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Soil Carbon Increased By Twice The Amount Of Biochar Carbon Applied After 6 Years: Field Evidence Of Negative Priming, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, David A. Laird, Emily A. Heaton, Samuel Rathke, Bharat Sharma Acharya
Soil Carbon Increased By Twice The Amount Of Biochar Carbon Applied After 6 Years: Field Evidence Of Negative Priming, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, David A. Laird, Emily A. Heaton, Samuel Rathke, Bharat Sharma Acharya
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
Applying biochar to agricultural soils has been proposed as a means of sequester-ing carbon (C) while simultaneously enhancing soil health and agricultural sustain-ability. However, our understanding of the long-term effects of biochar and annual versus perennial cropping systems and their interactions on soil properties under field conditions is limited. We quantified changes in soil C concentration and stocks, and other soil properties 6 years after biochar applications to corn (Zea mays L.) and dedicated bioenergy crops on a Midwestern US soil. Treatments were as fol-lows: no-till continuous corn, Liberty switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), and low-diversity prairie grasses, 45% big bluestem …
Strategic Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum) Production Within Row Cropping Systems: Regional-Scale Assessment Of Soil Erosion Loss And Water Runoff Impacts, Enheng Wang, R. M. Cruse, Bharat Sharma-Acharya, Daryl E. Herzmann, Brian K. Gelder, David E. James, Dennis C. Flanagan, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Robert B. Mitchell, David Laird
Strategic Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum) Production Within Row Cropping Systems: Regional-Scale Assessment Of Soil Erosion Loss And Water Runoff Impacts, Enheng Wang, R. M. Cruse, Bharat Sharma-Acharya, Daryl E. Herzmann, Brian K. Gelder, David E. James, Dennis C. Flanagan, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Robert B. Mitchell, David Laird
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
A strong need exists for tools to assess the efficacy of conservation practices across large regions supporting informed policy decisions that may lead to better soil and water conservation while optimizing agricultural production options. Perennial warm-season grasses (WSGs) such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), can be grown on marginally productive and/or environmentally sensitive lands to meet growing bioenergy demands while reducing water runoff and soil erosion compared to current row crop systems. Quantifying the soil and water conservation effects of WSG when strategically placed on the landscape would help support decisions favoring both economic and environmental benefits. We used the Daily …
Impact Of Drought On Chemical Composition And Sugar Yields From Dilute-Acid Pretreatment And Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Miscanthus, A Tall Fescue Mixture, And Switchgrass, Amber Hoover, Rachel Emerson, Allison Ray, Daniel Stevens, Sabrina Morgan, Marnie Cortez, Robert Kallenbach, Matthew Sousek, Rodney Farris, Dayna Daubaras
Impact Of Drought On Chemical Composition And Sugar Yields From Dilute-Acid Pretreatment And Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Miscanthus, A Tall Fescue Mixture, And Switchgrass, Amber Hoover, Rachel Emerson, Allison Ray, Daniel Stevens, Sabrina Morgan, Marnie Cortez, Robert Kallenbach, Matthew Sousek, Rodney Farris, Dayna Daubaras
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
Environmental factors like drought impact the quality of biomass entering a bioconversion process. Drought often reduces the sugar content in lignocellulosic biomass, which could have economic impacts, particularly when compounded with losses in dry biomass yield; however, the effects on conversion efficiency are not completely understood. This study investigated how drought may impact biomass composition and sugar yields from dilute-acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of Miscanthus, a tall fescue mixture, and switchgrass from Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma, respectively, grown as part of Regional Feedstock Partnership field trials. Samples were grown and harvested in 2010 during non-drought conditions and in …
Global Changes In Mineral Transporters In Tetraploid Switchgrasses (Panicum Virgatum L.), Nathan A. Palmer, Aaron J. Saathoff, Brian M. Waters, Teresa Donze, Tiffany M. Heng-Moss, Paul Twigg, Christian M. Tobias, Gautam Sarath
