Peanut leaf area index,light interception,radiation use efficiency,and harvest index at three sites in Texas

Stability of parameters describing crop growth of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is important because of the diversity of climatic conditions in which peanuts are grown and is valuable when developing simulation models for this species. In contrast, variability in the same parameters is desirable for plant breeders working to develop improved cultivars. This study seeks to quantify key parameters for biomass and yield production of some common peanut cultivars at three sites in Texas. We measured leaf area index (LAI), light extinction coefficient (k) for Beer's law, and harvest index (HI) for four cultivars at Stephenville, TX and one cultivar near Gustine, TX, and for LAI and biomass on four cultivars at Seminole, TX. Mean radiation use efficiency (RUE) values were 1.98 g MJ⁻¹ at Stephenville, 1.92 at Gustine, and 2.02 at Seminole. Highest RUE values were for the Low-Energy Precise Application (LEPA) irrigation treatment at Seminole. Maximum LAI values ranged from 5.6 to 7.0 at Stephenville, from 5.0 to 6.2 at Seminole, and was 5.3 at Gustine. Mean k values ranged from 0.60 to 0.64 at Stephenville and was 0.77 at Gustine. The overall mean HI was 0.36, with a mean of 0.33 for Stephenville, 0.44 for Gustine, 0.53 for spray irrigation at Seminole, and 0.58 for LEPA irrigation at Seminole. Values of RUE, k, and HI for the cultivars in this study and similarities between this study and values reported in the literature will aid modelers simulating peanut development and yield and aid breeders in identifying key traits critical to peanut grain yield improvement.     

水氮运筹对新疆滴灌春小麦群体质量和产量的影响

为探明水氮运筹对滴灌春小麦群体质量和产量的影响规律,2017年和2018年在田间滴灌条件下设置1 500、3 750、6 000和8 250 m~3·hm~(-2)4种灌水量(分别用W1、W2、W3和W4表示)和0、225、300和375 kg·hm~(-2)4个施氮水平(分别用N0、N1、N2和N3表示),比较分析了不同水氮处理下春小麦品种(新春6号)的茎蘖数、茎蘖成穗率、LAI、粒叶比、花后干物质生产力和产量及其构成的差异。结果表明,两年中,春小麦茎蘖数、茎蘖成穗率、LAI、粒叶比、花后干物质生产力及产量在相同氮素营养条件下随灌水量的增加均呈先增后减趋势,且以W3最大;在相同水分条件下随施氮水平的提高也均呈先升后降趋势,且以N2最大。在所有处理中,W3N2处理的春小麦茎蘖数、茎蘖成穗率、LAI、粒叶比、花后干物质生产力和产量及其构成因素值均最高。因此,在本试验条件下,灌水6 000 m~3·hm~(-2)和施氮300 kg·hm~(-2)为滴灌春小麦最佳的水氮组合。     

Intraspecific responses in crop growth and yield of 20 soybean cultivars to enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation under field conditions

Field studies were conducted to determine the potential for intraspecific responses in crop growth and grain yield of 20 soybean cultivars to enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280–315 nm) radiation. The supplemental UV-B radiation was 5.00 kJ m⁻², simulating a depletion of 20% stratospheric ozone at Kunming (25°N, 1950 m). Out of the 20 soybean cultivars tested, 17 and 15 showed significant change in plant height at 80 DAP (days after planting) and ripening stages, respectively. Sensitivity in plant height was greater at 80 DAP than at ripening. The plant height of 3 cultivars increased, and that of 17 cultivars decreased. Under UV-B radiation, LAI (leaf area index), biomass and grain yield decreased, respectively. The greatest percent decrease was 95.7, 93.9 and 92.8, respectively. RI (response index) was the sum of percent change in plant height at ripening, LAI, biomass and grain yield. The results showed that all 20 soybean cultivars had a negative RI, indicating inhibition by UV-B radiation on soybean growth. The RI of 6 tolerant cultivars was higher than −163.1 and 5 out of 6 originated from south China (low latitude). The RI of the most tolerant cultivars, Yunnan 97801, was −72.4. Meanwhile, the RI of 5 sensitive cultivars was lower than −256.9 and 4 out of the 5 originated from north China (high latitude). The RI of the most sensitive cultivar, Huanxianhuangdou, was −295.7. These UV-B tolerant cultivars identified in this study might be useful in breeding programs.     

