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P. White - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Dedicated Energy Crops and Crop Residues for Bioenergy Feedstocks in the Central and Eastern USA
BioEnergy Research, 2016Co-Authors: R. B. Mitchell, V. Jin, J. Kiniry, A. Coffin, Marty R. Schmer, W F Anderson, Kipling S Balkcom, P. WhiteAbstract:Dedicated energy crops and crop residues will meet herbaceous feedstock demands for the new bioeconomy in the Central and Eastern USA. Perennial Warm-Season Grasses and corn stover are well-suited to the eastern half of the USA and provide opportunities for expanding agricultural operations in the region. A suite of Warm-Season Grasses and associated management practices have been developed by researchers from the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and collaborators associated with USDA Regional Biomass Research Centers. Second generation biofuel feedstocks provide an opportunity to increase the production of transportation fuels from recently fixed plant carbon rather than from fossil fuels. Although there is no “one-size-fits-all” bioenergy feedstock, crop residues like corn ( Zea mays L.) stover are the most readily available bioenergy feedstocks. However, on marginally productive cropland, perennial Grasses provide a feedstock supply while enhancing ecosystem services. Twenty-five years of research has demonstrated that perennial Grasses like switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) are profitable and environmentally sustainable on marginally productive cropland in the western Corn Belt and Southeastern USA.
Joseph G Robins - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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evaluation of Warm Season Grasses nutritive value as alternatives to cool Season Grasses under limited irrigation
Grassland Science, 2016Co-Authors: Joseph G RobinsAbstract:The production of cool-Season Grasses is limited by their photosynthetic inefficiency during the hot summer months. Therefore, a study was conducted during 2006 and 2007 at a Logan, UT, USA field site to determine the potential of various Warm-Season Grasses as alternatives to cool-Season Grasses during summer under limited irrigation. The study included 20 environments, which corresponded to combinations of the 2 years, two harvest dates (June and July) and five irrigation levels. There were differences among the 27 varieties (21 Warm-Season and six cool-Season) for crude protein (CP), in vitro true digestibility (IVTD), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and biomass (BM) across the 20 environments. However, the overall variety effects were ameliorated by the presence of genotype by environment interaction for CP, WSC, BM, and to a lesser extent IVTD. The cool-Season Grasses generally possessed higher trait values in each environment, yet there were several Warm-Season Grasses, such as big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) variety ‘Bison’ and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) variety ‘Trailblazer’ that possessed higher values for the nutritive value traits. Additionally, these Warm-Season grass varieties possessed substantially higher BM than any cool-Season grass varieties. Thus, there are Warm-Season grass varieties that combine high BM and higher nutritive value in the summer months under limited irrigation. These may prove to be viable forage alternatives to the cool-Season Grasses during the summer slump period.
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cool Season Grasses produce more total biomass across the growing Season than do Warm Season Grasses when managed with an applied irrigation gradient
Biomass & Bioenergy, 2010Co-Authors: Joseph G RobinsAbstract:Abstract Warm-Season Grasses have shown great potential for biomass production. However, their productivity under irrigated conditions has not been thoroughly documented. This study evaluated the biomass production potential and production stability of a number of Warm- and cool-Season Grasses across an irrigation gradient. Under the multiple-harvest management strategy, the cool-Season Grasses were most productive across the entire growing Season. Nevertheless, when considering only the summer harvests, the switchgrass and big bluestem entries were the most productive, although the lowland cultivar Alamo did not perform well under the conditions. Overall, cool-Season Grasses were clearly the most productive for total biomass production across the growing Season. However, based on the high biomass production of switchgrass, this species may have potential as a high-producing option for animal feed during the summer months when the cool-Season Grasses are unproductive.
Abner Dylan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Home range size and movement of Northern Bobwhite in relation to cattle at the Blue Grass Army Depot, Madison County, Kentucky.
Encompass, 2020Co-Authors: Abner DylanAbstract:Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) are a grassland bird that have shown declines in distribution and population size across their native range, primarily because of habitat loss. Cattle pastures are a dominant landscape feature in the Bluegrass, yet few studies have investigated Bobwhite use of pastures. Grazing cattle selectively on pastures and fields may provide increased Bobwhite habitat that is vital to the species. This study compares home range sizes and average movement distances in areas with cattle present or absent at the Blue Grass Army Depot. To determine this, we used radio telemetry of captured Bobwhite (N = 30) to monitor movements. To determine home range and movements, Program R adehabitatHR was used to calculate 50% and 90% kernel-based utilization distributions (i.e., home ranges), and movement paths. ArcGIS was used to display results. Results showed no significant difference in cattle presence or absence for home range and movements. These results were unexpected and may be biased by Seasonal variation in the behavior of birds, and the presence of patches of both native Warm Season Grasses and cool Season Grasses. Keywords: Northern Bobwhite, home range, movements, radio telemetry, cattlehttps://encompass.eku.edu/swps_undergraduategallery/1251/thumbnail.jp
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Home range size and movement of Northern Bobwhite in relation to cattle at the Blue Grass Army Depot, Madison County, Kentucky.
