Switchgrass forage yield and biofuel quality with no-tillage interseeded winter legumes in the southern Great Plains

ABSTRACT Information is limited on using winter legumes as a source of nitrogen (N) intercropped with switchgrass in the southern Great Plains of the United States. The objectives of this study were to evaluate N contribution of several winter legumes to switchgrass, and to determine the influence of winter legumes on biofuel quality and soil fertility status. Field experiments were conducted at two locations in Oklahoma in which six winter legumes and four rates of N fertilizer were studied over a 3-year period. Winter legumes did not increase switchgrass forage yield, cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose concentrations at any location. Soil organic matter (OM), nitrate-N (NO3-N), soil test phosphorus (P), soil test potassium (K), and soil pH remained unchanged. In contrast, applying inorganic N only increased switchgrass yield. This study demonstrated that southern Great Plains may not be conducive to utilizing legumes as the primary N source for switchgrass.

[1]  T. Makabe,et al.  Inductively-Coupled Plasma , 2014, Definitions.

[2]  P. Soltanpour,et al.  Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometry and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry , 2018, SSSA Book Series.

[3]  D. W. Nelson,et al.  Total Carbon, Organic Carbon, and Organic Matter , 1983, SSSA Book Series.

[4]  D. Tyler,et al.  Biologically Fixed Nitrogen in Legume Intercropped Systems: Comparison of Nitrogen-Difference and Nitrogen-15 Enrichment Techniques , 2015 .

[5]  J. Guretzky,et al.  Switchgrass Biomass and Nitrogen Yield with Over-Seeded Cool-season Forages in the Southern Great Plains , 2012, BioEnergy Research.

[6]  J. Guretzky,et al.  Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate and Harvest Season on Forage Yield, Quality, and Macronutrient Concentrations in Midland Bermuda Grass , 2011 .

[7]  K. Moore,et al.  Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization on Biomass Yield and Quality in Large Fields of Established Switchgrass in Southern Iowa, USA , 2008 .

[8]  D. Weindorf,et al.  Integration of Cool-Season Annual Legumes and Dairy Manure Compost with Switchgrass , 2008 .

[9]  Akwasi A. Boateng,et al.  Biomass Yield and Biofuel Quality of Switchgrass Harvested in Fall or Spring , 2006 .

[10]  F. Sikora.  A Buffer that Mimics the SMP Buffer for Determining Lime Requirement of Soil , 2006 .

[11]  Kenneth J. Moore,et al.  Biomass yield and quality of 20 switchgrass populations in southern Iowa, USA. , 2002 .

[12]  D. Walters,et al.  Switchgrass biomass production in the Midwest USA: harvest and nitrogen management. , 2002 .

[13]  William R Ocumpaugh,et al.  Biomass Production of ‘Alamo’ Switchgrass in Response to Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Row Spacing , 2001 .

[14]  Anja Oasmaa,et al.  Fuel oil quality of biomass pyrolysis oils-state of the art for the end users , 1999 .

[15]  J. C. Read,et al.  Switchgrass cultivars and germplasm for biomass feedstock production in Texas , 1999 .

[16]  D. Sparks,et al.  Methods of soil analysis. Part 3 - chemical methods. , 1996 .

[17]  K. Moore,et al.  Establishment and Persistence of Legumes Interseeded into Switchgrass , 1995 .

[18]  W. Hargrove.  Winter legumes as a nitrogen source for no-till grain sorghum , 1986 .

[19]  A. Mehlich.  Mehlich 3 soil test extractant: A modification of Mehlich 2 extractant , 1984 .

[20]  J. T. Touchton,et al.  Winter legumes as a nitrogen source for no-tillage cotton , 1984 .

[21]  Robert L. Blevins,et al.  Nitrogen from Legume Cover Crops for No‐Tillage Corn1 , 1984 .

[22]  W. L. Hargrove,et al.  Reseeding Crimson Clover as a N Source for No-Tillage Grain Sorghum Production 1 , 1982 .

[23]  R. Riedl,et al.  Herbage Dry Matter Yields of Switchgrass, Big Bluestem, and Indiangrass with N Fertilization1 , 1982 .

[24]  Dale R. Smith.  Fertilization of Switchgrass in the Greenhouse with Various Levels of N and K1 , 1979 .