Comparative productivity of alternative cellulosic bioenergy cropping systems in the North Central USA

Sanford, Gregg R.; Oates, Lawrence G.; Jasrotia, Poonam; Thelen, Kurt D.; Robertson, G. Philip; Jackson, Randall D.

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2015.10.018

Cited by 75 publications

(103 citation statements)

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“…Moreover, ethanol yields are likely to differ among cropping systems because both biomass production (Sanford et al, 2016) and sugar content (Garlock et al, 2012;Godin et al, 2013) from harvested crops can vary considerably in time and space.…”

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confidence: 99%

Biomass Production a Stronger Driver of Cellulosic Ethanol Yield than Biomass Quality

et al. 2017

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Core Ideas Fermentable sugars were greatest in corn stover > perennial grasses > polycultures. Corn stover had the highest ethanol content. Miscanthus had the highest ethanol yield potential on a per hectare basis. Ethanol yield potential per hectare of switchgrass ≥ corn stover. Biomass yield was the strongest driver of per hectare ethanol yield. Many crops have been proposed as feedstocks for the emerging cellulosic ethanol industry, but information is lacking about the relative importance of feedstock production and quality. We compared yield and sugar content for seven bioenergy cropping systems in south‐central Wisconsin (ARL) and southwestern Michigan (KBS) during three growing seasons (2012 through 2014). The cropping systems were (i) continuous corn stover (Zea mays L.), (ii) switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), (iii) giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus Greef & Deuter ex Hodkinson & Renvoize), (iv) hybrid poplar (Populus nigra × P. maximowiczii A. Henry ‘NM6’), (v) native grass mix, (vi) early successional community, and (vii) restored prairie. A high‐throughput pretreatment and fermentation assay showed corn stover with the highest sugar content (213 g glucose kg−1 [Glc] and 115 g xylose kg−1 [Xyl]) followed by the two monoculture perennial grass treatments (154 [Glc] and 88 [Xyl]) and then the herbaceous polycultures (135 [Glc] and 77 [Xyl]). Biomass production and sugar content were combined to calculate ethanol yields. Miscanthus had the highest per hectare ethanol yields (1957 l ha−1 yr−1 ARL, 2485 l ha−1 yr−1 KBS) followed by switchgrass (1091 l ha−1 yr−1 ARL, 1017 l ha−1 yr−1 KBS) and corn stover (1121 l ha−1 yr−1 ARL, 878 l ha−1 yr−1 KBS). Perennial grass cropping systems (i.e., switchgrass and miscanthus) had higher per hectare ethanol yields at both sites relative to diverse systems that included dicots. Despite feedstock differences in fermentable sugars, biomass production was the strongest driver of per hectare ethanol yield.

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Biomass Production a Stronger Driver of Cellulosic Ethanol Yield than Biomass Quality

et al. 2017

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“…There is some previous evidence to support our finding. Sanford et al (2016) reported that four-year average harvest efficiency increased from 35% in prairie (a mix of graminoids and forbs) to 61% in monoculture switchgrass [20]. However, at another site, the same study reported a mere one percentage point increase in five-year average harvest efficiency from mixed prairie to switchgrass [20].…”

Section: Harvest Efficiency Is Greater In Graminoids Compared To Forbsmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Sanford et al (2016) reported that four-year average harvest efficiency increased from 35% in prairie (a mix of graminoids and forbs) to 61% in monoculture switchgrass [20]. However, at another site, the same study reported a mere one percentage point increase in five-year average harvest efficiency from mixed prairie to switchgrass [20]. Therefore, while harvest efficiency is generally greater in graminoids than forbs, the precise difference in harvest efficiency between graminoids and forbs may depend upon the individual plant species and harvest methods.…”

Section: Harvest Efficiency Is Greater In Graminoids Compared To Forbsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prairies Thrive Where Row Crops Drown: A Comparison of Yields in Upland and Lowland Topographies in the Upper Midwest US

