Browsing by Author "Eickhoff, Elizabeth M."

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    Evaluation of Sorghum Emergence and Grain Yield Response to Seeding Density and Plant Spacing Attained Using the OSU Hand Planter
    (Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 2021) Nambi, Eva; Aula, Lawrence; Oyebiyi, Fikayo B.; Eickhoff, Elizabeth M.; Omara, Peter; Carpenter, Jonathan; Raun, William R.
    Plant spacing and density are important metrics in crop production because they impact the plant’s ability to utilize resources and attain full yield potential. Planting sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) in a more narrow spacing brings about phytochrome-mediated responses, where plants develop narrow leaves, long stems, fewer roots, and this is linked to competition that plants develop for nutrients like nitrogen (N). The Oklahoma State University hand planter (OSU-HP) can improve plant homogeneity and midseason placement of N. However, this crop production tool alongside other agronomic practices have not been adequately evaluated for improving sorghum grain yields. The objective of this work was to evaluate the response of sorghum to planting methods, the number of seeds per hole, within row spacing, and N rate. A randomized complete block design with 13 treatments replicated 3 times was used in this study. The treatments included different combinations of 3 planting methods (John Deere [JD], OSU-HP, and stick planter [check]), 3 within-row spacings (10, 30, and 60 cm), 3 different number of seeds per hole (1, 3, and 6) and 3 N rates (0, 30 and 60 kg ha−1). Average grain yield with 3 seeds per hole was at least 18% higher than the yield range of 0.7 to 4.6 Mg ha−1 achieved with 1 or 6 seeds per hole. This study demonstrated that the production of sorghum using sound agronomic practices could improve yield.
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    Influence of No-Tillage on Soil Organic Carbon, Total Soil Nitrogen, and Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Grain Yield
    (International Journal of Agronomy, 2019) Omara, Peter; Aula, Lawrence; Eickhoff, Elizabeth M.; Dhillon, Jagmandeep S.; Lynch, Tyler; Wehmeyer, Gwendolyn B.; Raun, William
    No-tillage (NT) can improve soil properties and crop yield. However, there are contrasting reports on its benefits compared to conventional tillage (CT). Dataset (2003–2018) from long-term continuous winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) experiments 222 (E222) at Stillwater and 502 (E502) at Lahoma in Oklahoma, USA, established in 1969 and 1970, respectively, was used. Both experiments were managed under CTuntil 2010 and changed to NT in 2011. In each tillage system, treatments included nitrogen (N) rates at E222 (0, 45, 90, and 135 kg·N·ha− 1) and E502 (0, 22.5, 45, 67, 90, and 112 kg·N·ha− 1). (e objective was to determine the change in wheat grain yield, soil organic carbon (SOC), and total soil nitrogen (TSN) associated with the change to NT. Grain yield was recorded, and postharvest soil samples taken from 0–15 cm were analyzed for TSN and SOC. Average TSN and SOC under NT were significantly above those under CT at both locations while grain yield differences were inconsistent. Under both tillage systems, grain yield, TSN, and SOC increased with N rates. At E222, grain yield, TSN, and SOC under NT were 23%, 17%, and 29%, respectively, more than recorded under CT. At E502, grain yield was lower under NT than CT by 14% while TSN and SOC were higher by 11% and 13%, respectively. Averaged over experimental locations, wheat grain yield, TSN, and SOC were 5%, 14%, and 21%, respectively, higher under NTcompared to CT. (erefore, NTpositively influenced grain yield, TSN, and SOC and is likely a sustainable long-term strategy for improving soil quality and crop productivity in a continuous monocropping system.
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    Variability in Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Grain Yield Response to Nitrogen Fertilization in Long-Term Experiments
    (Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 2020) Omara, Peter; Aula, Lawrence; Dhillon, Jagmandeep S.; Oyebiyi, Fikayo; Eickhoff, Elizabeth M.; Nambi, Eva; Fornah, Alimamy; Carpenter, Jonathan; Raun, William
    Crop nitrogen (N) use is always affected by the variability in production environment. Dataset (2001 to 2014) from long-term winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) experiments at Lahoma and Stillwater, Oklahoma was used. Both experiments have a randomized complete block design with four replications, and fertilizer N was applied as urea pre-plant. Responsiveness of grain yield to maximum fertilizer N rate (112 kg ha−1 – Lahoma; 135 kg ha−1 – Stillwater) was compared with that from check plot (0 kg ha−1). The objective was to determine the relative influence of environment, management, and variety on winter wheat grain yield. The combined analysis of variance indicated that the main effect of year, treatment, location, and variety accounted for 29.3%, 21.2%, 3.1%, and 22.6%, respectively of the variance terms. Over the study period, the nonresponsiveness of winter wheat to fertilizer N accounted for 29% and 23% of grain yield at Lahoma and Stillwater, respectively where yield at maximum N rate did not significantly differ from check plot. This highlights the importance of random changes in a crop production environment and its influence in dictating the response to applied N fertilizer. Nitrogen fertilizer losses could be reduced by adopting in-season variable N application techniques.