Effect of Potassium and Nitrogen Fertilizer on Switchgrass Productivity and Nutrient Removal Rates under Two Harvest Systems on a Low Potassium Soil

Kering, Maru K.; Butler, Twain J.; Biermacher, Jon T.; Mosali, Jagadeesh; Guretzky, John A.

doi:10.1007/s12155-012-9261-8

Cited by 59 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…3c), but there was no difference between the 0 N control and the 56-kg N ha −1 rates. These results are similar to those of Kering et al [12] who found that biomass N concentration was higher with the application of N and K compared with the no-fertilizer control in the central USA. The magnitude of the effect of N was less than that of either location or year, however.…”

Section: Chemical Compositionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Switchgrass Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer Across Diverse Environments in the USA: a Regional Feedstock Partnership Report

et al. 2014

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The Regional Feedstock Partnership is a collaborative effort between the Sun Grant Initiative (through Land Grant Universities), the US Department of Energy, and the US Department of Agriculture. One segment of this partnership is the field-scale evaluation of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) in diverse sites across the USA. Switchgrass was planted (11.2 kg PLS ha −1 ) in replicated plots in New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Virginia in 2008 and in Iowa in 2009. Adapted switchgrass cultivars were selected for each location and baseline soil samples collected before planting. Nitrogen fertilizer (0, 56, and 112 kg N ha −1 ) was applied each spring beginning the year after planting, and switchgrass was harvested once annually after senescence. Establishment, management, and harvest operations were completed using fieldscale equipment. Switchgrass production ranged from 2 to 11.5 Mg ha −1 across locations and years. Yields were lowest the first year after establishment. Switchgrass responded positively to N in 6 of 19 location/year combinations and there was one location/year combination (NY in Year 2) where a significant negative response was noted. Initial soil N levels were lowest in SD and VA (significant N response) and highest at the other three locations (no N response). Although N rate affected some measures of biomass quality (N and hemicellulose), location and year had greater overall effects on all quality parameters evaluated. These results demonstrate the importance of local field-scale research and of proper N management in order to reduce unnecessary expense and potential environmental impacts of switchgrass grown for bioenergy.

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Section: Chemical Compositionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Switchgrass Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer Across Diverse Environments in the USA: a Regional Feedstock Partnership Report

et al. 2014

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“…However, because of the inverse relationship with yield, there were no detectable increases in removal rates (P > 0.05). Measured P concentrations (post-senescence) were similar (1.1 kg Mg -1 dry matter) to those reported by Kering et al (2012); however, K concentrations were greater than those reported by others (2.7 kg Mg -1 dry matter). These results suggest that while P or K concentrations declined post-senescence, removal rates do not differ due to slightly lower biomass yields from earlier harvests.…”

Section: Cultivarsupporting

confidence: 76%

Switchgrass Cultivar, Yield, and Nutrient Removal Responses to Harvest Timing

et al. 2017

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Core Ideas Phosphorus and K are assumedly remobilized in switchgrass post‐senescence. Yields peaked early November, but P and K removal did not vary across harvests. Nutrient removal was lesser for upland compared to lowland cultivars. Switchgrass can be harvested as early as mid‐September without removing greater amounts of P and K. Finite nutrients, such as P and K are assumedly remobilized post‐senescence in herbaceous feedstocks like switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) as a function of environmental signaling and genotype. Harvesting early during the maturation phase may result in yield reductions and higher nutrient removal in biomass depending on ecotype. Therefore, it is necessary to target harvest dates that optimize yield while minimizing nutrient removal per cultivar. Consequently, objectives were to compare yields from 2010–2011 on eight widely used and experimental upland and lowland genotype (whole plot) at two locations in Tennessee, to determine: (i) which harvest timing (split‐plot) provides maximum yield; (ii) effects of harvest timing (mid‐September, October, November, and late October) on overall total P and K removal; and, (iii) how results are affected by cultivar. Among all post‐senescence harvests, yields peaked early November (13.2 Mg ha−1), which was greater than all other harvests (P < 0.05), with mid‐October and late October not differing from one another. Because yields peaked in early November, P and K removal did not vary across harvest dates (despite both P and K concentrations declining mid‐October). Lowland cultivars yielded 3.9 Mg ha−1 more biomass annually than upland entries, suggesting lowland cultivars are better suited to environments in the Southeast. Due to lower yields, P and K removals were lower for upland (Blackwell and C62), compared with lowland cultivars. Consequently, switchgrass can be harvested as early as mid‐September without removing greater amounts of P and K, although variations within upland and lowland cultivars will likely occur.

