Energy, water and carbon exchange over a perennial Kernza wheatgrass crop

Oliveira, Gabriel de; Brunsell, Nathaniel A.; Sutherlin, Caitlyn E.; Crews, Timothy E.; DeHaan, Lee R.

doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2017.11.022

Cited by 54 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 106 publications

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“…The eddy covariance tower at the Kernza site (US-KLS) was implemented in 2012 [17]. The site is installed in the Smoky Hills Region, which consists of natural prairie vegetation and row crop agriculture [27].…”

Section: Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrasting Physiological and Environmental Controls of Evapotranspiration over Kernza Perennial Crop, Annual Crops, and C4 and Mixed C3/C4 Grasslands

et al. 2019

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Perennial grain crops have been suggested as a more sustainable alternative to annual crops. Yet their water use and how they are impacted by environmental conditions have been seldom compared to those of annual crops and grasslands. Here, we identify the dominant mechanisms driving evapotranspiration (ET), and how they change with environmental conditions in a perennial Kernza crop (US-KLS), an annual crop field (US-ARM), a C4 grassland (US-KON), and a mixed C3/C4 grassland (US-KFS) in the Central US. More specifically, we have utilized the omega (Ω) decoupling factor, which reflects the dominant mechanisms responsible for the evapotranspiration (ET) of the canopy. Our results showed that the US-ARM site was the most coupled with the lowest decoupling values. We also observed differences in coupling mechanism variables, showing more sensitivity to the water fluctuation variables as opposed to the radiative flux variables. All of the sites showed their lowest Ω value in 2012, the year of the severe drought in the Central US. The 2012 results further indicate the dependence on the water fluctuation variables. This was especially true with the perennial Kernza crop, which displayed much higher soil moisture values. In this regard, we believe that the ability of perennial Kernza to resist water stress and retain higher soil moisture values is both a result of its deeper roots, in addition to its higher Ω value. Through the analysis of both the site comparison and the comparison of the differences in years, we conclude that the perennial Kernza crop (US-KLS) is more similar in its microclimate effects to the C4 (US-KON) and mixed C3/C4 (US-KFS) grassland sites as opposed to its annual counterpart (US-ARM). This has implications for the role of perennial agriculture for addressing agricultural resilience under changing climate conditions.

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Section: Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, we note that in 2012 the central U.S experienced one of the most severe droughts in the past 80 years [30,31]. The eddy covariance tower at the Kernza site (US-KLS) was implemented in 2012 [17]. The site is installed in the Smoky Hills Region, which consists of natural prairie vegetation and row crop agriculture [27].…”

Section: Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting Physiological and Environmental Controls of Evapotranspiration over Kernza Perennial Crop, Annual Crops, and C4 and Mixed C3/C4 Grasslands

et al. 2019

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“…Harvesting IWG for grain typically results in a straw harvest; in addition, vegetative biomass can be cut in spring, fall, or both for hay production. By improving the economic viability of this crop, dual‐use management has the potential to help realize the environmental benefits of perennial agriculture, including reduced soil erosion, lower nitrate losses, increased carbon sequestration, and improved soil health (Asbjornsen et al., 2013; de Oliveira, Brunsell, Sutherlin, Crews, & DeHaan, 2018; Glover et al., 2010; Jungers, DeHaan, Mulla, Sheaffer, & Wyse, 2019). To help develop best practices for dual‐use management, we evaluated the interacting effects of defoliation and increasing row spacing, two practices that have increased productivity in perennial grass seed dual‐use systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of defoliation and row spacing on intermediate wheatgrass II: Forage yield and economics

