Location: Adaptive Cropping Systems Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-11660-001-010-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 16, 2016
End Date: Sep 15, 2022
Objective:
1. To conduct a series of experimental investigations using the SPAR units to evaluate cultivar-specific physiological, phenological, and morphological responses of major crops (e.g., maize, potato, soybean) in response to CO2 concentrations, extreme temperatures, drought, nutrient deficiencies, and their combinations.
2. To develop a crop database to manage the phenotypic data from the SPAR experiments.
3. To utilize the database for developing, improving, and testing crop simulation models for climate impact analyses, site and climate specific crop genotype selection, and on-farm decision support system applications for climate-smart agriculture.
Approach:
A series of controlled environmental studies will be conducted using the SPAR units in Beltsville, MD to identify crop phenotypic responses under a wide range of environmental conditions where specific abiotic factors (e.g., extreme temperatures, drought, N and P deficiencies) are expected to limit the performance of major crops: maize, potato, soybean and others. Multiple cultivars selected from old era to recent periods for each crop will be investigated. The experimental data will be compiled into a crop database that can be used for crop modeling and climate change research.
