TY - JOUR
T1 - Miscanthus × giganteus Responses to Nitrogen Fertilization and Harvest Timing in Illinois, USA
AU - Parrish, Allen S.
AU - Lee, Moon Sub
AU - Voigt, Thomas B.
AU - Lee, D. K.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was funded by the DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research under Award Number DE-SC0018420), the Energy Biosciences Institute at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project (1001878). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Energy. We also thank Callan Beeson, Rich Pyter, Drew Schlumpf, Emily Thomas, and Andy Wycislo for assisting with this study.
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Renewable energy continues to be of interest in the USA due to concerns about the long-termed availability and the environmental impact of fossil fuels. Miscanthus × giganteus is a warm-season perennial bioenergy feedstock grass that has a long growing season, is high yielding, requires limited inputs, and will likely become an important renewable energy crop in the USA. This research studied the effects of N application rates and harvest timings on yields and biomass quality of a 4-year-old stand of M. × giganteus in Urbana, IL, USA. Plots received 0, 56, 112, 156, or 224 kg N ha−1, and harvests were conducted at five dates between August and March in the 2009, 2010, and 2011 growing seasons. Miscanthus × giganteus production increased with N applications up to 112 kg ha−1. Harvesting biomass before senescence, August through November, produced significantly more biomass compared to harvesting biomass after senescence. However, early harvest reduced biomass yields in the following years. Nitrogen fertilization compensated for the yield losses, but the yield gap between early and late harvest continually increased. Harvesting M. × giganteus after senescence optimized long-term productivity, reduced the need for N fertilization, and increased carbon and ash content in the harvested biomass, while harvesting before senescence not only removes N from the plant but also reduces remobilization of other nutrients and carbohydrates in autumn.
AB - Renewable energy continues to be of interest in the USA due to concerns about the long-termed availability and the environmental impact of fossil fuels. Miscanthus × giganteus is a warm-season perennial bioenergy feedstock grass that has a long growing season, is high yielding, requires limited inputs, and will likely become an important renewable energy crop in the USA. This research studied the effects of N application rates and harvest timings on yields and biomass quality of a 4-year-old stand of M. × giganteus in Urbana, IL, USA. Plots received 0, 56, 112, 156, or 224 kg N ha−1, and harvests were conducted at five dates between August and March in the 2009, 2010, and 2011 growing seasons. Miscanthus × giganteus production increased with N applications up to 112 kg ha−1. Harvesting biomass before senescence, August through November, produced significantly more biomass compared to harvesting biomass after senescence. However, early harvest reduced biomass yields in the following years. Nitrogen fertilization compensated for the yield losses, but the yield gap between early and late harvest continually increased. Harvesting M. × giganteus after senescence optimized long-term productivity, reduced the need for N fertilization, and increased carbon and ash content in the harvested biomass, while harvesting before senescence not only removes N from the plant but also reduces remobilization of other nutrients and carbohydrates in autumn.
KW - Bioenergy
KW - Fertilization
KW - Harvest
KW - Miscanthus × giganteus
KW - Nitrogen
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U2 - 10.1007/s12155-021-10244-w
DO - 10.1007/s12155-021-10244-w
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85100223123
SN - 1939-1234
VL - 14
SP - 1126
EP - 1135
JO - Bioenergy Research
JF - Bioenergy Research
IS - 4
ER -