Yield, Yield Distribution, and Forage Quality of Warm-Season Perennial Grasses Grown for Pasture or Biofuel in the Southern Great Plains

Rogers, James K.; Motal, Frank J.; Mosali, Jagadeesh

doi:10.5402/2012/607476

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Unlike wheat and cotton, for which yield is from a single plant species, hay yield represents the combined yields of warm and cool season perennial and annual species (Arnall et al, 2017), and therefore the timing of peak correlation was not as distinct for hay as the other crops. Each species has unique yield distribution characteristics (Hancock et al, 2014; Rogers et al, 2012) that contribute to a long harvest season beginning in April and proceeding through October (USDA‐NASS, 2010). Hay from cool season species can account for a substantial part of total hay production, with, for example, small grain hay accounting for 20% of non‐alfalfa hay production in Oklahoma in 2012 (USDA‐NASS, 2014a).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Evaluation of Soil Moisture‐Based Indices for Agricultural Drought Monitoring

2019

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Core Ideas In situ soil moisture data were used to develop agricultural‐drought indices. Promising indices were directly linked to drought impacts (i.e., lower crop yield). Preferred indices, formulated as anomalies, were comparable across time and space. These can be derived from in situ soil moisture data common to networks worldwide. Our methodology is transferrable to other regions with in situ soil moisture data. ABSTRACT Agricultural drought is characterized by low soil moisture levels that negatively affect agricultural production, but in situ soil moisture measurements are largely absent from indices commonly used to describe agricultural drought. Instead, many indices incorporate weather‐derived soil moisture estimates, which is necessary, in part, because the relationships between in situ soil moisture and agricultural‐drought impacts are not well quantified. Our objective was to use in situ soil moisture data from monitoring networks in Oklahoma and West Texas to identify a soil moisture‐based agricultural drought index that is (i) strongly related to crop‐yield anomaly across networks, (ii) comparable across time and space, and (iii) readily understandable. Candidate indices included soil matric potential (MP), soil water storage (SWS), and fraction of available water capacity (FAW), with indices assessed in their raw form and after climatological (i.e., anomalies) or statistical standardization. At the county level, indices related similarly to crop‐yield anomaly, with soil moisture‐yield anomaly correlation coefficients averaging 0.63, 0.76, and 0.76 for winter wheat, hay, and cotton, respectively. However, standardization was essential to maximize temporal and spatial comparability, and at the regional level, standardized indices were more highly correlated with crop‐yield anomaly than non‐standardized indices. Our findings show that existing in situ soil moisture datasets can underpin regional drought‐monitoring systems. The SWS‐anomaly may be the preferred index because it is comparable across space and time, has units that are readily understandable (e.g., mm or inches), and can be broadly applied using data from the many in situ soil‐moisture monitoring networks across the world.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Evaluation of Soil Moisture‐Based Indices for Agricultural Drought Monitoring

2019

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“…Switchgrass yields in these field settings did not reach the levels often reported from small plot studies (Muir et al ., ; Vogel et al ., ; Guretzky et al ., ; Rogers et al ., ). In some cases, initial yields were hampered by factors that hindered establishment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Biomass production of herbaceous energy crops in the United States: field trial results and yield potential maps from the multiyear regional feedstock partnership

et al. 2018

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Current knowledge of yield potential and best agronomic management practices for perennial bioenergy grasses is primarily derived from small-scale and short-term studies, yet these studies inform policy at the national scale. In an effort to learn more about how bioenergy grasses perform across multiple locations and years, the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE)/Sun Grant Initiative Regional Feedstock Partnership was initiated in 2008. The objectives of the Feedstock Partnership were to (1) provide a wide range of information for feedstock selection (species choice) and management practice options for a variety of regions and (2) develop national maps of potential feedstock yield for each of the herbaceous species evaluated. The Feedstock Partnership expands our previous understanding of the bioenergy potential of switchgrass, Miscanthus, sorghum, energycane, and prairie mixtures on Conservation Reserve Program land by conducting long-term, replicated trials of each species at diverse environments in the U.S. Trials were initiated between 2008 and 2010 and completed between 2012 and 2015 depending on species. Field-scale plots were utilized for switchgrass and Conservation Reserve Program trials to use traditional agricultural machinery. This is important as we know that the smaller scale studies often overestimated yield potential of some of these species. Insufficient vegetative propagules of energycane and Miscanthus prohibited farm-scale trials of these species. The Feedstock Partnership studies also confirmed that environmental differences across years and across sites had a large impact on biomass production. Nitrogen application had variable effects across feedstocks, but some nitrogen fertilizer generally had a positive effect. National yield potential maps were developed using PRISM-ELM for each species in the Feedstock Partnership. This manuscript, with the accompanying supplemental data, will be useful in making decisions about feedstock selection as well as agronomic practices across a wide region of the country.

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“…Blackwell switchgrass yields in this study were about three to fourths the yields of a mature Blackwell stand in another study in Oklahoma (Rogers et al ., ). Average N rates in the Rogers et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Switchgrass nitrogen response and estimated production costs on diverse sites

et al. 2017

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Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has been the principal perennial herbaceous crop investigated for bioenergy production in North America given its high production potential, relatively low input requirements, and potential suitability for use on marginal lands. Few large trials have determined switchgrass yields at field scale on marginal lands, including analysis of production costs. Thus, a field-scale study was conducted to develop realistic yield and cost estimates for diverse regions of the USA. Objectives included measuring switchgrass response to fertility treatments (0, 56, and 112 kg N ha À1 ) and generating corresponding estimates of production costs for sites with diverse soil and climatic conditions. Trials occurred in Iowa, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Virginia, USA. Cultivars and management practices were site specific, and field-scale equipment was used for all management practices. Input costs were estimated using final harvest-year (2015) prices, and equipment operation costs were estimated with the MachData model ($2015). Switchgrass yields generally were below those reported elsewhere, averaging 6.3 Mg ha À1 across sites and treatments. Establishment stand percent ranged from 28% to 76% and was linked to initial year production. No response to N was observed at any site in the first production year. In subsequent seasons, N generally increased yields on well-drained soils; however, responses to N were nil or negative on less well-drained soils. Greatest percent increases in response to 112 kg N ha À1 were 57% and 76% on well-drained South Dakota and Virginia sites, where breakeven prices to justify N applications were over $70 and $63 Mg À1 , respectively. For some sites, typically promoted N application rates may be economically unjustified; it remains unknown whether a bioenergy industry can support the breakeven prices estimated for sites where N inputs had positive effects on switchgrass yield.

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Yield, Yield Distribution, and Forage Quality of Warm-Season Perennial Grasses Grown for Pasture or Biofuel in the Southern Great Plains

Cited by 7 publications

References 12 publications

Development and Evaluation of Soil Moisture‐Based Indices for Agricultural Drought Monitoring

Development and Evaluation of Soil Moisture‐Based Indices for Agricultural Drought Monitoring

Biomass production of herbaceous energy crops in the United States: field trial results and yield potential maps from the multiyear regional feedstock partnership

Switchgrass nitrogen response and estimated production costs on diverse sites

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