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“…Either a Carter (Brookston, IN) or a HEGE (Colwich, KS) forage harvester was used to perform harvesting operations at a 10-cm stubble height. For comprehensive details regarding the field experiment, see Kering et al [9].…”

Section: Agronomicmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Potassium is important for growth and development of plants, necessary for the activation of several enzymes, helps break down and translocate starches, increases water use efficiency, essential for protein synthesis, increases photosynthesis, increases disease resistance in plants, and can hamper plant growth if deficient [8][9][10]. Despite the crucial role K has on plant growth and development, few studies have evaluated the response of switchgrass to K fertilizer, and most of those that did were conducted inside a controlled greenhouse environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In another greenhouse study, the authors reported that no additional yield response was found due to additional treatments of K fertilizer and suggested that warm-season grasses such as switchgrass may have a lower requirement for K fertilizer [13]. Conversely, small-plot field trials conducted on switchgrass grown as a dedicated bioenergy crop in Oklahoma reported that under one-and two-cut harvests, switchgrass produced greater yield when fertilized with both N and K compared to only N, only K, and zero fertilizer check treatments [9]. It is important to point out that none of these studies considered the economic benefits and costs associated with K application for switchgrass production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Economic Evaluation of Switchgrass Feedstock Production Systems Tested in Potassium-Deficient Soils

et al. 2013

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Limited information is available about the economic benefits and costs associated with managing switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) produced for bioenergy feedstock in the K-deficient soils common in the southern Great Plains. The objectives of this study were to determine the most economical production system for harvesting and managing N and K fertilizations on switchgrass stands and to determine how sensitive the results are to various feedstock and fertilizer market price scenarios. A 4-year agronomic field experiment was conducted on a K-deficient site in South Central Oklahoma; the treatments included two harvest systems (summer and winter (SW) and winter only (W)), two N rates (0 and 135 kg ha −1 ), and two K rates (0 and 67 kg ha −1 ). Enterprise budgeting techniques and mixed ANOVA models were used to determine and compare the effects of eight harvest/N/K systems on yield, total cost, revenue, and net return. The harvest/N/K systems evaluated included SW/0/0, SW/0/67, SW/135/0, SW/135/67, W/0/0, W/0/67, W/135/0, and W/ 135/67. Results revealed the SW/135/67 system produced significantly (P >0.0001) greater average yield compared to the other systems; however, the SW/0/0 system was the most (P >0.0001) economical, realizing an average net return of $415 ha −1 . Compared to the base-case net return of the SW/0/ 0 system, the value of the additional yield generated with the SW/135/67 system was less than the costs associated with the extra nutrients and additional harvest activity. For feedstock prices greater than $110 Mg −1 , the most economical system shifted from the SW/0/0 to favor the SW/135/67 system.

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Effect of Potassium and Nitrogen Fertilizer on Switchgrass Productivity and Nutrient Removal Rates under Two Harvest Systems on a Low Potassium Soil

Cited by 59 publications

References 26 publications

Switchgrass Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer Across Diverse Environments in the USA: a Regional Feedstock Partnership Report

Switchgrass Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer Across Diverse Environments in the USA: a Regional Feedstock Partnership Report

Switchgrass Cultivar, Yield, and Nutrient Removal Responses to Harvest Timing

Economic Evaluation of Switchgrass Feedstock Production Systems Tested in Potassium-Deficient Soils

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