TY - JOUR
T1 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Nitrate Leaching, and Biomass Yields from Production of Miscanthus × giganteus in Illinois, USA
AU - Behnke, Gevan D.
AU - David, Mark B.
AU - Voigt, Thomas B.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments Funding was provided by Department of Energy-funded Sun Grant Herbaceous Feedstock Partnership and the Energy Biosciences Institute. We thank Corey A. Mitchell for analyzing the inorganic N resin lysimeter data and Robert G. Darmody for collecting baseline soil samples and conducting texture analysis.
PY - 2012/12
Y1 - 2012/12
N2 - Understanding the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization on Miscanthus × giganteus greenhouse gas emissions, nitrate leaching, and biomass production is an important consideration when using this grass as a biomass feedstock. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of three N fertilization rates (0, 60, and 120 kg N ha -1 using urea as the N source) on nitrous oxide (N 2O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions, nitrogen leaching, and the biomass yields and N content of M. × giganteus planted in July 2008, and evaluated from 2009 through early 2011 in Urbana, Illinois, USA. While there was no biomass yield response to N fertilization rates in 2009 and 2010, the amount of N in the harvested biomass in 2010 was significantly greater at the 60 and 120 kg N ha -1 N rates. There was no significant CO 2 emission response to N rates in 2009 or 2010. Similarly, N fertilization did not increase cumulative N 2O emissions in 2009, but cumulative N 2O emissions did increase in 2010 with N fertilization. During 2009, nitrate (NO 3 -) leaching at the 50-cm soil depth was not related to fertilization rate, but there was a significant increase in NO 3 - leaching between the 0 and 120 kg N ha -1 treatments in 2010 (8. 9 and 28. 9 kg NO 3-N ha -1 year -1, respectively). Overall, N fertilization of M. × giganteus led to N 2O releases, increased fluxes of inorganic N (primarily NO 3 -) through the soil profile; and increased harvested N without a significant increase in biomass production.
AB - Understanding the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization on Miscanthus × giganteus greenhouse gas emissions, nitrate leaching, and biomass production is an important consideration when using this grass as a biomass feedstock. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of three N fertilization rates (0, 60, and 120 kg N ha -1 using urea as the N source) on nitrous oxide (N 2O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions, nitrogen leaching, and the biomass yields and N content of M. × giganteus planted in July 2008, and evaluated from 2009 through early 2011 in Urbana, Illinois, USA. While there was no biomass yield response to N fertilization rates in 2009 and 2010, the amount of N in the harvested biomass in 2010 was significantly greater at the 60 and 120 kg N ha -1 N rates. There was no significant CO 2 emission response to N rates in 2009 or 2010. Similarly, N fertilization did not increase cumulative N 2O emissions in 2009, but cumulative N 2O emissions did increase in 2010 with N fertilization. During 2009, nitrate (NO 3 -) leaching at the 50-cm soil depth was not related to fertilization rate, but there was a significant increase in NO 3 - leaching between the 0 and 120 kg N ha -1 treatments in 2010 (8. 9 and 28. 9 kg NO 3-N ha -1 year -1, respectively). Overall, N fertilization of M. × giganteus led to N 2O releases, increased fluxes of inorganic N (primarily NO 3 -) through the soil profile; and increased harvested N without a significant increase in biomass production.
KW - Carbon dioxide
KW - Miscanthus
KW - Nitrate
KW - Nitrogen fertilizer
KW - Nitrous oxide
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U2 - 10.1007/s12155-012-9191-5
DO - 10.1007/s12155-012-9191-5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84868508694
SN - 1939-1234
VL - 5
SP - 801
EP - 813
JO - Bioenergy Research
JF - Bioenergy Research
IS - 4
ER -