Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: The capacity of perennial grasses to affect change in soil properties is well documented but information on switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) managed for bioenergy is limited. An on-farm study (10 fields) in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska was sampled before switchgrass establishment and after 5 years to determine changes in soil bulk density (SBD), pH, soil phosphorus (P), and equivalent mass soil organic carbon (SOC). Changes in SBD were largely constrained to near-surface depths (0–0.05 m). SBD increased (0–0.05 m) at the Nebraska locations (mean=0.16 Mg m−3), while most South Dakota and North Dakota locations showed declines in SBD (mean=−0.18 Mg m−3; range=−0.42–0.07 Mg m−3). Soil pH change was significant at five of the 10 locations at near surface depths (0–0.05 m), but absolute changes were modest (range=−0.67–0.44 pH units). Available P declined at all sites where it was measured (North Dakota and South Dakota locations). When summed across the surface 0.3 m depth, annual decreases in available P averaged 1.5 kg P ha−1 yr−1 (range=0.5–2.8 kg P ha−1 yr−1). Averaged across locations, equivalent mass SOC increased by 0.5 and 2.4 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 for the 2500 and 10 000 Mg ha−1 soil masses, respectively. Results from this study underscore the contribution of switchgrass to affect soil property changes, though considerable variation in soil properties exists within and across locations.
Source: GCB Bioenergy
Language: English
Subfield: Agronomy and Crop Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2168248179