Global Maize Project in the United States: Ames, Iowa
IPNI-2010-USA-GM26
25 Mar 2010
2009 Annual Interpretive Summary
Iowa has the largest area planted to maize of all corn producing states in the U.S. and it also has yields that are among the highest in the country. Iowa is within the Mississippi River Basin, which is an area of intense environmental scrutiny due to issues related to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Examining the gap between average and potential yields provides important information about future production growth in this state as well as other areas in the U.S. Midwest. Attaining greater production requires the identification of combinations of management practices that allow corn hybrids to fully express their genetic potential while limiting nutrient losses. These management practices are conceptualized by the term “ecological intensification (EI).” Field experiments are being planned for the 2010 cropping season that compare current farmer practices to what scientists at this center currently believe comprises EI practices. Within this study, N use efficiency will be measured to determine if EI practices can achieve both higher production levels as well as greater N use efficiency. IPNI-26