Global Changes In Mineral Transporters In Tetraploid Switchgrasses (Panicum Virgatum L.), Nathan A. Palmer, Aaron J. Saathoff, Brian M. Waters, Teresa Donze, Tiffany M. Heng-Moss, Paul Twigg, Christian M. Tobias, Gautam Sarath
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L) is a perennial, C4 grass with great potential as a biofuel crop. An in-depth understanding of the mechanisms that control mineral uptake, distribution, and remobilization will benefit sustainable production. Nutrients are mobilized from aerial portions to below-ground crowns and rhizomes as a natural accompaniment to above-ground senescence post seed-set. Mineral uptake and remobilization is dependent on transporters, however, little if any information is available about the specific transporters that are needed and how their relative expression changes over a growing season.Using well-defined classes of mineral transporters, we identified 520 genes belonging to 40 different transporter …
Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L) Flag Leaf Transcriptomes Reveal Molecular Signatures Of Leaf Development, Senescence, And Mineral Dynamics, Nathan A. Palmer, Teresa Donze-Reiner, David Horvath, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Brian M. Waters, Christian M. Tobias, Gautam Sarath
Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L) Flag Leaf Transcriptomes Reveal Molecular Signatures Of Leaf Development, Senescence, And Mineral Dynamics, Nathan A. Palmer, Teresa Donze-Reiner, David Horvath, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Brian M. Waters, Christian M. Tobias, Gautam Sarath
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
Switchgrass flag leaves can be expected to be a source of carbon to the plant, and its senescence is likely to impact the remobilization of nutrients from the shoots to the rhizomes. However, many genes have not been assigned a function in specific stages of leaf development. Here, we characterized gene expression in flag leaves over their development. By merging changes in leaf chlorophyll and the expression of genes for chlorophyll biosynthesis and degradation, a four-phase molecular roadmap for switchgrass flag leaf ontogeny was developed. Genes associated with early leaf development were up-regulated in phase 1. Phase 2 leaves had …
Switchgrass Contains Two Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenases Involved In Lignin Formation, Aaron J. Saathoff, Christian M. Tobias, Scott E. Sattler, Eric J. Haas, Paul Twigg, Gautam Sarath
Switchgrass Contains Two Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenases Involved In Lignin Formation, Aaron J. Saathoff, Christian M. Tobias, Scott E. Sattler, Eric J. Haas, Paul Twigg, Gautam Sarath
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
Lignin content of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a bioenergy species, is a critical determinant of biomass quality since it can negatively impact conversion of biomass into liquid fuels via biochemical platforms. Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) is a key enzyme in lignin biosynthesis. Here, we have shown that cv. Kanlow switchgrass contains at least two closely related CAD genes (PviCAD1 and PviCAD2) that code for proteins containing highly conserved domains and residues that identify them as bona fide CADs. Both recombinant proteins displayed substrate kinetics consistent with their presumed role in cell wall lignification. Proteomic and immunoblotting detected …
Efficient Methods Of Estimating Switchgrass Biomass Supplies, Marty R. Schmer, Robert B. Mitchell, Kenneth P. Vogel, Walter H. Schacht, David B. Marx
Efficient Methods Of Estimating Switchgrass Biomass Supplies, Marty R. Schmer, Robert B. Mitchell, Kenneth P. Vogel, Walter H. Schacht, David B. Marx
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is being developed as a biofuel feedstock for the United States. Efficient and accurate methods to estimate switchgrass biomass feedstock supply within a production area will be required by biorefineries. Our main objective was to determine the effectiveness of indirect methods for estimating biomass yields and composition of switchgrass fields. Indirect measurements were conducted in eastern Nebraska from 2003 to 2007 in which switchgrass biomass yields were manipulated using three nitrogen rates (0 kg N ha-1, 60 kg N ha-1, and 120 kg N ha-1) and two harvest periods …
Switchgrass For Forage And Bioenergy: I. Effects Of Nitrogen Rate And Harvest System, Maru Kering, J. T. Biermacher, Billy Cook, John A. Guretzky
Switchgrass For Forage And Bioenergy: I. Effects Of Nitrogen Rate And Harvest System, Maru Kering, J. T. Biermacher, Billy Cook, John A. Guretzky
