Regional Feedstock Partnership 21 Switchgrass Report Vance Owens South Dakota State University Knoxville, TN 15-17 February 211 Field trial PIs: D. Bransby and C. Hopkings (AL), E. Heaton (IA), R. Farris (OK), R. Mitchell (NE), D. Viands and H. Mayton (NY), J. Fike (VA) Many others involved
Overall Objective! Establish and perform replicated field trials of diverse herbaceous biomass feedstocks at different locations for assessing potential expansion of these feedstocks as a bioenergy resource
Herbaceous crops information Species Relative plot size Species lead Institution Switchgrass Large Vance Owens SDSU Miscanthus Small Tom Voigt Univ. of Ill. Sorghum Small Bill Rooney Texas A&M Energycane Small Brian Baldwin Miss. State Univ. CRP mixtures Large DoKyoung Lee Univ. of Ill.
Switchgrass objective! Assess yield potential and quality parameters of switchgrass grown in different environments using standard agricultural practices
Switchgrass cultivar selection! Locally adapted cultivar for each location! Background and continued questions
North Central Sunburst Alamo Maturity differences Sunburst Alamo
Southeast lowland/upland
Long-term persistence Biomass yield (ton/ha) 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 Cave-In-Rock Year Sunburst 2 21 22 23 CIR DAC SBS
Switchgrass field trial locations and PIs! 28! Alabama David Bransby, Carla Hopkins! New York Don Viands, Hilary Mayton! Oklahoma Rodney Farris! South Dakota Vance Owens (sustainability site Tom Schumacher, Shannon Osborne, Dave Clay, Chang Oh Hong)! Virginia John Fike! 29! Iowa Emily Heaton! Nebraska Rob Mitchell
Switchgrass Trial Information Location Cultivar Planting Date Area (ha) Alabama Alamo May 21 7.3 Oklahoma Blackwell 2 Sep 28 7.3 New York Cave-In-Rock 29 May 28 4.9 South Dakota Sunburst 17 May 28 9.7 Virginia Alamo 1 July 28 6. Iowa Cave-In-Rock 8 May 29 7.3 Nebraska Shawnee 5 May 26 22.7
Experimental Design! Field scale (.4 to.8 ha experimental units)! Four replicates across landscape! Nitrogen (, 56, 112 kg ha -1 ) applied in 29 and 21 to all sites established in 28 or 29! NE location did not have N treatments! Locally adapted cultivar at each location Planting at Ames, IA 8 May 29
Alabama Switchgrass common trial location diversity Oklahoma Virginia Iowa New York South Dakota
Data collection! Initial soil characteristics utilizing minimum soil data set! Total organic carbon; soil ph; Total N; Bulk density; Soiltest P and K! Yield using standard equipment! Subsamples from plots for chemical characterization! Samples from windrow and/or from bales have been sent to INL! Samples are also being analyzed locally for other estimates of biomass quality! Other
Switchgrass harvest dates in 29 and 21 Location 29 Harvest 21 Harvest Area (ha) Alabama NA NA TBD Oklahoma 13 Nov. 28 Oct. 7.3 New York 22 Oct. 2 Nov. 4.9 South Dakota 28 Oct. 5 Nov. 9.7 Virginia 1 Jan. 21 Jan. 211 6. Iowa NA 18 Nov. 7.3 Nebraska An/Re An/PF 22.7
Fertilizer application Bristol, SD 5 June 29 (7 ft boom)
Switchgrass establishment based on frequency method of Vogel and Masters (21) 1 9 8 7 6 29 21 SD NY 5 4 3 Frequency (%) 2 1 9 8 VA IA 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 56 112 56 112 56 112 56 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Switchgrass establishment Bristol, SD 25 June 29 Bristol, SD 2 July 21
Switchgrass stand establishment in OK 3 25 29 21 Frequency (Plants/m 2 ) 2 15 1 5 56 112 56 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Switchgrass harvest Virginia 21 Ithaca, NY 22 October 29 Bristol, SD 28 October 29 Virginia 21
Switchgrass production at common treatment locations (SD, NY, VA, OK, and IA) and in NE. Field Scale Yield (Mg/ha) Year Anthesis Post-Frost Regrowth 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 29 21 b a a SD a b b NY 26-5.6-27 7.4 8.7 4.5 28 13.5 1.1 2.2 29 11.2-2.9 21 11.7 1.8 - Dry matter yield (Mg ha-1) 12 1 8 6 4 2 12 1 8 b ab a VA IA OK 56 112 56 112 N application rate (kg N ha-1) 6 4 2 56 112 56 112 N application rate (kg N ha-1)
Visual effect of N (SD in mid July) 112 56 112 56
Switchgrass biomass characteristics! Sample collection at each location! INL! Local analysis! Total N! Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) used to estimate cellulose and hemicellulose! Acid detergent lignin (ADL)! Ash