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seed yield and quality under different forage management systems and irrigation treatments in a Mediterranean environment

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is widely grown as a forage crop due to its good quality characteristics and high adaptability. However, seed yield is generally considered to be of secondary importance and is characterized by fluctuating yields with often poor seed quality. A field experiment using five alfalfa cultivars (Equipe, Iside, Lodi, Robot, Romagnola) was carried out in 1995, 1996 and 1997 at Foggia (southern Italy) to evaluate the effects of four defoliation practices (H1: crop mown during early plant growth; H2: plant desiccation by chemical agent at the end of February; H3: crop mown at early flowering; H4: never cut) and two irrigation treatments (I: irrigation applied from April to beginning of seed filling; NI: non-irrigated control) on seed yield, seed yield components and seed quality (as determined by seed germination with and without accelerated ageing (AA)). The relationships between yield components (stems per m², pods per stem, seeds per pod, 1000-seed weight) were determined by path-coefficient analysis. Irrigation significantly increased seed yield; on average doubling the control yield over the three seasons. However, the potential seed yield (calculated from seed yield components) was, on average, five times the actual seed yield. The two mowing treatments produced consistently higher seed yields than either desiccated or untreated swards. Cultivar differences were evident for seed yield, with Equipe having the highest value (40% higher than the mean of the other cultivars). Irrigation improved the yield primarily because it led on average a greater than four fold increase in the density of stems (the most influential yield component). By contrast, seeds per pod and 1000-seed weight increased in the absence of irrigation. Defoliation treatments had little effect on stems per m², seeds per pod and seed weight, whereas pods per stem were reduced by desiccation. Path analyses calculated across irrigation treatments and years revealed that stems per m² had the largest positive direct effect on alfalfa seed yield under each harvest management (path-coefficient values ≥0.89), and its indirect effects on seed yield via other traits were negligible. Seed quality, as measured by germination percentage both before and after AA, remained relatively consistent across both defoliation and irrigation treatments and cultivars, but was anomalously low in the 1997 irrigated crops. Overall, the highest seed yields were obtained under irrigated conditions when crops were mown during early growth or at early flowering. The potential seed yield of alfalfa varieties is sufficient to guarantee a profitable seed harvest. However, the harvest efficiency of the combine-harvester was low (20% of the potential seed yield); thus, more appropriate harvest techniques should be used.     

灌溉频率和施氮量对滴灌春小麦干物质积累及产量的影响

通过大田试验,研究了不同灌溉频率和施氮量下,滴灌春小麦干物质积累、分配和产量的形成规律。结果发现,相同施氮量下,随着灌溉频率的增加,小麦的LAI、干物质累积最大速率和花后干物质贡献率均表现为中频灌溉(M)高频灌溉(H)低频灌溉(L);相同灌溉频率不同施氮量下,小麦的LAI、干物质累积速率和花后干物质贡献率则均表现为N2N3N1N0;MN2处理与HN2和LN2处理相比,小麦的LAI提高了11.3%和22.1%,干物质累积最大速率提高了2.3%和1.3%,花后干物质贡献率增加了1.71%和2.28%;小麦的库容量提高了12.3%和13.7%,差异均显著(P0.05)。产量构成的通径分析表明,小麦产量指标中,对滴灌春小麦产量的贡献依次为穗粒数穗数千粒重。灌溉频率和施氮量对小麦产量的互作效应明显,当施氮量为308.63kg·hm-2、灌溉频率约为6.52d一次时,滴灌春小麦产量达到最大值(8 804.2kg·hm-2)。     

