Biomass and integrated forage/biomass yields of switchgrass as affected by intercropped cool- and warm-season legumes

Warwick, Kara S.; Allen, Fred L.; Keyser, Patrick D.; Ashworth, Amanda J.; Bates, Gary E.; Tyler, D. D.; Lambdin, Paris; Harper, Craig A.

doi:10.2489/jswc.71.1.21

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Furthermore, the different fertilization levels did not significantly affect the yield, and this may be attributed to the switchgrass's low input requirements on the one hand and on the other by the fact that nitrogen-fixing legumes might have supplied a portion of the N diet for switchgrass production. Similar experiments with legume–switchgrass mixed stands resulted in yields that exceeded those of monoculture [ 35 ], in line with the results of the present study. According to previous experiments, cultivating a variety of plants promotes resource conservation, while the synergies between productivity and biodiversity are also strengthened [ 36 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Could a Legume–Switchgrass Sod-Seeding System Increase Forage Productivity?

Giannoulis

Bartzialis

Skoufogianni

et al. 2022

Plants

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Nowadays, the lack of cattle feed, particularly green fodder, has become a key limiting factor in the agricultural economy. Switchgrass appears to offer a viable solution to the feed shortage. An improved cultivation practice might be needed to boost switchgrass forage production all season long. This study was conducted to quantify the positive effects of introducing different legume crops (vetch and pea), optimally fertilized, on the production and quality of mixed harvested switchgrass–legumes hay in late spring (May) and switchgrass hay harvested once more in early fall (September). The studied intercropping systems, independently of the legume species used, increased forage productivity (almost threefold), reaching 7.5 t ha−1 and quality characteristics, with protein content almost rising threefold, reaching 12.5%. The aforementioned practice can assist the perennial crop (switchgrass) in providing a high hay production during the early fall harvest, even without fertilization. The overall annual economic benefit for the farmers may be increased by 90–720 € per ha, depending on the prevailing weather conditions. Overall, it may be concluded that the suggested cropping system produces a significantly higher yield of cattle feed compared to traditional monocultures, improving the agricultural economy while reducing the negative effects of modern agriculture on the environment.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Could a Legume–Switchgrass Sod-Seeding System Increase Forage Productivity?

Giannoulis

Bartzialis

Skoufogianni

et al. 2022

Plants

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Differences in polyculture species’ growth habit, management, photosynthetic pathway, and rate of legume maturity impacts the effects of the symbiosis on companion crop [ 7 ]. C 4 grass polycultures had 48% greater CP when grown in mixtures compared to monocultures, whereas diverse C 3 grass mixtures only increased CP by 21%.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Worldwide biodiversity is in decline, especially in agricultural systems. Positive legume-grass associations have been reported in grassland ecosystems [ 1 , 2 , 3 ], as well as in semi-natural agricultural grasslands [ 4 – 6 ]; however, research on increased species diversity in C 4 systems has reported little to no NPP benefit in the humid-Southeastern U.S. [ 7 , 8 ]. These studies indicate that variations in sward species diversity, stand age, and photosynthetic pathway of both companion (legume intercrop) and main crops (grass species) may affect NPP, N 2 fixation capabilities, and nutritive quality for animal fodder systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global meta-analysis reveals agro-grassland productivity varies based on species diversity over time