Nitrogen concentration in switchgrass (SD, NY, OK, and IA) 14 29 12 21 1 SD NY 8 N concentration (g N kg -1 ) 6 4 2 14 12 1 ab b a OK IA 8 6 4 2 56 112 56 112 56 112 56 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Nitrogen removed in switchgrass (SD, NY, OK, and IA) N removal (kg N ha -1 ) 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 b 29 21 ab a 56 112 56 112 b ab a SD OK 56 112 56 112 NY IA N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Apparent N recovery (SD, NY, OK, and IA) 2 15 1 29 21 SD NY 5 N recovery (%) -5 15 OK IA 1 5-5 56 112 56 112 56 112 56 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Nitrogen use efficiency (SD, NY, OK, and IA) 4 29 21 a SD NY 3 2 a a b NUE (kg biomass kg N -1 ) 1-1 4 3 b b OK IA 2 1 a b b -1 56 112 56 112 56 112 56 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Switchgrass cellulose concentration (SD, NY, OK, and IA) 5 29 21 4 LSD.5 = 6.7 SD NY 3 2 Cellulose (g kg -1 ) 1 5 4 OK IA 3 2 1 56 112 56 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 ) 56 112 56 112
Switchgrass hemicellulose concentration (SD, NY, OK, and IA) 4 3 29 21 LSD.5 = 1.8 SD NY 2 Hemicellulose (g kg -1 ) 1 3 LSD.5 = 12.8 OK IA 2 1 56 112 56 112 56 112 56 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Switchgrass lignin concentration (SD, NY, OK, and IA) 1 8 29 21 SD LSD.5 = 5.2 NY 6 4 2 Lignin (g kg -1 ) 8 LSD.5 = 3.7 OK IA 6 4 2 56 112 56 112 56 112 56 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Switchgrass ash concentrations (SD, NY, OK, and IA) 2 15 29 21 SD NY 1 LSD.5 = 8.3 LSD.5 = 6.4 5 LSD.5 = 6.1 Ash (g kg -1 ) LSD.5 = 4.7 OK IA 15 1 LSD.5 = 8.3 5 56 112 56 112 56 112 56 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Harvest date and storage effects on switchgrass dry matter loss stored 12 months (NE) Bale & Storage August DM Loss Post Frost DM Loss Mean DM Loss Square (%) (%) (%) Open 37.8 42.5 4.2 Covered 4.9 2.7 3.8 Barn 11.8 5.9 Round 3x Open 13. 6.5 Covered 5.1 2.6 Barn 2.5 1.3 Round 4x Open 1.5 2.4 6.5 Covered 5.4 2.7 Barn 3.6.9 2.3
Ethanol from Glucose was Reduced by an Average of 28.1% by Harvesting After Frost and Storing for 12 Months Bale & Storage August Ethanol Post Frost Ethanol Difference (August PF) Square (mg/g) (mg/g) (mg/g; %) Open 58.9 42.2 16.7 (28.4) Covered 87.4 59.2 28.2 (32.3) Barn 97.8 68.4 29.4 (3.1) Round 3x Open 87.4 65.5 21.9 (25.1) Covered 92.5 67.2 25.3 (27.4) Barn 85.5 66.1 19.4 (22.7) Round 4x Open 87.3 59.2 28.1 (32.2) Covered 89.9 64.5 25.4 (28.3) Barn 89.9 66.3 23.6 (26.3)
Switchgrass harvest 21 (SD-top, NY-bottom)
Switchgrass root characteristics Switchgrass roots (right) in a Typic Fragiudept soil and root development in cool season grass alleyway (left) (NY).
Switchgrass root biomass at various depths the year after establishment (Bristol, SD) Root biomass (kg ha -1 ) 2 4 6 8 1 15 3 Soil depth (cm) 45 6 N rate kg N ha -1 N rate 112 kg N ha -1 1 29
Total switchgrass root biomass to a depth of 1 m the year after planting (Bristol, SD) 29 Total root biomass (Mg ha -1 ) at 1 m depth 3 2 1 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Switchgrass root C at various depths (Bristol, SD) Root C (kg C ha -1 ) 1 2 3 4 15 3 Soil depth (cm) 45 6 N rate kg N ha -1 N rate 112 kg N ha -1 1 29
Total switchgrass root C to a depth of 1 m (Bristol, SD) 1.2 29 Total root carbon (Mg C ha -1 ) at 1 m depth 1..8.6.4.2. 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Carbon concentration of switchgrass biomass (Bristol, SD 29) Carbon conc. of above ground biomass (g C kg -1 ) 44 43 42 41 4 29 a b 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Switchgrass C removal (Bristol, SD 29) 29 Above ground biomass C (Mg C ha -1 ) 3 2 1 112 N application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Monthly NO 3 concentration in leacheate collected from lysimeters placed 1 m deep (Bristol, SD) NO3 concentration (mg L -1 ) 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 29 N kg N ha -1 N 112 kg N ha -1 LSD=.47 LSD=.58 21 LSD=1.2 N kg N ha -1 N 56 kg N ha -1 N 112 kg N ha -1 LSD=1.11 Aug. Sep. Oct. Jun. Jul. Sep. Oct. Nov. Month
Cumulative leaching of NO 3 throughout growing season on switchgrass plots (Bristol, SD) 25 29 21 NO3 leaching (kg N ha -1 ) 2 15 1 5 56 112 56 112 Nitrogen application rate (kg N ha -1 )
Monthly DOC concentration in leacheate (Bristol, SD) 29 21 DOC concentration (mg L -1 ) 16 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 N kg N ha -1 N 112 kg N ha -1 Aug. Sep. Oct. Jun. Jul. Sep. Oct. Month
Dissolved organic carbon (Bristol, SD) 29 21 5 DOC leaching (kg C ha -1 ) 4 3 2 1 112 112 Nitrogen applicaiton (kg N ha -1 )
Gas measurements
Challenges thus far! Establishment (AL)! Weather/field conditions! Economics
211 Plans! All sites will apply treatments and harvest biomass! Biomass chemical composition! Continue sustainability work at SD location! Two publications! Economics of establishment and first two harvest years! N use
Summary! 21 yields from 4-12 Mg ha -1 depending on location! Variable response to N