max
FACTS
The Mystery of the Disappearing Nitrogen in Radishes
While a great edible vegetable, radish also makes an excellent cover crop for wheat
or corn as it benefits water quality by taking up nitrogen (in the form of nitrates) from
the soil. Researcher Matt Ruark from the University of Wisconsin-Madison decided
to learn more about nitrate uptake from radishes for the following growing season.
He discovered radish significantly reduced the nitrate content in soil, but there was no
consistent evidence the nitrogen was returned to the dirt as the radish cover crop decomposed.
And radish did not supply nitrogen to the corn crop, despite hopes it would. “Radish grows well
when planted in late summer and traps a lot of nitrogen,” says Ruark. “But the way it decomposes
doesn’t result in a nitrogen fertilizer benefit to the next crop. We don’t know exactly why.”
—eurekaalert.org
Dealing with Pesticide-resistant Weeds and Insect Pests
To slow the evolutionary progression of pesticide-resistant weeds and
insects, policymakers should provide resources for large-scale, landscape-level
studies of some promising but untested approaches for slowing pest evolution. That’s
the recommendation from a North Carolina State University (NCSU) paper addressing
pesticide resistance published in the journal Science. Pesticide resistance exacts
a tremendous toll on US agriculture, costing $10 billion annually. “Resistance
to pesticides is rising in critical weed and insect species, threatening our
ability to harness these pests. Weed species have evolved resistance
to every class of herbicide in use, and more than 550 arthropods
have resistance to at least one pesticide,” says Fred Gould, an
agriculture professor at NCSU and the corresponding author
of the paper. The authors propose studies to test the
efficacy of a pesticide resistance strategy in one large
area (thousands of acres or more) and how weeds
and crop yields compare to large control areas
that don’t utilize that particular strategy.
—sciencedaily.com
Corn Can Handle Heat of Global Warming
Global warming puts some forms of plants at risk,
but researchers found one crop that might not feel the
heat—corn. Contrary to previous
analyses, research published
by Michigan State University
shows projected climate
changes in temperature and
humidity will not lead to greater
water use in corn. This means
corn crop yields can not only
survive, but thrive. “There is
a lot of optimism looking at the
future for farmers, especially in the Midwest,” says Bruno Basso, lead author. In the
US, because of improved hybrids and agronomic practices, corn production has
steadily increased by an average of two bushels per acre every year for the past
40 years. Basso explains that data from the National Corn Growers Association
competition for high yields shows the potential for continued higher yields in the
future. His findings support that climate change won’t hinder its production.
—msu.edu
26
Maximum Yield