| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
a USDA-ARS, Cent. Great Plains Res. Stn., 40335 County Rd. GG, Akron, CO 80720
b Retired, USDA-ARS, Conserv. and Prod. Res. Lab., P.O. Drawer 10, Bushland, TX 79012
c Dep. of Land Resour. and Environ. Sci., Montana State Univ., P.O. Box 173120, Bozeman, MT 59717-3120
* Corresponding author (David.Nielsen{at}ars.usda.gov)
Received for publication January 6, 2004. Successful dryland crop production in the semiarid Great Plains of North America must make efficient use of precipitation that is often limited and erratic in spatial and temporal distribution. The purpose of this paper is to review research on water use efficiency and precipitation use efficiency (PUE) as affected by cropping system and management in the Great Plains. Water use efficiency and PUE increase with residue management practices that increase precipitation storage efficiency, soil surface alterations that reduce runoff, cropping sequences that minimize fallow periods, and use of appropriate management practices for the selected crop. Precipitation use efficiency on a mass-produced basis is highest for systems producing forage (14.5 kg ha–1 mm–1) and lowest for rotations with a high frequency of oilseed crops (4.2 kg ha–1 mm–1) or continuous small-grain production in the southern plains (2.8 kg ha–1 mm–1). Precipitation use efficiency when calculated on a price-received basis ranges from $1.20 ha–1 mm–1 (for an opportunity-cropped system with 4 of 5 yr in forage production in the southern plains) to $0.30 ha–1 mm–1 {for a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]–fallow system in the southern plains}. Throughout the Great Plains region, PUE decreases with more southern latitudes for rotations of similar makeup of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and forages. Forage systems in the southern Great Plains appear to be highly efficient when PUE is computed on a price-received basis. In general across the Great Plains, increasing intensity of cropping increases PUE on both a mass-produced basis and on a price-received basis.
Abbreviations: PSE, precipitation storage efficiency • PUE, precipitation use efficiency based on crop dry matter or seed yield per millimeter of precipitation received • PUE$, precipitation use efficiency based on dollars returned per millimeter of precipitation received • WUE, water use efficiency
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. A. Staggenborg, K. C. Dhuyvetter, and W. B. Gordon Grain Sorghum and Corn Comparisons: Yield, Economic, and Environmental Responses Agron. J., October 21, 2008; 100(6): 1600 - 1604. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. B. Henry, D. C. Nielsen, M. F. Vigil, F. J. Calderon, and M. S. West Proso Millet Yield and Residue Mass following Direct Harvest with a Stripper-Header Agron. J., May 7, 2008; 100(3): 580 - 584. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. W. Cutforth, S. M. McGinn, K. E. McPhee, and P. R. Miller Adaptation of Pulse Crops to the Changing Climate of the Northern Great Plains Agron. J., November 6, 2007; 99(6): 1684 - 1699. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. J. Lyon, D. C. Nielsen, D. G. Felter, and P. A. Burgener Choice of Summer Fallow Replacement Crops Impacts Subsequent Winter Wheat Agron. J., March 12, 2007; 99(2): 578 - 584. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. G. Allen, M. T. Baker, E. Segarra, and C. P. Brown Integrated Irrigated Crop-Livestock Systems in Dry Climates Agron. J., February 6, 2007; 99(2): 346 - 360. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. J. Lopez-Bellido, L. Lopez-Bellido, J. Benitez-Vega, and F. J. Lopez-Bellido Tillage System, Preceding Crop, and Nitrogen Fertilizer in Wheat Crop: I. Soil Water Content Agron. J., January 1, 2007; 99(1): 59 - 65. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. J. Lopez-Bellido, L. Lopez-Bellido, J. Benitez-Vega, and F. J. Lopez-Bellido Tillage System, Preceding Crop, and Nitrogen Fertilizer in Wheat Crop: II. Water Utilization Agron. J., January 1, 2007; 99(1): 66 - 72. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. R. Miller, R. E. Engel, and J. A. Holmes Cropping Sequence Effect of Pea and Pea Management on Spring Wheat in the Northern Great Plains Agron. J., October 31, 2006; 98(6): 1610 - 1619. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. R. Stone and A. J. Schlegel Yield-Water Supply Relationships of Grain Sorghum and Winter Wheat Agron. J., September 5, 2006; 98(5): 1359 - 1366. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. C. Nielsen, M. F. Vigil, and J. G. Benjamin Forage Yield Response to Water Use for Dryland Corn, Millet, and Triticale in the Central Great Plains Agron. J., June 5, 2006; 98(4): 992 - 998. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| The SCI Journals | Crop Science | Vadose Zone Journal | |||
| Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education |
Soil Science Society of America Journal | ||||
| Journal of Plant Registrations | Journal of Environmental Quality |
The Plant Genome | |||
