Global Maize Project in Mexico: Celaya, Guanajuato

Vegetative growth and the potential to accumulate yield, consequently the need to supply nutrients, vary with the conditions of the different locations where corn is cultivated. This is particularly true in the corn producing areas of tropical Latin America where the diverse climate conditions result in different yield potentials. In tropical areas, latitude and altitude have a profound effect in yield accumulation. For these reasons, it’s necessary to determine yield potential and attainable yield with the best known management practices. It´s also necessary to quantify the effect of such management in nutrient use efficiency, particularly nitrogen.





Methodology

A field experiment was designed to test the following treatments in a long term experiment:
1. Best crop management including all needed nutrients and the best population. This treatment will adjusted each year according with the results of the previous years.
2. Farmer management. All changes made by the farmers along the time will be included.
3. Same as treatment 1 without nitrogen application.
4. Same as treatment 1 with nitrogen application 2 out of 3 consecutive years.
Experiment layout is presented in the following Figure:






Objectives
1. Determine corn yield potential in the main corn producing areas of tropical Latin America utilizing the Hybrid Maize simulation model.
2. Determine long term attainable yield with the best known management practices, and establish and reduce the yield gap between attainable yield and yield potential.
3. Determine yield with the normal farmer management of the area and establish and reduce yield gaps between farmers yield and attainable yield with the best known management practices and yield potential.
4. Evaluate the effect of reducing the yield gaps on nutrient use efficiency, particularly nitrogen.







Justification


Millions of hectares are cultivated annually with corn in Latin America, but only Brazil and Argentina produce enough to export grain consistently. In the countries located the in tropical areas of Latin America grain is utilized for human consumption and animal feed. Corn cultivation is strategic for these countries for food security and as a source of employment. Until not too long ago, little attention was provided to corn production from different sectors of the economy, mainly due to the possibility to import grain at a lower price than the corn produced locally. Local production costs are relatively high due to low yields as a consequence of the lack of technology. For diverse circumstances, availability of corn in the international market in 2008 was low and this situation increased international prices and provided an opportunity for local production. However, international prices decreased again due to the economic crisis that affected the world in 2009. Its general consensus that corn international prices will not reach those of 2008, but they will not decrease to the levels seen at the beginning of this decade. The effect of all this economical commotion on grain availability and prices left several preoccupations among governments of the region. Perhaps the biggest concern was the real possibility of suffering shortages of corn supply which can endanger food security of several countries of the region. This fact has stimulated agronomic programs in government and private agencies to increase corn yields. The only way that farmers of the region can transform corn production in a profitable and sustainable activity is increasing yields to competitive levels.
Corn production in the countries of tropical Latin America has confronted productivity problems attributed soil fertility loss, use of low yielding varieties and inappropriate use of the new high yielding hybrids. However, research conducted in the region has demonstrated that yield can be improved substantially with the use of the right technology in crop management, particularly population and nutrition.
Vegetative growth and the potential to accumulate yield, consequently the need to supply nutrients, vary with the conditions of the different locations where corn is cultivated. This is particularly true in the corn producing areas of tropical Latin America where the diverse climate conditions result in different yield potentials. In tropical areas, latitude and altitude have a profound effect in yield accumulation. For these reasons, it’s necessary to determine yield potential and attainable yield with the best known management practices. It´s also necessary to quantify the effect of such management in nutrient use efficiency, particularly nitrogen.