Physiology of Crop Yield
Second edition
by Robert Hay

Physiology of Crop Yield Second edition draws on recent developments in areas such as phenology, canopy dynamics and crop modeling, and the concepts of sustainable crop production.

A broad perspective is developed, from the gene through the plant and crop to the ecosystem, covering:

• Advances in molecular biology relating to crop science
• Limitation of crop yield by the supply of water or nitrogen
• Global climate change and its impact on crop modeling
• Physiological aspects of crop quality
• A wider range of species, with emphasis on wheat, maize and soybean

Contents

Development and Phenology. How Crops Fit Their Environment: Concepts and Case Histories

• Crop Development: Concepts and Tools
• Case Histories: The Influence of Environment and Management on Crop Development and Phenology

Interception of Solar Radiation by the Canopy

• The Life History of a Leaf
• The Components of Plant Leaf Area Expansion
• The Development of the Crop Canopy: Leaf Area Index
• Canopy Architecture and the Interception of Solar Radiation

Photosynthesis and Photorespiration

• Photosynthetic Efficiency
• Photosynthetic Processes
• The C4 Photosynthesis Mechanism
• Water Shortage and Photosynthesis
• Nitrogen Effects on Photosynthesis
• Ozone Effects on Photosynthesis and Crop Productivity

The Loss of CO2: Respiration

• The Basis of Crop Respiration
• Growth and Maintenance Respiration
• The Respiration of Different Plant Substrates
• Growth and Maintenance Respiration in the Field
• Respiration Associated with Crop Processes
• Environmental Effects on Respiration
• Crop Respiration in the Future

The Partitioning of Dry Matter to Harvested Organs

• The Processes and Pathways of Assimilate Partitioning
• Ontogeny and Assimilate Partitioning: A Survey of Source/Sink Relationships
• Time Courses of Dry Matter Partitioning: Harvest Index
• Limitation of Yield by Source or Sink
• Sink Limitation of Yield in Cereals – Physiology of Ineffective Grain Setting
• Assimilate Partitioning and Crop Improvement: Historic Trends in Harvest Index of Wheat and Barley
• Assimilate Partitioning and Crop Improvement: Historic Trends in Harvest Index of Maize
• Assimilate Partitioning to Potato Tubers
• Assimilate Partitioning in Grassland: Implications for Management of Grass Yield
• Assimilate Partitioning in Grassland: Implications for the Overwintering and Early Growth of White Clover
• Assimilate Partitioning in Diseased Plants: Temperate Cereals Infected with Biotrophic Fungal Pathogens

Limiting Factors and the Achievement of High Yield

• Limitation by Water Supply
• Limitation by Nitrogen Supply
• Achieving High Yield: Resource Capture and Assimilate Partitioning

Physiology of Crop Quality

• Wheat: Protein content
• Soybean: Oil and Protein Contents
• Oilseed Rape: Glucosinolates and Erucic Acid
• Potato: Tuber Size and Processing Quality
• The Quality of Conserved Forages: Ontogeny and Yield

The Simulation Modelling of Crops

• Building a Crop Model
• Crop Models of Wheat (AFRC2), soybean (CROPGRO) and maize
• Modelling Variety Differences and Traits

The Future for Crop Physiology

• Lowering Inputs
• Climate Change
• Quality
• New Crops
• The Potential for Increasing Crop Photosynthesis and Yield
• The Last Words

Index

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