increase the availability of soil phosphorus (P) in subtropical paddy soils and thus affect long-term plant growth. However, an understanding of the response of soil P fractions to long-term nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) additions remains elusive. This study aimed to explore the responses of soil P-fractions and their mobility to different long-term chemical fertilization rates under a double rice cropping system. The rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in the low NPK treatment (LNPK) were 90, 45, and 75 kg ha−1 year−1, respectively, and in the high NPK treatment (HNPK), they were 180, 90, and 150 kg ha−1 year−1, respectively. The results showed that the concentrations of soil organic matter (SOM), total P, Olsen P, total N, and mineral N were remarkably increased under HNPK by 17.46%, 162.66%, 721.16%, 104.42%, and 414.46%, respectively, compared with those under control (CT). Compared to the CT P fractions, HNPK increased the labile P fractions (i.e., NaHCO3-Pi and NaHCO3-Po) by 322.25% and 83.53% and the moderately labile P fractions (i.e., NaOH-Pi, NaOH-Po and HCl. dil. Pi) by 163.54%, 183.78%, and 3167.25% respectively, while the non-labile P was decreased by the HNPK addition. P uptake and grain yield were increased by LNPK and HNPK by 10.02% and 35.20%, respectively, compared with CT. P use efficiency indices were also higher under HNPK than under LNPK. There was a strong positive relationship between grain yield and P use efficiency (R2 = 0.97). A redundancy analysis (RDA) showed a strong correlation between soil chemical properties and the labile and moderately labile P pools. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that SOM, mineral N, and available P strongly control the labile P pool. In conclusion, NPK additions under the paddy soils significantly influences the soil P fractions. The soil P dynamics and the mechanisms governing the interactions between plants and soil nutrients are clearly explained in this study.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document