et al. 2020

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Management systems that produce both grain and biomass coproducts could enhance the profitability of the novel perennial grain crop Kernza intermediate wheatgrass [Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey] (IWG). Harvesting IWG for grain typically results in a straw harvest; in addition, vegetative biomass can be cut in spring, fall, or both for hay production. We evaluated the interacting effects of defoliation and row spacing on yield, forage quality, and economic return across the 3-yr life of a conventionally managed IWG stand in St. Paul, MN. We measured straw and hay yield and forage quality and then used recent hay auction results to model forage price and total potential value. We then used estimated production costs to calculate potential net return from straw production alone and with additional hay harvests. Overall, straw was more valuable than hay, despite being of much lower quality, since yields were 3-4 times greater. Straw potential value was similar to the cost of producing both straw and grain, greatly reducing the financial risk in Kernza grain production. Hay production was almost always profitable. Straw and hay yield and value were greater in 15-and 30-cm rows than in 61-cm rows. Defoliating in both spring and fall led to lower hay and straw yields in the third year. Our results indicate that the best strategy for achieving consistent high net return to biomass production is to plant in 15-or 30-cm rows and only cut hay in the fall.Abbreviations: ADF, acid detergent fiber; CP, crude protein; Ctrl, no defoliation; Fa, defoliation only in fall; GDD, growing degree days; IWG, intermediate wheatgrass; NIRS, near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy; NDF, neutral detergent fiber; RFV, relative feed value; Sp, defoliation only in spring; SpFa, defoliation in spring and fall.

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“…Perennial grains have received greater attention in the past decade due in part to their potential to be productive over a number of years [1] and potential positive impacts on soils [2]. Potential environmental benefits of perennialized cropping systems include higher carbon storage [3,4], greater water use efficiency [5], better nutrient management and greater soil protection than annual crops [6]. The majority of feed that animals utilize in protein (meat) production is not human-consumable (e.g., forage, processing by-products) and is often produced on land not-suited to annual crop production (e.g., pastureland, rangeland) [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Has Selection for Grain Yield Altered Intermediate Wheatgrass?

Cattani

Asselin

2018

Sustainability

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Perennial grains are demonstrating a greater probability of occupying land currently dedicated to other agricultural production. Arable land that is currently in use for forage or annual crop production becomes utilized. Breeding materials for the introduction of perennial grains directly into the human food chain has required utilizing existing plant materials in the domestication of species or manufacturing diverse crosses to introduce perenniality into existing crops. In the domestication of intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium (Host), Barkworth and Dewey), existing forage cultivars or plant accessions were used to develop populations selected for grain production. A comparison of Cycle 3 materials from The Land Institute (TLI), Salina, KS, USA to USDA-Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) accessions took place under space-planted field conditions at Carman, MB, Canada from 2011 to 2014. One hundred plants (75 TLI and 25 GRIN identified in May 2012) were followed through three seed harvests cycles with phenological, morphological and agronomic traits measured throughout. Selection for seed productivity (TLI materials) reduced the importance of biomass plant −1 on seed yield plant −1 , leading to an increase in harvest index. Principal component analysis demonstrated the separation of the germplasm sources and the differential impact of years on the performance of all accessions. Path coefficient analysis also indicated that plant biomass production was of less importance on seed yield plant −1 in the TLI materials. Analysis removing area plant −1 as a factor increased both the importance of biomass and heads on seed yield cm −2 in the TLI materials, especially in the first two seed production years. Plant differences due to selection appear to have reduced overall plant area and increased harvest index in the TLI materials, indicating progress for grain yield under selection. However, a greater understanding of the dynamics within a seed production field is needed to provide insight into the development of more effective selection criteria for long-term field level production.

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Energy, water and carbon exchange over a perennial Kernza wheatgrass crop

Cited by 54 publications

References 106 publications

Contrasting Physiological and Environmental Controls of Evapotranspiration over Kernza Perennial Crop, Annual Crops, and C4 and Mixed C3/C4 Grasslands

Contrasting Physiological and Environmental Controls of Evapotranspiration over Kernza Perennial Crop, Annual Crops, and C4 and Mixed C3/C4 Grasslands

Effects of defoliation and row spacing on intermediate wheatgrass II: Forage yield and economics

Has Selection for Grain Yield Altered Intermediate Wheatgrass?

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