Physiological Determinants of Crop Growth and Yield in Maize, Sunflower and Soybean: Their Application to Crop Management Modeling and Breeding

This review focuses on the mechanisms determining yield in maize, sunflower and soybean, the three major summer crops of the Argentinean Pampas. Emphasis is given to the capture of light by the crop canopy and the processes determining grain set and grain filling. A strong correlation between grain yield and the physiological status of crops or plants at crop-specific critical periods is confirmed. This basic physiological information is used (i) to evaluate and understand the effect of agricultural management practices on crop yield and (ii) as the source of concepts and quantitative relationships for crop simulation models. Finally, we discuss the relevance of the described physiological processes for crop breeding. (C) 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.