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Successful crop management requires understanding relationships between site characteristics and crop yield. We studied intercorrelations among soil and crop properties using factor analysis (FA) and principal components analysis (PCA), and their relationships with soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] within-fi eld yield variability. Site variables (22) measured on 0.2-ha cells of 12-to 20-ha areas of fi ve Iowa fi elds were: elevation; soil texture; extractable nutrients; incidence of soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) (SCN), diseases, and weeds; soybean dry weight (DW), height, and P and K uptake at V5; plant height at R5; and grain yield. Agronomic interpretations of interrelationships among site variables were more straightforward for FA than for PCA. Th e factors conditions for early growth and nutrient uptake and intrinsic soil properties were present in all fi elds, plant P and K availability was present in three fi elds, and the factor soybean pests, weeds or plant growth was present in the other fi elds. Factor analysis and PCA accounted for 62 to 64% of the yield variability in the fi eld with the largest yield CV (30%) and 5 to 35% in the other fi elds (CV 2.8 to 5.9%). Two factors related signifi cantly to yield in two fi elds (plant P and K availability and intrinsic soil properties) while others were specifi c to one fi eld. Factor analysis identifi ed groups of interrelated site variables, showed how they accounted for yield variability, and showed that single measurements seldom account for most yield variation in a fi eld.

Near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics was used to assess nitrogen (N) and dry matter content (DM) and chlorophyll in whole-wheat plant (Triticum aestivum L). Whole-wheat plant samples (n = 245) were analysed by reference method and by visible and NIR spectroscopy, in fresh (n = 182) and dry (n = 63) presentations, respectively. Calibration equations were developed using partial least squares (PLS) and validated using full cross-validation (leave-one-out method). Coefficient of determination in calibration (R 2 CAL ) and the standard error of cross-validation (SECV) for N content in fresh sample presentation, after second derivative, were 0.89 (SECV: 0.64%), 0.86 (SECV: 0.66%) and 0.82 (SECV: 0.74%) using the visible + NIR, NIR and visible wavelength regions, respectively. Dry sample presentation gave better R 2 CAL and SECV for N compared with fresh presentation (R 2 CAL > 0.90, SECV <0.20%) using visible + NIR. The results demonstrated that NIR is a suitable method to assess N concentration in wheat plant using fresh samples (unground and undried).

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Soil sampling approaches have been compared based on soil-test variation. This study evaluated sampling approaches for P and K based on yield response to fertilization. Strip trials were established on four fields for P and three fields for K managed with corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) rotations and evaluated 3 or 4 yr (27 site-years). Treatments replicated three to four times were fertilizer and no fertilizer application. Soil test results from a dense gridpoint sampling (DG) approach (0.08 to 0.27 ha) were used to simulate six approaches: (i) 1.0-ha grid cells (GC), and zones delineated based on (ii) soil series from digitized survey maps (SMZ); (iii) elevation (EZ); (iv) apparent soil electrical conductivity, EC a (ECZ); (v) EZ and ECZ (EECZ); and (vi) EZ, ECZ, and slope (EECSZ). Grain yield monitors, global positioning systems (GPS), and geographical information systems (GIS) were used to describe crop responses. Estimates of soil-test variation were largest for DG, intermediate for GC, and less for other approaches. Crops responded (P # 0.05) to fertilization in 20 site-years. Sampling approaches DG, GC, EZ, EECZ or EECSZ, ECZ, and SMZ identified a differential within-field yield response in 16, 8, 5, 3, 2, and 2 site-years, respectively. Differential yield responses seldom were explained by zone-mean soil-test values. Zone approaches often identified areas with different yield levels but were less effective than DG or GC at describing within-field variation of soil tests and yield response to fertilization. Zone approaches may be more effective in fields with shorter fertilization histories or soils with more contrast in properties.