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has been targeted for cellulosic ethanol production. Our objective was to evaluate effects of location, harvest system, and N fertilizer rates on switchgrass biomass yield and N, P, and K removal. Randomized complete block experiments with four replications were established on one-year old stands of ‘Alamo’ switchgrass at two Oklahoma locations in 2008. Harvest system and N rate interactions affected total annual yield. Biomass yields ranged from 9020 to 10530 kg/ha across harvest systems when no N was applied. With application of 179 kg N/ha, biomass yields averaged 10715, 13912, and 16516 kg/ha when harvested at …
Farm-Scale Production Cost Of Switchgrass For Biomass, Richard K. Perrin, Kenneth P. Vogel, Marty R. Schmer, Robert B. Mitchell
Farm-Scale Production Cost Of Switchgrass For Biomass, Richard K. Perrin, Kenneth P. Vogel, Marty R. Schmer, Robert B. Mitchell
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
The economic potential of cellulosic biomass from switchgrass has heretofore been evaluated using estimates of farm costs based on extrapolation from experimental data and budget estimates. The objective of the project reported here was to estimate the cost of production that would be experienced by farmers on commercial production situations. Switchgrass was produced as a biomass crop on commercial-scale fields by ten contracting farmers located from northern North Dakota to southern Nebraska. Results showed a wide range of yields and costs across the five production years and ten sites, with an overall average cost of $65.86 Mg-1 of biomass …
Soil Carbon Storage By Switchgrass Grown For Bioenergy, Mark A. Liebig, Marty R. Schmer, Kenneth P. Vogel, Robert B. Mitchell
Soil Carbon Storage By Switchgrass Grown For Bioenergy, Mark A. Liebig, Marty R. Schmer, Kenneth P. Vogel, Robert B. Mitchell
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
Life-cycle assessments (LCAs) of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) grown for bioenergy production require data on soil organic carbon (SOC) change and harvested C yields to accurately estimate net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To date, nearly all information on SOC change under switchgrass has been based on modeled assumptions or small plot research, both of which do not take into account spatial variability within or across sites for an agro-ecoregion. To address this need, we measured change in SOC and harvested C yield for switchgrass fields on ten farms in the central and northern Great Plains, USA (930 km latitudinal …
Prediction Of Leaf:Stem Ratio In Grasses Using Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy, Alexander J. Smart, Walter H. Schacht, Jeffrey F. Pedersen, Daniel J. Undersander, Lowell E. Moser
Prediction Of Leaf:Stem Ratio In Grasses Using Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy, Alexander J. Smart, Walter H. Schacht, Jeffrey F. Pedersen, Daniel J. Undersander, Lowell E. Moser
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
Leaf:stem ratio of grass stands is an important factor affecting diet selection, quality, and forage intake. Estimates of leaf:stem ratios commonly are based on a labor intensive process of hand separating leaf and stem fractions. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used successfully to predict forage quality and botanical composition of vegetation samples. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of NIRS to predict leaf:stem ratios in big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), switchgrass (Punicum virgatum L.), and smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.). A total of 72 hand-clipped samples of each species was taken …
Sod-Seeding Perennial Grasses Into Eastern Nebraska Pastures, John F. Sampson, Lowell E. Moser
Sod-Seeding Perennial Grasses Into Eastern Nebraska Pastures, John F. Sampson, Lowell E. Moser
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications
Eastern Nebraska and neighboring areas have large amounts of depleted pastures which consist of annual bromegrasses (Bromus spp.), Kentucky bluegrass (Poapratensis L.), and numerous broadleaf weeds. Such pastures need renovation but complete seedbed preparation is expensive and may enhance erosion. The objective of our study was to determine if sod-seeding grasses offered an alternative to complete seedbed preparation. Three weedy pastures in southeast Nebraska on a Hastings silty clay loam (fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Udic Argiustoll), a Lamo silty clay loam [fine-silty, mixed (calcareous), mesic Cumulic Haplaquoll], and a Geary silty clay loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Udic Argiustoll) were …