Abstract
Crop yield is fundamentally related to the (a) amount of solar radiation absorbed; (b) efficiency of solar energy use in photosynthesis; (c) translocation of photosynthate to sinks, especially sinks later harvested; (d) capacity for growth in sinks; (e) efficiency of converting photosynthate to new biomass; and (f) metabolic cost of maintenance. Yield potential has been defined as the yield of a cultivar grown in an environment to which it is suited, with ample nutrients and water, and with pests, diseases, weeds, lodging, and other stresses effectively controlled (Evans and Fischer 1999). In principle, it integrates the genetic limitations on (a)–(f) as expressed in yield. It is an upper limit to on-farm yield of a cultivar, based on empirical study of that cultivar. As distinct from yield potential, potential yield is the yield theoretically possible from a given amount of absorbed solar energy and a specified crop biochemical composition. It is a theoretical construct based on known stoichiometries of biochemical reactions.
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Amthor, J. (2007). Improving photosynthesis and yield potential. In: RANALLI, P. (eds) Improvement of Crop Plants for Industrial End Uses. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5486-0_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5486-0_2
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