Correlation of Corn and Soybean Grain Yield with Topography and Soil Properties

Abstract

Analysis of yield variability is an important issue in agricultural research, and topographical land features are among the most important yield‐affecting factors. The objective of this study was to determine how useful topographical information can be, alone or together with selected soil properties, for explaining yield variability on a field scale. Yield–topography–soil relationships were analyzed using dense corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yield data collected from 1994 to 1997, a detailed terrain map, and relatively densely sampled soil organic matter (OM) content, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and P and K soil test concentrations from eight fields in central Illinois and eastern Indiana. Soils of the Illinois fields were classified as Haplaquolls and Argiudolls; soils of the Indiana fields were classified as Hapludalfs. Topographical land features used in the study included elevation, measured with survey grid global positioning system (GPS) and land‐based laser, and slope, curvature, and flow accumulation, derived from elevation data. Soil properties explained about 30% of yield variability (from 5 to 71% for different fields), with OM content influencing yield the most. The cumulative effect of the topographical features explained about 20% of the yield variability (6–54%). Elevation had the most influence on yield, with higher yields consistently observed at lower landscape positions. Curvature, slope, and flow accumulation significantly affected yield only in certain conditions, such as extreme topographical locations (undrained depressions or eroded hilltops) combined with very high or low precipitation. Soil properties and topography explained about 40% of yield variability (10–78%).

Identifying important factors influencing corn yield and grain quality variability using artificial neural networks

“…Elevation is a commonly used topographic attribute in explaining spatial variability in crop yield and was found to be the most important contributing topographic factor in the study of Kravchenko and Bullock (2000). In the present study, corn yield in 1998 in the two fields showed similar responses to relative elevation.…”

“…However, if it is high in clay but low in OM, the soil may become anaerobic when soil water content is high due to poor drainage, which can limit the amount, type and activity of soil organisms and have negative impacts on crop growth and yield. Therefore, the relationship between CEC and crop yield can be positive, negative or non-significant (Jiang & Thelen, 2004;Kravchenko & Bullock, 2000;Nolin, Forand, Simard, Cambouris, & Karam, 2000), depending on soil texture, OM content and soil water status, as affected by weather conditions in a specific year. Field 2 was relatively low in OM, varying from 14.1 to 42.2 g kg )1 , as compared with 13.3 to 62.8 g kg )1 in Field 1 (Table 2).…”

“…Correlation and multiple linear regression (MLR) are commonly used for such purposes (Khakural, Robert, & Huggins, 1999;Kravchenko & Bullock, 2000), but the results are often not satisfactory, even when polynomial and interaction terms are considered (Kitchen, Sudduth, & Drummond, 1999). One problem is that site variables are often correlated among themselves and can produce unreliable results when such variables are used in multiple regression analysis (Mallarino, Oyarzabal, & Hinz, 1999).…”

New Comparative Experiments of Different Soil Types for Farmland Water Conservation in Arid Regions

“…Until presently, scientists have conducted numerous research on the correlation of vertical soil moisture distribution and corn production [30,31]. Some investigators have also conducted research on the relationship of amount of irrigation and quality of irrigated water on soil salt redistribution and spring corn water consumption [32,33].…”

Increasing Precision in Agronomic Field Trials Using Latin Square Designs

“…Variation can stem from a number of sources, including parent materials, topography, vegetation, tillage, fertilization, and cropping history. Kravchenko and Bullock (2000) demonstrated that topographic features alone explained between 6 and 54% of the variability in corn and soybean yields in midwestern soils. Soil physical properties have also been highly correlated with landscape position (Ovalles and Collins, 1986).…”