水氮互作对膜下滴灌玉米产量及水氮利用的影响

通过田间裂区试验,研究不同灌水量和施氮量对膜下滴灌玉米生理生长、产量及其构成因素和水、氮利用的影响。结果表明,水氮互作对玉米产量影响差异显著(P0.05)。玉米单株叶面积随着施氮量与灌水量的增加而增大。随着灌水量的增加,玉米耗水量呈上升趋势,玉米水分利用效率呈下降趋势。氮肥农学效率及氮肥偏生产力随着施氮量的增加而减小。当灌水量大于2 700 m~3/hm~2、施氮量大于200 kg/hm~2时,玉米干物质积累和产量不在增加,产量呈下降趋势。在本试验条件下,推荐最佳灌水量为2700 m~3/hm~2,施氮量为200 kg/hm~2。     

Effects of genetic improvements on grain yield and agronomic traits of winter wheat in the Yangtze River Basin of China

Wheat is an important food crop worldwide. Genetic improvements have contributed much to wheat production since the 1960s. Verifying the evolution of agronomic traits and the physiological basis of grain yield will facilitate breeders and agronomists in developing new wheat cultivars, with the aim of stable and high yields. Thirty-five wheat cultivars, bred or widely planted in the Yangtze River Basin from 1950 to 2005, were grown in field experiments under three N rates (0, 112.5, and 225 kg N ha⁻¹) from 2006 to 2009 in Nanjing, China. Wheat grain yield, kernels per spike, 1000-kernel weight (TKW), and harvest index (HI) increased linearly with cultivar development from the 1950s to the 2000s, whereas spikes per unit land decreased significantly with cultivar development during the same period, and stabilized with further genetic improvements in cultivars. Grain yield, kernels per spike, and TKW differed with N rate and with cultivar. Grain yield, spikes per unit land, and kernels per spike increased significantly with increasing N fertilizer, but TKW and HI decreased. Cultivar height decreased with cultivar development from the 1950s to the 1980s, and remained relatively stable in subsequent cultivars. The proportion of the length of the top internode to total plant height increased with cultivar development from the 1950s to the 1980s and thereafter fell, while the length of the basal internode (BI) maintained a shortening trend. Leaf area per culm, leaf area index (LAI), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), and photosynthetic activity duration (PAD) of the flag leaf increased with cultivar development. Leaf area, LAI, and Pn increased significantly with increasing N fertilizer, while PAD did not. Single spike yield increased linearly with genetic development in cultivars, and these increases mainly resulted from increasing kernel number and weight, which were closely related to source size and cultivar. Grain yield was positively correlated to leaf area, LAI, Pn_Max, PAD, and single spike yield; single spike yield was positively correlated to leaf area, LAI, Pn_Max, and PAD, suggesting that grain yield improvements were mainly associated with improvements in the source (leaf area, LAI, Pn, PAD, etc.) and sink (single spike yield). Sink-source ratios increased with genetic development of cultivars, suggesting that productivity per leaf improved and that sink-source relationships have reached close to optimum in the Yangtze River Basin. Furthermore, breeding for high yield should be related to improvement in kernels per spike and TKW per unit land and increased sink-source ratios with a feasible LAI, and N fertilizer management should be considered during breeding for higher yields.     

覆膜滴灌对玉米光合特性、物质积累及水分利用效率的影响

采用田间试验方法,以雨养条件为对照,研究3种灌溉处理(滴灌、覆膜滴灌、覆膜限量补灌)对玉米相对叶绿素质量浓度(SPAD值)、光合特性及产量和水分利用效率的影响,探讨不同膜下滴灌节水增产的效果及内在机制。结果表明,覆膜增加玉米苗期叶绿素质量浓度,在拔节期覆膜的作用减弱,抽雄期SPAD值依次为覆膜限量补灌覆膜滴灌滴灌雨养。与对照相比,覆膜滴灌、覆膜限量补灌玉米地上部干物质重分别增加22.8%~52.8%和20.3%~48.0%;玉米产量增加1 261 kg/hm2和1 300 kg/hm2,增产12.7%和13.1%;提高水分利用效率0.83 kg/m3和1.23 kg/m3,提高水分生产效率0.30 kg/m3和0.36 kg/m3。覆膜限量补灌在不影响光合产物积累的基础上,比覆膜滴灌节水60%。     

