Effect of Drilled Seeding and Nitrogen Rate on Grain Sorghum Yield in Southwest Kansas (original) (raw)

Interaction of Seeding and Nitrogen Rate on Grain Sorghum Yield in Southwest Kansas

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study compared drilled planted sorghum at four seeding rates to planted sorghum at three different nitrogen (N) fertility levels at two locations in southwest Kansas (Garden City and Tribune). At the Garden City location, no difference was observed in yield among the drilled seeded sorghum populations greater than 27,000 seeds/a compared to the standard planted sorghum (sorghum planted at 27,000 seeds/a with a planter at 30 in.-row spacing). At Tribune, there was no difference in yield between the drilled sorghum and the standard planted sorghum (sorghum planted at 40,000 seeds/a with a planter at 30 in.row spacing) regardless of seeding rate. Nitrogen fertilizer did not interact with seeding rate or affect yield independently at either location. The use of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to assess canopy coverage suggested that planted sorghum and drilled sorghum at population greater than 40,000 seeds/a may achieve canopy coverage at a faster rate. In general, nitrogen rate and seeding rates did not affect sorghum yield. However, we did observe that drilled planted sorghum was more at risk of irregular stand emergence and required a higher seeding rate to achieve canopy closure at a rate similar to that of planted sorghum.

Seeding Practices, Cultivar Maturity, and Irrigation Effects on Simulated Grain Sorghum Yield

Agron J, 2006

Grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is adapted for use in dryland and irrigated cropping systems on the southern High Plains. Irrigation in this region relies on the declining Ogallala aquifer, and applications are transitioning from full to deficit evapotranspiration replacement. Our objective was to identify optimum planting date, population, row spacing, and cultivar maturity combinations to maximize grain sorghum yield using the SORKAM model and long-term (1958-1999) weather records at Bushland, TX, for a Pullman soil (fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Torrertic Paleustoll) with reduced irrigation. Grain sorghum growth and yield was simulated under dryland and deficit-or full-irrigation conditions (rain 1 irrigation 5 2.5 or 5.0 mm d 21) for all combinations of planting date (15 May, 5 June, 25 June), cultivar maturity (early, 95 d; medium, 105 d; late, 120 d), population (12 and 16 plants m 22), and row spacing (0.38 and 0.76 m). Simulated grain yield was unaffected by planting population but increased 7% for narrow compared with wide row spacing independent of other treatment effects. Results suggest two alternative management practices to optimize yield for the southern High Plains depending on potential irrigation capacity: (i) where rain plus supplemental irrigation was ,0.2.5 mm d 21 , plant early-maturing cultivars during June and (ii) where rain plus supplemental irrigation approaches 5.0 mm d 21 , plant late-maturing cultivars on 15 May. Earlymaturity cultivars planted on 5 June were better adapted to dryland and deficit irrigation for optimum grain yield on a southern High Plains Pullman soil.

Factors Related to Dryland Grain Sorghum Yield Increases

Agronomy Journal, 1999

years in studies at the Laboratory and (ii) identify factors primarily responsible for the yield increases. Yield Grain yields of dryland (nonirrigated) grain sorghum [Sorghum trends for irrigated sorghum are not included in this bicolor (L.) Moench], a major crop in the southern Great Plains, more than tripled in studies at the USDA-ARS Conservation and report. Production Research Lab., Bushland, TX, during the period from 1939 to 1997. Our objectives were to document the yield increases MATERIALS AND METHODS that occurred and to determine factors primarily responsible for the Crop Performance Data yield increases. Factors evaluated were annual precipitation, growingseason rainfall, soil water content at planting, soil water use, growing-Data for this report are from past or ongoing research season evapotranspiration, and year of record. For the report, we conducted from 1939 through 1997 at the USDA-ARS Conserassembled 502 treatment-years of grain yield data from 37 studies.

Growing Dryland Grain Sorghum in Clumps to Reduce Vegetative Growth and Increase Yield

Agronomy Journal, 2006

Stored soil water and growing season precipitation generally support early season growth of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) in dryland areas but are insufficient to prevent water stress during critical latter growth stages. The objective of this study was to determine if growing plants in clumps affected early season growth and subsequent grain yield compared to uniformly spaced plants. We hypothesized that growing grain sorghum plants in clumps would result in fewer tillers and less vegetative growth so that more soil water would be available during the grain-filling period. Results from 3 yr at Bushland, TX, and 1 yr at Tribune, KS, showed that planting grain sorghum in clumps of three to six plants reduced tiller formation to about one per plant compared to about three for uniformly spaced plants. Grain yields were increased by clump planting by as much as 100% when yields were in the 1000 kg ha 21 range and 25 to 50% in the 2000 to 3000 kg ha 21 range, but there was no increase or even a small decrease at yields above 5000 kg ha 21. Our results suggest that planting grain sorghum in clumps rather than spaced uniformly conserves soil water use until later in the season and may enhance grain yield in semiarid dryland environments.

Grain Sorghum Response to Row Spacing and Plant Populations in the Texas Coastal Bend Region

International Journal of Agronomy, 2012

Two grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) studies were conducted in the Coastal Bend Region of Texas over a two-year period. In one study, sorghum growth and yield were compared when planted in a single row on beds or planted in twin rows on beds with different plant populations under dryland or irrigation. Above average rainfall occurred in May 2000 which resulted in twin rows at any plant population producing higher yields than the single row at lower plant population. In 2001, single-row plantings with either plant population (124,000–160,000 or 161,000–198,000 plants/ha) produced higher yield than twin rows planted at 161,000–198,000 plants/ha. Under irrigation, twin rows planted at 161,000–198,000 plants/ha produced higher yields than single row at the same population; however, no other yield differences were noted when row systems or plant populations were compared. In another study, 38 cm row spacings were compared with 76 cm row spacings under two plant populations. In 2...

