Estimating plant biomass in agroecosystems using a drop-plate meter.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Agronomy
• Plant Science

Background:

• Estimating plant biomass is crucial for agricultural health and productivity.
• Current destructive methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive.
• Existing indirect methods lack breadth or are overly complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore an indirect, cost-effective method for estimating plant biomass.
• To develop a user-friendly approach for scientists and growers.
• To assess the applicability of a drop-plate meter across diverse crop systems.

Main Methods:

• Utilized drop-plate meter data from over 20 individuals.
• Collected data from 16 crop types on 312 farms across 15 states.
• Developed models to estimate plant biomass within and among crop types.

Main Results:

• A linear model using all crop types explained 67% of plant biomass variation.
• Model performance varied by crop type and stand height due to sample size and system differences.
• The combined dataset model explained more variance than commodity-specific models, except for wheat.

Conclusions:

• The drop-plate method is inexpensive, quick, simple, and accurate for estimating plant biomass.
• The developed model is robust and suitable for multiple crop types and agroecosystems.
• Validation is recommended for crops not included in this study.