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ecological research suggests increased diversity may improve ecosystem services, as well as yield stability; however, such theories are sometimes disproven by agronomic research, particularly at higher diversity levels. We conducted a meta-analysis on 2,753 studies in 48 articles published over the last 53 years to test: if biological N2 fixation (BNF) supplies adequate nitrogen (N) for plant growth relative to synthetic fertilizers; how crop physiological traits affect legume-grass symbiosis; and, how cultural practices affect BNF over a range of soils and climates overtime (in polycultures versus sole grasslands). Globally, net primary productivity (NPP; total aboveground production response of grass and legume in higher-diversity treatments) increased 44% via legume associations relative to sole grass controls (including both with and without N fertilizer). Several moderating variables affected NPP including: (i) plant photosynthetic pathway (mixtures of C3 grasses resulted in a 57% increase in NPP, whereas mixtures of C4 grasses resulted in a 31% increase; similarly cool-season legumes increased NPP 52% compared to a 27% increase for warm-season legumes relative to grasslands without diversity); (ii) legume life cycle [NPP response for perennial legume mixtures was 50% greater than sole grass controls, followed by a 28% increase for biennial, and a 0% increase for annual legumes)]; and, (iii) species richness (one leguminous species in a grassland agroecosystem resulted in 52% increase in NPP, whereas >2 legumes resulted in only 6% increases). Temporal and spatial effect sizes also influenced facilitation, considering facilitation was greatest (114% change) in Mediterranean climates followed by oceanic (84%), and tropical savanna (65%) environments; conversely, semiarid and subarctic systems had lowest Rhizobium-induced changes (5 and 0% change, respectively). Facilitation of grass production by legumes was also affected by soil texture. For example, a 122% NPP increase was observed in silt clay soils compared to 14% for silt loam soils. Niche complementarity effects were greatest prior to 1971 (61% change), compared to recent studies (2011–2016; -7% change), likely owing to reduced global sulfur deposition and increased ambient temperatures overtime. These historical trends suggest potential for legume intercrops to displace inorganic-N fertilizer and sustainably intensify global NPP. Results herein provide a framework for ecologists and agronomists to improve crop diversification systems, refine research goals, and heighten BNF capacities in agro-grasslands.

show abstract

“…We relate this difference to the biological N 2 fixation in T. pratense , while grass depends on the available N in the soil and rhizosphere. N derived from the atmosphere by biological N 2 fixation can also be susceptible to leaching ( Böhm et al, 2009 ; Warwick et al, 2016 ). Promising further steps in research would be to explicitly combine species in intercropping systems that have complementary root architecture ( Malézieux et al, 2009 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Legume Intercropping With the Bioenergy Crop Sida hermaphrodita on Marginal Soil

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The cultivation of perennial biomass plants on marginal soils can serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional biomass production via annual cultures on fertile soils. Sida hermaphrodita is a promising species to be cultivated in an extensive cropping system on marginal soils in combination with organic fertilization using biogas digestates. In order to enrich this cropping system with nitrogen (N) and to increase overall soil fertility of the production system, we tested the potential of intercropping with leguminous species. In a 3-year outdoor mesocosm study, we intercropped established S. hermaphrodita plants with the perennial legume species Trifolium pratense, T. repens, Melilotus albus, and Medicago sativa individually to study their effects on plant biomass yields, soil N, and above ground biomass N. As a control for intercropping, we used a commercial grass mixture without N2-fixing species as well as a no-intercropping treatment. Results indicate that intercropping in all intercropping treatments increased the total biomass yield, however, grass species competed with S. hermaphrodita for N more strongly than legumes. Legumes enriched the cropping system with fixed atmospheric nitrogen (N2) and legume facilitation effects varied between the legume species. T. pratense increased the biomass yield of S. hermaphrodita and increased the total biomass yield per mesocosm by 300%. Further, the total above ground biomass of S. hermaphrodita and T. pratense contained seven times more N compared to the mono-cropped S. hermaphrodita. T. repens also contributed highly to N facilitation. We conclude that intercropping of legumes, especially T. pratense and T. repens can stimulate the yield of S. hermaphrodita on marginal soils for sustainable plant biomass production.

show abstract

Biomass and integrated forage/biomass yields of switchgrass as affected by intercropped cool- and warm-season legumes

Cited by 12 publications

References 24 publications

Could a Legume–Switchgrass Sod-Seeding System Increase Forage Productivity?

Could a Legume–Switchgrass Sod-Seeding System Increase Forage Productivity?

Global meta-analysis reveals agro-grassland productivity varies based on species diversity over time

Legume Intercropping With the Bioenergy Crop Sida hermaphrodita on Marginal Soil

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About