Weather conditions in the southwestern U.S. are variable and influence crop growing periods with late spring and early fall frosts which significantly impact cropping seasons. With the development of new maize hybrids, grain yield, evapotranspiration, and water use efficiency can be substantially impacted by planting density and planting date. Thus, it is critical that the optimum plant density and planting date for maximum grain yield be determined for local conditions. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate six plant densities (54700, 64600, 74600, 88000, 101700 and 120100 pph) under seven planting dates (from April 23 to June 5 in 2019 and from April 21 to June 10 in 2020) to determine the planting window and the optimum density. Plots were sprinkler irrigated and crop management was similar across all planting dates during the two growing seasons. The results showed that crop height and leaf area index varied with plant density and planting date. Grain yield also varied with plant density and planting date. The highest grain yield (16.8 Mg ha^-1) was observed under the density 101,700 pph and the first planting trended to provide the best grain yield in 2019. In 2020, the highest grain yield (17.77 Mg ha^-1) was obtained under the density 88,000 pph and the May 18 planting provided the best grain yield and the greatest WUE. Plant density 88,000 plant /ha was revealed the optimum density that maximized grain yield and WUE and maize planting after May 25 is not recommended.

Low forage yields from old alfalfa stands are often a result of poor management practices. Appropriate agronomic amendments such as potassium (K) fertilization and harvest time can help revive the yielding potentials of old alfalfa stands. A study was conducted on a 13-yr old alfalfa stand at UW SAREC, Lingle in 2019 to determine K × harvest time interaction effect on yield response of old alfalfa stands. Six K rates (0, 56, 112, 168, 224, and 280 kg K₂O ha^-1) were applied to alfalfa. Alfalfa was harvested at two harvest times (early harvest, late bud to early [10%] bloom; late harvest, 7 days after early harvest). Treatments were organized in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The 224 kg K₂O ha^-1produced the highest total forage yield (8.0 Mg ha^-1) at early harvest, while 168 kg K₂O ha^-1produced the highest total forage yield (8.6 Mg ha^-1) at late harvest. Differences in plant growth at both harvest times might have influenced the amount of K required to improve yield. There was a quadratic relationship (P= 0.01, R²= 0.39) between forage yield and relative water content of alfalfa. This suggests that the moisture content in alfalfa in conjunction with K and harvest management plays an important role in alfalfa for yield potential. Overall, preliminary results of the study indicate that applying K to old stands of alfalfa based on when to harvest could be a viable option to improve forage production of declining old alfalfa stands.

Smart agriculture (SA) is an innovative concept gaining popularity with an expected market value of $33 billion by 2027. Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have significant potential to transform agriculture by analyzing Big Data to provide valuable insights and data-driven decision support systems (DSSs). Large scale production systems capitalize on SA technologies to improve production efficiency while preserving valuable fossil waters and minimizing fertilizer, chemical, and labor inputs. Small and mid-scale production systems (SMSPSs) account for 42.6% of the US agriculture production value compared to 43.8% for large scale systems. Implementing SA technologies in SMSPSs can be inefficient and cost prohibitive. This presentation addresses challenges and solutions for establishing “smart co-ops” to harness the full potential of SA to optimize production efficiency, sustainability, and profitability in SMSPSs. Producers need low-cost DSSs that integrate local climate data with soil moisture sensors and multispectral imaging to identify and proactively manage crop stresses. Rural and economically distressed communities often lack the resources and infrastructure to support internet of things (IoT) connectivity. Therefore, establishing a network of smart ag co-ops capable of data collection and management for secure, anonymous data sharing is paramount for enhancing the contribution of S-MPSSs to global food security. Smart co-ops could better distribute equipment costs and ML computational requirements among its members. To train the future workforce, bridging the communication gap among current and future producers, agronomists, and computer scientists is vital for maintaining sustainable production systems and food security into the future.

Corn (Zea mays L.) is a versatile crop, ranked third in acerage within Mississippi (MS). Nonetheless, current stagnant yield, inefficient nitrogen (N) recovery, and fertilizer cost fluctuations are inflicting economic losses and contributing to environmental degradation. Failure to seek a new strategy poses a risk to meeting the global food demand, creating uncertainty in food supply. The utilization of biostimulants in agricultural practices has garnered significant interest due to their potential to enhance crop productivity and reduce environmental impact. Thus, a field study was carried out in 2022 and 2023 at two locations in MS. A split plot design was implemented, with four N rates as main plot including 0 (control), 90, 180, 224 kg N ha^-1 at Starkville and an additional 270 kg N ha^-1 at Stoneville. Subplot factor was six microbial biostimulants (Source^®, Envita^®, iNvigorate^®, Blue N^®, Micro AZ^TM, and Bio level phosN^®) applied as both foliar and in-furrow at V4-V5 growth stages, alongwith a no biostimulant check. R statistical software was used to analyze the data. Nitrogen rates significantly influenced grain yield at all site years, whereas biostimulants showed no effect on yield. Specifically, in Starkville 2023 the yield varied from 3.77 Mg ha^-1 in control to 12.15 Mg ha^-1 at 180 kg N ha^-1. In Stoneville (2022 & 2023) the yield ranged from 6.55 to 14.20 Mg ha^-1. Overall, microbial biostimulants had no impact on corn yield and further research on diverse biostimulant categories is warranted to reveal their potential benefits for productivity and environmental sustainability.