Grain Sorghum Response to Water Supply and Environment

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports, 2016

Three grain sorghum hybrids were selected to compare under different water supply scenarios across Kansas. The environments ranged from dryland in western Kansas to dryland and irrigated in central and eastern Kansas. The three hybrids that were selected represent different sorghum genotypes used commercially. Looking at two situations from higher and lower yielding environments, hybrids 1 and 3 had different strategies to attain final yields. In the higher yielding environment, both grain harvest index (HI, expressed as the dry weight ratio of grain yield to plant biomass at maturity) and biomass were maximized for hybrid 1 and hybrid 2. In the lower yielding environment, their yields were similar, but hybrid 1 produced less biomass and had a greater HI. Hybrid 3 exhibited the opposite scenario in that environment: greater biomass production and smaller HI. Following these outcomes, grain sorghum hybrids use multiple strategies to produce grain yield in each environment. In high yielding environments though, plants need to maximize both biomass and efficiency in partitioning to grain.

Sorghum Management Practices Suited to Varying Irrigation Strategies

Agronomy Journal, 2007

Increasing pumping costs and declining well capacities in regions like the Southern High Plains of Texas are requiring producers to adapt cropping practices for use with irrigation levels that vary between complete replacement of crop evapotranspiration (ET) to none (i.e., dryland production). Grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a crop suited to both dryland and various deficit irrigation production systems. Our objectives were to (i) identify cultural practices (planting date, population, and cultivar maturity) that maximize sorghum grain yield for widely varying irrigation strategies; and (ii) consider effective means to allocate available water among irrigation strategies that maximizes the ratio of yield to ET, that is, water use efficiency (WUE). Using the model SORKAM and long-term (1958-1999) weather records from Bushland, TX, we simulated sorghum grain yields on a Pullman soil (fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Torrertic Paleustoll) under dryland (rain) and three deficit irrigation levels (rain 1 irrigation 5 2.5, 3.75, or 5.0 mm d 21) for all combinations of planting date (mid-May, 15 May; early June, 5 June; and late June, 25 June), cultivar maturity (early, 95 d; medium, 105 d; late, 120 d), and plant density (12 and 16 plants m 22). For 2.5 mm d 21 irrigation level, simulated grain yields were maximized with either early or medium-maturing cultivars planted in early June. In contrast, simulated sorghum yield and WUE increased with a mid-May planting date and later-maturing cultivars for irrigation levels of 3.75 and 5.0 mm d 21. We conclude that spreading water to uniformly irrigate a field with 2.5 mm d 21 produces |16% less grain than concentrating the same water resources to variably irrigate a field at 3.75 or 5.0 mm d 21 with complementary (2:1 and 1:1) dryland areas.

Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Research Studies 2020

2020

In 2020, the Corn and Grain Sorghum Research Verification Program (CGSRVP) was conducted on 9 irrigated cornfields. Counties that were participating included Ashley, Chicot, Drew, Lawrence, Lonoke, Mississippi (2), Poinsett, and White. Average yields were 202.0 bu./ac for irrigated corn. State average irrigated corn yields for 2020 was 184 bu./ac respectively (USDA-NASS, 2020). Economic returns to total costs/acre were $160.55 when no land charges were applied. Seed cost and fertilizer/nutrients accounted for 24% and 30% of total expenses, respectively. 1 Program Associate, Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, Monticello. 2 Professor, Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, Little Rock. 3 Instructor, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Conservation and Crop Budget Economist, Jonesboro. 4 Professor, College of Forestry, Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Arkansas at Monticello. VERIFICATION AAES Research Series 677 6 phosp...

Sorghum Yield Response to Water Supply and Irrigation Management

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports, 2016

Grain sorghum yield, under full and limited irrigation, was evaluated at three locations in western Kansas (Colby, Tribune, and Garden City). The top-end yield under full irrigation was 190 bu/a. However, there were no significant differences among irrigation treatments at all the three locations due to the above normal rainfall received during the 2015 growing season. These preliminary results indicate that there is potential to improve grain sorghum yields under limited irrigation. Additionally, best management practices to maximize kernels per head could have the greatest effect on grain yields.

Skip-Row and Plant Population Effects on Sorghum Grain Yield

Agronomy Journal, 2010

In environments with limited rainfall, skip-row confi guration (planting one or a group of rows alternated with rows not planted) under rainfed conditions may increase yield of grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] due to conservation of soil water between widely-spaced crop rows that is not accessed until late in the growing season. A fi eld study was conducted over 10 siteyears in Nebraska from 2005 through 2007 to evaluate eff ects of row confi guration and plant population on grain yield and yield stability. Th ree row confi gurations including all rows planted with a 76-cm row spacing (s0), alternate rows planted (s1), and two rows planted alternated with two rows skipped (s2) were evaluated with two plant populations. At the site with the greatest precipitation of 496 mm skip-row confi guration reduced grain yield by 20 to 30% compared with s0. At low precipitation sites of 319 mm with larger soil water defi cits, grain yield increased 5 and 123% with s1 and s2 compared to s0. Th e s0 treatment outperformed skip-row confi gurations when mean yield was above 4.5 Mg ha -1 . Skip-row confi gurations also had greater yield stability than conventional planting. Skip-row confi guration will be advantageous to a producer if the total in-season available water (initial total profi le water + growing season precipitation) is <675 mm.