Growth of High-Yielding Soybeans and its Relation to Air Temperature in Xinjiang,China

Abstract

The growth and seed yields of 2 Japanese and 3 Chinese cultivars of soybeans cultivated in 2002-2005 using a drip irrigation system in the arid area of Xinjiang, China, were analyzed with respect to growth parameters and air temperature. Seed yield was very high in 2002, 2003 and 2004, but relatively low in 2005. The variation among years in seed yield clearly depended on pod number. The mean leaf area index (LAI) and crop growth rate (CGR) in 2005 was lower than those in the other 3 years. CGR showed significant positive correlations with mean LAI at the early growing stages, and with net assimilation rate (NAR) at the later growing stages. The increasing rate of pod number (IRP) was positively correlated with the mean LAI and CGR at the pod setting period, suggesting that an adequate supply of photosynthates would be required for pod setting. It was concluded that excellent growth in the years with high yields was supported by the large LAI before the pod setting periods and by high NAR and vigorous pod growth at the latter half of the growing season.     

Yield response of two potato culivars to supplemental irrigation and N fertilization in New Brunswick

Nitrogen and water are important factors influencing potato production, and crop response to these two factors may vary with cultivars. The yield response of two potato cultivars (Russet Burbank and Shepody) to six rates of N fertilization (0-250 kg N ha^-1) with and without supplemental irrigation was studied at four onfarm sites in each of three years, 1995 to 1997, in the upper St-John River Valley of New Brunswick, Canada. On average, irrigation increased total yield from 31.9t ha^-1 without irrigation to 38.41 ha^-1 with irrigation and marketable yield from 25.61 ha^-1 without irrigation to 30.71 ha^-1 with irrigation. Potato yields were increased by irrigation at nine out of the 12 sites, and the irrigation response was similar for both cultivars. Nitrogen fertilization significantly increased both total and marketable yields at all sites except one. The yield response to N fertilization was greater with irrigation. The N fertilization rate (Nmax) required to reach maximum total and marketable yield, however, was similar with and without irrigation. A large variation in Nmax was observed among sites. With irrigation Nmax varied between 158 and 233 kgN ha^-1 for total yield, and between 151 and 250 kg N ha^-1 for marketable yield. There was no interaction between N fertilization and potato cultivar for both total and marketable yields. The two cultivars had similar total yields (35 t ha^-1). Shepody, however, had a greater marketable yield (28.9 t ha^-1) than Russet Burbank (27.4 t ha^-1). Our results indicate that the response to two of the most significant factors of potato production, irrigation and N fertilization, varies greatly with sites and climatic conditions, and that field specific recommendations are required for the optimum management of N and irrigation.     

滴灌量对冬小麦耗水特性和干物质积累分配的影响

为给滴灌冬小麦高产栽培的水分管理提供理论依据,在播前足墒和越冬前灌水750 m33·hm-2的条件下分析了起身后不同滴灌量(2550、3150和3750 m3·hm-2,分别用W1、W2、W3表示)对冬小麦耗水及干物质积累、分配的影响.结果表明,随滴灌量的减少,冬小麦孕穗期至花后20 d的0～100 cm土层含水量明显降低,但土壤含水量沿毛管的横向差异增大,总耗水量减少,土壤贮水的消耗量明显增加;群体的叶面积指数和干物质积累量降低,尤其是远离毛管处下降更明显;开花前营养器官贮藏同化物向籽粒的转运量、运转率及对籽粒的贡献率增加,开花后干物质同化量和对籽粒的贡献率显著降低;籽粒产量降低,灌溉水利用效率呈增加趋势.3个处理中,W2的水分利用效率最高,产量与W3差异不显著.在本试验条件下,起身后滴灌冬小麦的适宜灌溉定额为3150～3750 m3·hm2.     