Encompass, 2020Co-Authors: Abner DylanAbstract:Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) are a grassland bird that have shown declines in distribution and population size across their native range, primarily because of habitat loss. Cattle pastures are a dominant landscape feature in the Bluegrass, yet few studies have investigated Bobwhite use of pastures. Grazing cattle selectively on pastures and fields may provide increased Bobwhite habitat that is vital to the species. This study compares home range sizes and average movement distances in areas with cattle present or absent at the Blue Grass Army Depot. To determine this, we used radio telemetry of captured Bobwhite (N = 30) to monitor movements. To determine home range and movements, Program R adehabitatHR was used to calculate 50% and 90% kernel-based utilization distributions (i.e., home ranges), and movement paths. ArcGIS was used to display results. Results showed no significant difference in cattle presence or absence for home range and movements. These results were unexpected and may be biased by Seasonal variation in the behavior of birds, and the presence of patches of both native Warm Season Grasses and cool Season Grasses
Colleen Zumpf - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Warm-Season Grass Monocultures and Mixtures for Sustainable Bioenergy Feedstock Production in the Midwest, USA
BioEnergy Research, 2019Co-Authors: Rob Mitchell, Emily Heaton, Colleen ZumpfAbstract:Biomass yield and adaptability to a broad range of environments are important characteristics of dedicated energy crops for sustainable bioenergy feedstock production. In addition to yield potential, the role of species diversity on ecosystem services is also growing in importance as we seek to develop sustainable feedstock production systems. The objective of this study was to compare the biomass yield potential of the commercially available germplasm of native Warm-Season Grasses in monocultures and in blends (mixture of different cultivars of the same species) or mixtures of different species across an environmental gradient (temperature and precipitation) in the Midwest, USA. Warm-Season Grasses including switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.), big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardii Vitman), indiangrass ( Sorghastrum nutans [L.] Nash), sideoats grama ( Bouteloua curtipendula [Michx.] Torr.) and Miscanthus × giganteus (Greef and Deu.) were planted in 2009. Biomass was annually harvested from 2010 through 2015 for Urbana, IL and Mead, NE but only in 2010 and 2011 for Ames, IA. The effect of species in monocultures and mixtures (or blends) on biomass yields was significant for all locations. In monocultures, the annual biomass yields averaged over a 6-year period were 11.12 Mg ha^−1 and 10.98 Mg ha^−1 at Urbana and Mead, respectively, while the annual biomass yield averaged over a 2-year period was 7.99 Mg ha^−1 at Ames, IA. Also, the annual biomass yields averaged across the different mixtures and blends at each location were 10.25 Mg ha^−1, 9.88 Mg ha^−1, and 7.64 Mg ha^−1 at Urbana, Mead, and Ames, respectively. At all locations, M. × giganteus and ‘Kanlow N1’ produced the highest biomass yield in monocultures while mixtures containing switchgrass and big bluestem had the greatest mixture yield. The results from this multi-environment study suggest mixtures of different species provided no yield advantage over monocultures for bioenergy feedstocks in Illinois and Nebraska and both systems consistently produced biomass as long as April–July precipitation was near or above the average precipitation (300 mm) of the regions.
Steven L Fales - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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forage quality of native Warm Season Grasses in response to nitrogen fertilization and harvest date
Animal Feed Science and Technology, 2012Co-Authors: Naroon Waramit, Kenneth J Moore, Steven L FalesAbstract:Abstract The objectives of this research were to determine the effect of N levels and plant maturity on the nutritive quality of four Warm-Season Grasses, and to evaluate relationships between forage quality and morphological development. Indiangrass ( Sorghastrum mutans L. Nash), big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardii Vitman), Eastern gamagrass ( Tripsacum dactyloides L.), and switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) were grown in four replications, applied with 3N levels (0, 65, and 140 kg/ha), and harvested on ten dates at approximately 2-week intervals for first seven harvest dates and 3-week intervals for last three harvest dates. For all species, harvesting at early maturity increased (P in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and crude protein (CP), and decreases in neutral detergent fiber (aNDF) concentrations, whereas allowing forage to reach later maturity reduced forage quality with declines in IVDMD and CP and increases in aNDF concentration. The aNDF concentration in Warm-Season Grasses with the exception of big bluestem increased with N fertilization at 65 kg/ha, while N fertilization at 140 kg/ha had no consistent effect on aNDF concentration of the four grass species across both years. Nitrogen fertilization increased (P 0.05) the IVDMD value for the other three species in 2007. The concentration of CP for all four Warm-Season grass species increased (P 0.05) for eastern gamagrass.