Key environmental and production factors for understanding variation in switchgrass chemical attributes
Abstract Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a promising feedstock for bioenergy and bioproducts; however, its inherent variability in chemical attributes creates challenges for uniform conversion efficiencies and product quality. It is necessary to understand the range of variation and factors (i....
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-07-01
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| Series: | GCB Bioenergy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12942 |
| _version_ | 1818212276242481152 |
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| author | Amber N. Hoover Rachel Emerson Marnie Cortez Vance Owens Ed Wolfrum Courtney Payne John Fike Jamie Crawford Ryan Crawford Rodney Farris Julie Hansen Emily A. Heaton Sandeep Kumar Hilary Mayton Danielle M. Wilson |
| author_facet | Amber N. Hoover Rachel Emerson Marnie Cortez Vance Owens Ed Wolfrum Courtney Payne John Fike Jamie Crawford Ryan Crawford Rodney Farris Julie Hansen Emily A. Heaton Sandeep Kumar Hilary Mayton Danielle M. Wilson |
| author_sort | Amber N. Hoover |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a promising feedstock for bioenergy and bioproducts; however, its inherent variability in chemical attributes creates challenges for uniform conversion efficiencies and product quality. It is necessary to understand the range of variation and factors (i.e., field management, environmental) influencing chemical attributes for process improvement and risk assessment. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the impact of nitrogen fertilizer application rate, year, and location on switchgrass chemical attributes, (2) examine the relationships among chemical attributes, weather and soil data, and (3) develop models to predict chemical attributes using environmental factors. Switchgrass samples from a field study spanning four locations including upland cultivars, one location including a lowland cultivar, and between three and six harvest years were assessed for glucan, xylan, lignin, volatiles, carbon, nitrogen, and ash concentrations. Using variance estimation, location/cultivar, nitrogen application rate, and year explained 65%–96% of the variation for switchgrass chemical attributes. Location/cultivar × year interaction was a significant factor for all chemical attributes indicating environmental‐based influences. Nitrogen rate was less influential. Production variables and environmental conditions occurring during the switchgrass field trials were used to successfully predict chemical attributes using linear regression models. Upland switchgrass results highlight the complexity in plant responses to growing conditions because all production and environmental variables had strong relationships with one or more chemical attributes. Lowland switchgrass was limited to observations of year‐to‐year environmental variability and nitrogen application rate. All explanatory variable categories were important for lowland switchgrass models but stand age and precipitation relationships were particularly strong. The relationships found in this study can be used to understand spatial and temporal variation in switchgrass chemical attributes. The ability to predict chemical attributes critical for conversion processes in a geospatial/temporal manner would provide state‐of‐the‐art knowledge for risk assessment in the bioenergy and bioproducts industry. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T05:45:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-55acea6c40874232ab420c9cfc232aa5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1757-1693 1757-1707 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T05:45:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | GCB Bioenergy |
| spelling | doaj.art-55acea6c40874232ab420c9cfc232aa52022-12-22T00:35:48ZengWileyGCB Bioenergy1757-16931757-17072022-07-0114777679210.1111/gcbb.12942Key environmental and production factors for understanding variation in switchgrass chemical attributesAmber N. Hoover0Rachel Emerson1Marnie Cortez2Vance Owens3Ed Wolfrum4Courtney Payne5John Fike6Jamie Crawford7Ryan Crawford8Rodney Farris9Julie Hansen10Emily A. Heaton11Sandeep Kumar12Hilary Mayton13Danielle M. Wilson14Idaho National Laboratory Idaho Falls Idaho USAIdaho National Laboratory Idaho Falls Idaho USAIdaho National Laboratory Idaho Falls Idaho USASouth Dakota State University Brookings South Dakota USANational Renewable Energy Laboratory National Bioenergy Center Golden Colorado USANational Renewable Energy Laboratory National Bioenergy Center Golden Colorado USAVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg Virginia USACornell University Ithaca New York USACornell University Ithaca New York USAOklahoma Agriculture Experiment Station Eastern Research Station Oklahoma State University Haskell Oklahoma USACornell University Ithaca New York USAIowa State University Ames Iowa USASouth Dakota State University Brookings South Dakota USACornell University Ithaca New York USAIowa State University Ames Iowa USAAbstract Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a promising feedstock for bioenergy and bioproducts; however, its inherent variability in chemical attributes creates challenges for uniform conversion efficiencies and product quality. It is necessary to understand the range of variation and factors (i.e., field management, environmental) influencing chemical attributes for process improvement and risk assessment. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the impact of nitrogen fertilizer application rate, year, and location on switchgrass chemical attributes, (2) examine the relationships among chemical attributes, weather and soil data, and (3) develop models to predict chemical attributes using environmental factors. Switchgrass samples from a field study spanning four locations including upland cultivars, one location including a lowland cultivar, and between three and six harvest years were assessed for glucan, xylan, lignin, volatiles, carbon, nitrogen, and ash concentrations. Using variance estimation, location/cultivar, nitrogen application rate, and year explained 65%–96% of the variation for switchgrass chemical attributes. Location/cultivar × year interaction was a significant factor for all chemical attributes indicating environmental‐based influences. Nitrogen rate was less influential. Production variables and environmental conditions occurring during the switchgrass field trials were used to successfully predict chemical attributes using linear regression models. Upland switchgrass results highlight the complexity in plant responses to growing conditions because all production and environmental variables had strong relationships with one or more chemical attributes. Lowland switchgrass was limited to observations of year‐to‐year environmental variability and nitrogen application rate. All explanatory variable categories were important for lowland switchgrass models but stand age and precipitation relationships were particularly strong. The relationships found in this study can be used to understand spatial and temporal variation in switchgrass chemical attributes. The ability to predict chemical attributes critical for conversion processes in a geospatial/temporal manner would provide state‐of‐the‐art knowledge for risk assessment in the bioenergy and bioproducts industry.https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12942bioenergydroughtenvironmental explanatory variableslowland ecotypenitrogenproduction factors |
| spellingShingle | Amber N. Hoover Rachel Emerson Marnie Cortez Vance Owens Ed Wolfrum Courtney Payne John Fike Jamie Crawford Ryan Crawford Rodney Farris Julie Hansen Emily A. Heaton Sandeep Kumar Hilary Mayton Danielle M. Wilson Key environmental and production factors for understanding variation in switchgrass chemical attributes GCB Bioenergy bioenergy drought environmental explanatory variables lowland ecotype nitrogen production factors |
| title | Key environmental and production factors for understanding variation in switchgrass chemical attributes |
| title_full | Key environmental and production factors for understanding variation in switchgrass chemical attributes |
| title_fullStr | Key environmental and production factors for understanding variation in switchgrass chemical attributes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Key environmental and production factors for understanding variation in switchgrass chemical attributes |
| title_short | Key environmental and production factors for understanding variation in switchgrass chemical attributes |
| title_sort | key environmental and production factors for understanding variation in switchgrass chemical attributes |
| topic | bioenergy drought environmental explanatory variables lowland ecotype nitrogen production factors |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12942 |
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