Yield components,dry matter,LAI and LAD of soybeans in Northeast China

Pod and seed number are the most important yield components of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Leaf area index (LAI), leaf area duration (LAD) and dry matter accumulation during the reproductive period strongly influence yield components. Our objectives were: to investigate if differences in yield components exist among genotypes differing in both yield and maturity; and to examine the dynamics of dry matter accumulation, LAI, and LAD during the reproductive period for the high-yielding genotypes. Sixteen soybean genotypes within three maturity groups were grown in Hailun, China in a randomized complete block design with three replications, across 2 years. Maturity groups were selected to differ by approximately 7 days in mean days to R₇ (5% of pods are mature pod color). Dry matter accumulation, LAI, and LAD were measured at R₂, R₄, R₅, and R₆ stages, respectively in each year. Yield, yield components and harvest index were determined at maturity. Late maturity genotypes had higher yield than early ones. Majority of the seed yield and components were positioned in the middle and upper part of the plant. Both pod number and seed number were higher in high-yield genotypes in each group. Seed number per pod contributed to increased yield in the high rainfall year but was not related to the variation in yield of the genotypes evaluated. Significant variations were found for LAI, LAD and dry matter within each maturity group. Higher accumulation of dry matter, higher LAI and LAD during reproductive stages were found to be closely related to high-yield genotypes in each group. No relationship was found between harvest index (HI) and seed yield.     

Growth and yield potential of Oryza sativa and O. glaberrima upland rice cultivars and their interspecific progenies

A recent breakthrough in generating fertile progeny from Oryza sativa×O. glaberrima crosses gives rice breeders access to a broader range of germplasm. Interspecific crosses might provide new solutions to the low productivity of upland rice systems prone to weed competition. Two field and one pot experiments conducted during 1995 and 1996 served to characterize growth and yield potential of CG14 (O. glaberrima), WAB56-104 (O. sativa) and their progeny. During the 1995 wet season and the 1996 dry and wet seasons, the lines were seeded in a well-drained upland field in Ivory Coast with supplemental sprinkler irrigation. A randomized complete-block design with three replications was used, with cultivar and nitrogen levels as sub-plots. Specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area index (LAI), leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD method) and tiller number were measured at 2-week intervals until flowering. Grain yield and yield components were measured at maturity. In all environments, CG14 produced two to three times the LAI and tiller numbers as WAB56-104. This was associated with a high SLA and low leaf chlorophyll content. Grain yields of CG14 did not respond to N inputs, although the sink potential did. The difference was mainly caused by grain shattering. The progenies had intermediate LAI, SLA and leaf chlorophyll content, but their grain yields, tiller numbers and resistance to lodging and grain shattering were similar to WAB56-104. Across lines, LAI and SLA were significantly correlated. A paddy field experiment confirmed the relationship between LAI and SLA for a wider range of rice cultivars and interspecific progenies. A pot experiment demonstrated that leaf net CO₂ assimilation rates (A_max) followed a common linear function of areal leaf chlorophyll content across cultivars. The main common cause of differential LAI and A_max appeared to have been genotypic patterns of SLA, which might be an important determinant of growth vigor and competitiveness with weeds. The possibility is discussed of combining, in a single line, high SLA during vegetative growth (for weed competitiveness) with low SLA during the reproductive growth phase (for high yield potential), to produce an efficient plant type for low-management conditions.     

不同灌溉措施下春玉米干物质和养分积累分配特征及其与产量建成的相关性

通过设置田间小区试验,以郑单958为试材,研究漫灌措施下灌溉量4 800(MI1)、7 200(MI2)m3/hm2和滴灌条件下灌溉量4 200(DI1)、4 800(DI2)、5 400(DI3)、6 000(DI4)m3/hm2不同处理玉米地上部干物质和养分的累积与分配特征.结果表明,不同灌溉措施植株总干物质量大小...     

