Agricultural Management Legacy Effects on Switchgrass Growth and Soil Carbon Gains
ABSTRACT Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a native North American grass currently considered a high‐potential bioenergy feedstock crop. However, previous reports questioned its effectiveness in generating soil organic carbon (SOC) gains, with resultant uncertainty regarding the monoculture switc...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-07-01
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| Series: | GCB Bioenergy |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.70051 |
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| author | Poulamee Chakraborty Grant Falvo G. Philip Robertson Alexandra Kravchenko |
| author_facet | Poulamee Chakraborty Grant Falvo G. Philip Robertson Alexandra Kravchenko |
| author_sort | Poulamee Chakraborty |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a native North American grass currently considered a high‐potential bioenergy feedstock crop. However, previous reports questioned its effectiveness in generating soil organic carbon (SOC) gains, with resultant uncertainty regarding the monoculture switchgrass's impact on the environmental sustainability of bioenergy agriculture. We hypothesize that the inconsistencies in past SOC accrual results might be due, in part, to differences in prior land management among the systems subsequently planted to switchgrass. To test this hypothesis, we measured SOC and other soil properties, root biomass, and switchgrass growth in an experimental site with a 30‐year history of contrasting tillage and N‐fertilization treatments, 7 years after switchgrass establishment. We determined switchgrass' monthly gross primary production (GPP) for six consecutive years and conducted deep soil sampling. Nitrogen fertilization expectedly stimulated switchgrass growth; however, a tendency for better plant growth was also observed under unfertilized settings in the former no‐till soil. In topsoil, SOC significantly increased from 2007 to 2023 in fertilized treatments of both tillage histories, with the greatest increase observed in fertilized no‐till. Fertilized no‐till also had the highest particulate organic matter content in the topsoil, with no differences among the treatments observed in deeper soil layers. However, regardless of fertilization, the tillage history had a strong effect on stratification with depth of SOC, total N, and microbial biomass C. Results suggested that historic and ongoing N fertilization had a substantial impact on switchgrass growth and soil characteristics, while tillage legacy had a much weaker, but still discernible, effect. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a445c6d24dda4d0bb047d4c789985ccb |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1757-1693 1757-1707 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | GCB Bioenergy |
| spelling | doaj-art-a445c6d24dda4d0bb047d4c789985ccb2025-08-20T03:27:43ZengWileyGCB Bioenergy1757-16931757-17072025-07-01177n/an/a10.1111/gcbb.70051Agricultural Management Legacy Effects on Switchgrass Growth and Soil Carbon GainsPoulamee Chakraborty0Grant Falvo1G. Philip Robertson2Alexandra Kravchenko3Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USAGreat Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USADepartment of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USADepartment of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USAABSTRACT Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a native North American grass currently considered a high‐potential bioenergy feedstock crop. However, previous reports questioned its effectiveness in generating soil organic carbon (SOC) gains, with resultant uncertainty regarding the monoculture switchgrass's impact on the environmental sustainability of bioenergy agriculture. We hypothesize that the inconsistencies in past SOC accrual results might be due, in part, to differences in prior land management among the systems subsequently planted to switchgrass. To test this hypothesis, we measured SOC and other soil properties, root biomass, and switchgrass growth in an experimental site with a 30‐year history of contrasting tillage and N‐fertilization treatments, 7 years after switchgrass establishment. We determined switchgrass' monthly gross primary production (GPP) for six consecutive years and conducted deep soil sampling. Nitrogen fertilization expectedly stimulated switchgrass growth; however, a tendency for better plant growth was also observed under unfertilized settings in the former no‐till soil. In topsoil, SOC significantly increased from 2007 to 2023 in fertilized treatments of both tillage histories, with the greatest increase observed in fertilized no‐till. Fertilized no‐till also had the highest particulate organic matter content in the topsoil, with no differences among the treatments observed in deeper soil layers. However, regardless of fertilization, the tillage history had a strong effect on stratification with depth of SOC, total N, and microbial biomass C. Results suggested that historic and ongoing N fertilization had a substantial impact on switchgrass growth and soil characteristics, while tillage legacy had a much weaker, but still discernible, effect.https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.70051bioenergy crop production systemcontrasting tillage legacygross primary productionlong‐term tillage historynitrogen fertilizationsoil carbon gains |
| spellingShingle | Poulamee Chakraborty Grant Falvo G. Philip Robertson Alexandra Kravchenko Agricultural Management Legacy Effects on Switchgrass Growth and Soil Carbon Gains GCB Bioenergy bioenergy crop production system contrasting tillage legacy gross primary production long‐term tillage history nitrogen fertilization soil carbon gains |
| title | Agricultural Management Legacy Effects on Switchgrass Growth and Soil Carbon Gains |
| title_full | Agricultural Management Legacy Effects on Switchgrass Growth and Soil Carbon Gains |
| title_fullStr | Agricultural Management Legacy Effects on Switchgrass Growth and Soil Carbon Gains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Agricultural Management Legacy Effects on Switchgrass Growth and Soil Carbon Gains |
| title_short | Agricultural Management Legacy Effects on Switchgrass Growth and Soil Carbon Gains |
| title_sort | agricultural management legacy effects on switchgrass growth and soil carbon gains |
| topic | bioenergy crop production system contrasting tillage legacy gross primary production long‐term tillage history nitrogen fertilization soil carbon gains |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.70051 |
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