The commercial establishment of shrub willow (Salix spp.) biomass crops with three- or four-year harvest cycles raises concerns about nutrient removal (NR). In addition, leaf-on harvests outside of the typical harvesting window are becoming more prevalent with a changing climate, and require a better understanding of the potential impact of these changes on biomass production and NR. This study examined the time of harvest effects for six harvest dates on the nutrient and biomass removal of four shrub willow cultivars in central New York State. There were significant differences in biomass in the first-rotation harvest; yields ranged between 77 and 85 Mg ha−1 for the time of harvest treatments during the growing season, and between 93 and 104 Mg ha−1 after dormancy. Harvest timing had significant effects on N and K removal in the combined wood and foliar biomass. Willow harvested in October removed comparatively higher amounts of N (77.1 kg ha−1 year−1) and P (11.2 kg ha−1 year−1) than other harvests. Potassium removal was greater for plants harvested in June (51.2 kg ha−1 year−1) and August (52.5 kg ha−1 year−1). Harvest timing and cultivar interactions suggest that targeted cultivar selection and deployment could maintain yields and limit excess nutrient losses.
The commercial establishment of shrub willow biomass crops with three- or four-year harvest cycles raises concerns about nutrient removals. Furthermore, commercial harvesters in the northeast United States have begun to open the harvest season in late summer to early fall in order to ensure access on poorly drained, marginal sites because the ground no longer reliably freezes in winter. The potential impact that increased leaf-on harvesting has on nutrient export and its implications for crop management are not well known. This study examined the effects of six harvest dates over 10 months on the nutrient removal and second rotation biomass production of four shrub willow cultivars on a site in central New York State. First rotation harvests yielded between 77 and 85 Mg ha-1 during the growing season, and was between 93 and 104 Mg ha-1 after dormancy. There was a significant effect of harvest timing on the removal of N, K, Ca, Mg, and S. Willow harvested in October removed comparatively higher amounts of N (77.1 kg ha-1 y-1), P (11.2 kg ha-1 y-1), Ca (163.7 kg ha-1 y-1), Mg (9.9 kg ha-1 y-1), and S (8.9 kg ha-1 y-1) than in other harvests. Potassium removal was greater for plants harvested in June and August (51.2 and 52.5 kg ha-1 y-1 respectively). Significant interactions between harvest timing and cultivars suggest that targeted cultivar selection and deployment could maintain yields and limit excess nutrient losses.
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