Agronomy of fibre hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in Europe

Fibre hemp may yield up to 25 t above ground dry matter per hectare (20 t stem dry matter ha⁻¹) which may contain as much as 12 t ha⁻¹ cellulose, depending on environmental conditions and agronomy. Its performance is affected by the onset of flowering and seed development. Effects of cultivar and management on yield and quality were tested at three contrasting sites in Italy, the Netherlands and the UK in three years, making use of standardised protocols for experimental design and research methodology. Highest yields (up to 22.5 t dry matter ha⁻¹) were obtained in Italy when later cultivars were used. Attainable yields proved slightly lower in the Netherlands and much lower in the UK. The quality of the cellulose was relatively stable over the growing season, but lignification may proceed rapidly some time after flowering. Crop development was very rapid and crops maintained green leaf area for a long time, thus radiation interception was considerable. The radiation use efficiency changed during development. It was lower after flowering (about 1.0 g MJ⁻¹ PAR) than before (about 2.2 g MJ⁻¹ PAR). Growing earlier cultivars to obtain some seed set advanced the reduction in radiation use efficiency. Nitrogen proved to affect yield only slightly. A relatively small amount of fertiliser will be adequate to cover the crop’s needs. Plant density declined during growth in a site-specific manner when it was high initially. Very low plant densities may not show this self-thinning but reduced yield and (especially) quality. Final plant densities were proven to depend more on initial plant stands than expected from literature. This was true at all three contrasting sites and in the different years. Nitrogen and plant density hardly interacted within one site. Results suggest that hemp can yield large quantities of useful cellulose when ecologically adapted cultivars are sown in proper plant densities. The cultivation is environmentally friendly with little harmful accumulation or emission of chemical inputs. More research on ideotyping is required and breeding efforts should be broadened.     

精量滴灌对覆膜玉米植株性状和产量的影响

在吉林省通榆灌溉试验重点站选取3个地块(10个小区)进行玉米膜下低压精量滴灌试验,研究低压精量滴灌对吉林省自然条件下覆膜玉米株高、叶面积、产量及水分利用效率的影响。研究结果表明,在株高方面,低压精量灌溉和常规灌溉下的变化规律大致相同,均表现为前期快速增长、拔节期后缓慢增长、灌浆后期基本稳定。在叶面积方面,其动态变化均呈单峰型曲线;在产量方面,低压精量滴灌增产幅度达到4%以上;在水分利用率方面,低压精量滴灌下玉米的水分利用率相对较高。     

Nitrogen fertilization and irrigation affects tuber characteristics of two potato cultivars

Nitrogen fertilization, irrigation, and cultivars affect tuber characteristics such as tuber size, specific gravity, and N concentration. Few studies, however, have investigated the interaction of irrigation and N fertilization on the tuber characteristics of potato cultivars, particularly in Atlantic Canada. The objective of this on-farm study, conducted at four sites in each of three years, 1995 to 1997, was to determine the effects of supplemental irrigation and six rates of N fertilization (0-250 kg N ha^-1) on the number of tubers per plant, the average fresh tuber weight, tuber N concentration, nitrate (NO₃-N) concentration, and specific gravity of the cultivars Shepody and Russet Burbank. Nitrogen fertilization increased the average fresh tuber weight, tuber N and N0₃-N concentrations, and decreased specific gravity. Effects of increasing N fertilization on tuber characteristics were often more pronounced for Shepody than for Russet Burbank, and for irrigated than for non-irrigated conditions. Shepody had greater average fresh tuber weight and tuber N concentration, lower specific gravity, and fewer tubers per plant than Russet Burbank. Supplemental irrigation increased the average fresh tuber weight and the number of tubers per plant, but it had a limited effect on specific gravity and tuber N and NO₃-N concentrations. Tuber NO₃-N con centration and specific gravity were strongly related to tuber N concentration, which in turn depended primarily on N fertilization. Incidents of lowest specific gravity and highest NO₃-N concentration occurred with a relative yield close to or equal to 1.0. We conclude that the risks of low specific gravity and high tuber NO₃-N concentration are greater when fertilization exceeds the N requirements to reach maximum tuber yield.     