Urea based nitrogen (N) fertilizers commonly used in TN hay production systems are susceptible to ammonia volatilization during urea hydrolysis. Under hot, humid conditions the potential for volatilization increases. To minimize volatilization losses, producers will apply N stabilizer products, such as Agrotain or Nutrisphere. Enhanced efficiency fertilizers, such as Environmentally Smart Nitrogen (ESN), may offer better protection against N loss and extend N availability throughout the growing season. This research aims to evaluate the influence of stabilized and enhanced efficiency fertilizers on dry matter yield (DMY) in TN hay production systems. In 2023, 2 m x 3 m plots were established in a mixed species hay field at Cookeville, TN. The experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments were a control (zero N), untreated urea, urea treated with either Agrotain, Altera, or Nutrisphere, and ESN. Treatments were applied at 56 kg ha^-1. After 30 d, plots were harvested and analyzed for DMY using PROC GLM (α=0.05) (SAS v9.4). Yields ranged between 800 kg ha^-1 (Nutrisphere) and 1020 kg ha^-1 (ESN). Compared to the control (859 kg ha^-1), there were no differences among treatments. Rainfall was received 48 h after fertilizer application and was well distributed throughout the growing season likely minimizing the potential for N loss. Producers could apply ESN to maximize DMY. However, research under more controlled conditions is necessary.

Remote sensing techniques and the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have simplified the estimation of yield and plant health in many crops. Family selection in sugarcane breeding programs relies on weighed plots at harvest, which is a labor intensive process. In this study we utilized UAS-based remote sensing to estimate family yields for a second ratoon crop. Multiple families from the commercial breeding program were planted in a randomized complete block design by family. Standard red, green, and blue imagery was acquired with a commercially available UAS and RGB camera. The CIMMYT Breedpix software was utilized to calculate color indices using the CIELab color space model. Multiple linear regression were used to identify the best model to estimate second ratoon cane plot weight (kg). A multiple regression model which included family, and seven different color indices produced a significant R² of 0.84 and an adjusted R² of 0.76. This indicates that it is possible to make family selection predictions of cane weight without harvesting the field. The adoption of this technology has the potential decrease labor requirements and increase breeding efficiency.

In Brazil, Eucalyptus plantations have been established in soils subjected to drought periods. Potassium has an important role in plant capacity for tolerating low water availability. Pots experiments are well controlled and allow the prediction of results under field conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different potassium rates and water stress levels on morphological and physiological characteristics of Corymbia citriodora (Hook.) K. D. Hill & L. A. S. Johnson plants. Plants at 28 cm height were put into pots which contained 5 dm³ Red Latosol. Fertilizer doses used 0, 40, 80 and 120 mg dm^-3 K₂O and the humidity levels promoted were 50-80%, 65-80% and 80% field capacity. At 60 days after the potting, the plants were under mild (50-80%) and severe stress (65-80%) had reduced height growth in comparison to well-watered ones. High potassium levels decreased stomatal conductance but they did not affect the photosynthesis rate. The experiment results suggested that C. citriodora young plants have better development with 40 mg dm^-3 K₂O application and field capacity between 70 and 80% depending on the analyzed characteristic.

Arizona industrial hemp growers face challenges growing their crops in the field, including seed germination, seedling establishment, and soil conditions. The objective study was to investigate how soil types and fertilizer application influence industrial hemp seedling growth. We grew three different cultivars of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L. ‘Frost Lime’, ‘RN13’, and ‘Serenity’) with two different soil types obtained from two farm locations in Arizona (Yuma and Waddell) inside a greenhouse at an average temperature of 23°C. Based on soil analysis, Waddell and Yuma soils were classified as silt loam and sandy loam, respectively. As a fertilizer, we applied liquid anaerobic digestate from food waste at electrical conductivities (EC) of 1 and 2 mS∙cm^-1. Under an EC of 1 mS∙cm^-1, the average germination rates for three cultivars were 46% with a silt loam and 17% with a sandy loam. A similar trend was observed under an EC of 2 mS∙cm^-1, but increasing nutrient concentration slightly decreased the germination rates. At the seedling stage, seedlings grown with silt loam generally had greater seedling height and leaf size than those grown with sandy loam at the same nutrient concentration. In addition, increasing nutrient concentration or EC of the fertilizer from 1 to 2 mS∙cm^-1 promoted leaf chlorophyll accumulation in all three cultivars tested regardless of soil types. In conclusion, our results suggest that industrial hemp seedlings can establish better with silt loam than with sandy loam and increasing EC of fertilizer up to 2.0 mS·cm^–1 can enhance industrial hemp seedling growth regardless of soil types.

More than half of the traffic to Wiley Online Library in the past year came from search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and so on. Now more than ever, it is important that you put yourself in position to be found (something you can done prior to publication) and this can be helped through search engine optimization (SEO). SEO – the process of improving the ranking of a webpage in a search engine’s results so your article appears at the top of the list.

This presentation will focus on four broad steps featuring examples:

1. Use keywords - Choose relevant keywords and key phrases and use throughout article
2. Choose a smart title - Must be descriptive and incorporate key phrases related to your topic
3. Write a good abstract - Express key points and findings from your article in simple terms
4. Build links - Create a network of inbound links and citations to your article
5. Ways to promote your article after publication

Hemp irrigation, cultivar, and nutrient management experiments are being established in Logan, Utah in 2020. Results of these trials will be presented.