Haden

Dornbush

2016

Agronomy

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Cellulosic biofuel production is expected to increase in the US, and the targeted establishment of biofuel agriculture in marginal lands would reduce competition between biofuels and food crops. While poorly drained, seasonally saturated lowland landscape positions are marginal for production of row crops and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), it is unclear whether species-diverse tallgrass prairie yield would suffer similarly in saturated lowlands. Prairie yields typically increase as graminoids become more dominant, but it is uncertain whether this trend is due to greater aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) or higher harvest efficiency in graminoids compared to forbs. Belowground biomass, a factor that is important to ecosystem service provisioning, is reduced when switchgrass is grown in saturated lowlands, but it is not known whether the same is true in species-diverse prairie. Our objectives were to assess the effect of topography on yields and live belowground biomass in row crops and prairie, and to determine the mechanisms by which relative graminoid abundance influences tallgrass prairie yield. We measured yield, harvest efficiency, and live belowground biomass in upland and lowland landscape positions within maize silage (Zea mays L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and restored tallgrass prairie. Maize and winter wheat yields were reduced by more than 60% in poorly drained lowlands relative to well-drained uplands, but diverse prairie yields were equivalent in both topographic settings. Prairie yields increased by approximately 45% as the relative abundance of graminoids increased from 5% to 95%. However, this trend was due to higher harvest efficiency of graminoids rather than greater ANPP compared to forbs. In both row crops and prairie, live belowground biomass was similar between upland and lowland locations, indicating consistent biomass nutrient sequestration potential and soil organic matter inputs between topographic positions. While poorly drained, lowland landscape positions are marginal lands for row crops, they appear prime for the cultivation of species-diverse tallgrass prairie for cellulosic biofuel.

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“…Still, in practice, the adoption rate of annual polycultures has remained relatively low [133], and it is difficult to select and devise the optimum cultivation design [134]. Sanford et al [135] could not verify yield advantages of diversity for mixed perennial bioenergy cropping systems. Generally, compared with sole cropping, multispecies systems are potentially more difficult to manage, and require substantial farmer skills and specific research efforts [126].…”

Section: Potentials and Limitations Of Perennial Polyculturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supporting Agricultural Ecosystem Services through the Integration of Perennial Polycultures into Crop Rotations

et al. 2017

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This review analyzes the potential role and long-term effects of field perennial polycultures (mixtures) in agricultural systems, with the aim of reducing the trade-offs between provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. First, crop rotations are identified as a suitable tool for the assessment of the long-term effects of perennial polycultures on ecosystem services, which are not visible at the single-crop level. Second, the ability of perennial polycultures to support ecosystem services when used in crop rotations is quantified through eight agricultural ecosystem services. Legume-grass mixtures and wildflower mixtures are used as examples of perennial polycultures, and compared with silage maize as a typical crop for biomass production. Perennial polycultures enhance soil fertility, soil protection, climate regulation, pollination, pest and weed control, and landscape aesthetics compared with maize. They also score lower for biomass production compared with maize, which confirms the trade-off between provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. However, the additional positive factors provided by perennial polycultures, such as reduced costs for mineral fertilizer, pesticides, and soil tillage, and a significant preceding crop effect that increases the yields of subsequent crops, should be taken into account. However, a full assessment of agricultural ecosystem services requires a more holistic analysis that is beyond the capabilities of current frameworks.

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Comparative productivity of alternative cellulosic bioenergy cropping systems in the North Central USA

Cited by 75 publications

References 53 publications

Biomass Production a Stronger Driver of Cellulosic Ethanol Yield than Biomass Quality

Biomass Production a Stronger Driver of Cellulosic Ethanol Yield than Biomass Quality

Prairies Thrive Where Row Crops Drown: A Comparison of Yields in Upland and Lowland Topographies in the Upper Midwest US

Supporting Agricultural Ecosystem Services through the Integration of Perennial Polycultures into Crop Rotations

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