氮肥减施对夏玉米生长及水氮利用效率的影响

为探索夏玉米减氮增效科学生产模式,研究滴灌水肥一体化条件下氮肥减施对夏玉米形态生长指标、子粒产量、水氮利用效率及土壤硝态氮残留量的影响。以传统畦灌施氮模式(CK,施氮量300 kg/hm²)为对照,滴灌水肥一体化处理依据0～20 cm土层含水率进行补灌,设4个施氮水平(DN120:120 kg/hm²、DN180:180 kg/hm²、DN240:240kg/hm²、DN300:300 kg/hm²)。结果表明,滴灌条件下各处理夏玉米生育期灌水量差异不大,滴灌水肥一体化夏玉米的株高、叶面积指数和地上部干质量随施氮量增加均呈增大趋势,当施氮量超过180 kg/hm²时,处理间各项指标差异不显著。随着氮肥用量的增多,滴灌夏玉米子粒产量和土壤硝态氮残留量逐渐增大,水分利用效率(WUE)呈先增大后减小趋势,氮肥偏生产力(NPFP)逐渐降低。与CK和DN300处理相比,DN180处理玉米子粒产量无显著差异,施氮量减少40%,耗水量减少10.10%～19.99%,WU...     

Performance of drip-irrigated dry-seeded rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.) in South Asia

Drip irrigation in dry-seeded rice (DSR) is a new water-saving cultivation technology; however, very little is known of its productivity and water-saving capacities. The study was conducted for 2 years (2013 and 2014) in a split-plot design in three replicates with treatment combinations of four irrigation regimes [drip irrigation at 1.5, 2.25, and 3.0× pan evaporation (Epan) and flood irrigation at 3.0× Epan] and three nitrogen (N) levels (120, 150, and 180 kg ha^?1). Drip irrigation in DSR resulted in higher grain yield (7.34–8.01 t ha^?1) than flood irrigation (6.63–7.60 t ha^?1) , with water savings of more than 40 %. Water-use efficiency with drip irrigation was higher (0.81–0.88 kg m^?3) than flood irrigation (0.42–0.52 kg m^?3) , being highest with drip irrigation at 1.5× Epan. Root density at soil depths of 15–30 cm was also higher in drip (0.86–1.05 mg cm^?3) as compared to the flood (0.76–0.80 kg m^?3)-irrigated crop. This study implicated that under water-scarce scenario, drip-irrigated DSR is a profitable, and water- and energy-saving technology. This study also suggested that policy focus in future must be tilted towards the promotion of solar-operated drip irrigation in those regions, where DSR is being promoted in the face of water and energy crisis.     

Plant development and yield components under a tropical environment in soybean cultivars with temperate and tropical origins

Cultivar tests under tropical environments could be an approach to explore soybean productivity under high temperature. Twenty-nine soybean cultivars divided into five groups with temperate origin (Japanese and US) and tropical origin (Indonesian-old, Indonesian-modern and other tropical) were grown for two years in a tropical environment at Banten, Indonesia, with minimal season-to-season variation in air temperature and day-length. Temperate cultivars were earlier in flowering and shorter in duration from R1 to R5. Temperate cultivars had a seed yield of 157 g m^?2 (mean temperate cultivars) compared to 249 g m^?2 (tropical cultivars), which was due to having lower values of pods, seed number and TDW. In addition, the occurrence of shriveling and smaller seed size compared to plants grown in their region of origin was considerably evident in Japanese cultivars. To account for the difference of growth duration, a maturity-corrected index for yield and relevant variables was calculated to consider the amount of incident solar radiation. The yield index for all tested cultivars ranged from .49 to 1.48, and Japanese cultivars showed the lowest yield index (.67), followed by US cultivars (.87), whereas tropical cultivars had index means from 1.05 to 1.20. Although they were both of temperate origin, Japanese cultivars tended to show a lower index than US cultivars. The tendency was similar for TDW and node number. The poor performance of temperate cultivars even after correction suggests that there is a genetic variation of adaptation to a tropical environment independent of growth duration. Additionally, there was considerable performance variation within temperate cultivars.