Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization and Plant Density on Proso Millet ( Panicum miliaceum L.) Growth and Yield under Mediterranean Pedoclimatic Conditions

Enrico Palchetti, Michele Moretta (), Alessandro Calamai, Marco Mancini, Matteo Dell’Acqua, Lorenzo Brilli, Paolo Armanasco and Alberto Masoni
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Enrico Palchetti: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, DAGRI, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy
Michele Moretta: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, DAGRI, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy
Alessandro Calamai: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, DAGRI, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy
Marco Mancini: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, DAGRI, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy
Matteo Dell’Acqua: Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
Lorenzo Brilli: Institute for the Bioeconomy, National Research Council of Italy, CNR-IBE, 50145 Firenze, Italy
Paolo Armanasco: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, DAGRI, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy
Alberto Masoni: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, DAGRI, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-10

Abstract: In recent years, the dry-land cereal proso millet has become an interesting crop for cultivation in the Mediterranean environment due to the consequences of climate change. It can be considered a resilient crop because it is particularly successful in extreme drought and high-temperature conditions. The goals of this research study were to compare different plant densities (D) and nitrogen fertilization rates (N) in millet ( Panicum miliaceum ), evaluating morphological, productive, and phenological traits. A 2-year field experiment was carried out in Italy, and millet (var. Sunrise) was subjected to four nitrogen fertilization rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg N ha −1 ) in interaction with three plant densities (55, 111, and 222 plants m 2 ). Significant differences were found in all the investigated plant traits. The highest grain yield data (i.e., 3.211 kg ha −1 and 3.263 kg ha −1 ) and total biomass (i.e., 11.464 kg ha −1 and 11.760 kg ha −1 ) were obtained with the N rate of 150 kg ha −1 and density of 222 plants m 2 . Regarding protein content, the highest values were observed using N50, N100, and N150 (ranging from 10.03% to 10.14%) and with D55 (10.43%). Phenological parameters were affected by both plant density and nitrogen amount and decreased when higher levels of these two factors were employed.

Keywords: plant density; nitrogen; Panicum miliaceum; drought-resistant crop (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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