Soil net nitrogen mineralization and leaching under Miscanthus × giganteus and Zea mays
Abstract The winter fallow period common in annual cropping systems leaves soils vulnerable to erosion and nutrient loss, especially to nitrogen (N) leaching. This vulnerability can be mitigated with perennial crops that have living roots in the ground year‐round. The mechanisms, magnitude, and cons...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-09-01
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| Series: | GCB Bioenergy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12875 |
| _version_ | 1818620136167309312 |
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| author | Jacob E. Studt Marshall D. McDaniel Mauricio D. Tejera Andrew VanLoocke Adina Howe Emily A. Heaton |
| author_facet | Jacob E. Studt Marshall D. McDaniel Mauricio D. Tejera Andrew VanLoocke Adina Howe Emily A. Heaton |
| author_sort | Jacob E. Studt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The winter fallow period common in annual cropping systems leaves soils vulnerable to erosion and nutrient loss, especially to nitrogen (N) leaching. This vulnerability can be mitigated with perennial crops that have living roots in the ground year‐round. The mechanisms, magnitude, and consistency with which perennial crops retain N are not clear. We used an experiment to test whether a perennial crop, miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus Greef et Deu.), would leach less N than continuous maize (Zea mays L.) and how soil net N mineralization (Nmin) may explain observed leaching under varied environment and management conditions. The experiment included three crossed factors: (1) cropping system (maize, juvenile miscanthus = 1–2 years old, mature miscanthus = 3–4 years old); (2) N fertilization (0 and 224 kg N ha−1); and (3) environment (four site‐years at two locations in Iowa, USA, that differed in climate and soil fertility). We measured N cycling dynamics, including: inorganic soil N (ammonium + nitrate), in situ Nmin, N leaching, crop N uptake, and calculated system N use efficiency. There were many complex interactions among factors. On average, cumulative Nmin under juvenile miscanthus was 111% greater than maize, but as miscanthus matured, there was no difference in Nmin between the perennial crop and maize. There was no difference in N leaching between juvenile miscanthus and maize, but mature miscanthus decreased N leaching by 42% and 88% compared to maize (with and without N fertilization, respectively). Across all treatments, there was no relationship between Nmin and N leaching, suggesting other mechanisms are regulating N leaching. Overall, mature miscanthus shows promise as a tool to reduce N losses in areas dominated by annual row‐crops. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T17:48:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-79ed2c5340fe4073a75ce708d8df3a3e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1757-1693 1757-1707 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T17:48:35Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | GCB Bioenergy |
| spelling | doaj.art-79ed2c5340fe4073a75ce708d8df3a3e2022-12-21T22:22:23ZengWileyGCB Bioenergy1757-16931757-17072021-09-011391545156010.1111/gcbb.12875Soil net nitrogen mineralization and leaching under Miscanthus × giganteus and Zea maysJacob E. Studt0Marshall D. McDaniel1Mauricio D. Tejera2Andrew VanLoocke3Adina Howe4Emily A. Heaton5Department of Agronomy Iowa State University Ames IA USADepartment of Agronomy Iowa State University Ames IA USAPlant Research Laboratory Michigan State University East Lansing MI USADepartment of Agronomy Iowa State University Ames IA USACenter for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USADepartment of Agronomy Iowa State University Ames IA USAAbstract The winter fallow period common in annual cropping systems leaves soils vulnerable to erosion and nutrient loss, especially to nitrogen (N) leaching. This vulnerability can be mitigated with perennial crops that have living roots in the ground year‐round. The mechanisms, magnitude, and consistency with which perennial crops retain N are not clear. We used an experiment to test whether a perennial crop, miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus Greef et Deu.), would leach less N than continuous maize (Zea mays L.) and how soil net N mineralization (Nmin) may explain observed leaching under varied environment and management conditions. The experiment included three crossed factors: (1) cropping system (maize, juvenile miscanthus = 1–2 years old, mature miscanthus = 3–4 years old); (2) N fertilization (0 and 224 kg N ha−1); and (3) environment (four site‐years at two locations in Iowa, USA, that differed in climate and soil fertility). We measured N cycling dynamics, including: inorganic soil N (ammonium + nitrate), in situ Nmin, N leaching, crop N uptake, and calculated system N use efficiency. There were many complex interactions among factors. On average, cumulative Nmin under juvenile miscanthus was 111% greater than maize, but as miscanthus matured, there was no difference in Nmin between the perennial crop and maize. There was no difference in N leaching between juvenile miscanthus and maize, but mature miscanthus decreased N leaching by 42% and 88% compared to maize (with and without N fertilization, respectively). Across all treatments, there was no relationship between Nmin and N leaching, suggesting other mechanisms are regulating N leaching. Overall, mature miscanthus shows promise as a tool to reduce N losses in areas dominated by annual row‐crops.https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12875biomass cropcornfertilizerimmobilizationLAMPSnitrogen use efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Jacob E. Studt Marshall D. McDaniel Mauricio D. Tejera Andrew VanLoocke Adina Howe Emily A. Heaton Soil net nitrogen mineralization and leaching under Miscanthus × giganteus and Zea mays GCB Bioenergy biomass crop corn fertilizer immobilization LAMPS nitrogen use efficiency |
| title | Soil net nitrogen mineralization and leaching under Miscanthus × giganteus and Zea mays |
| title_full | Soil net nitrogen mineralization and leaching under Miscanthus × giganteus and Zea mays |
| title_fullStr | Soil net nitrogen mineralization and leaching under Miscanthus × giganteus and Zea mays |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soil net nitrogen mineralization and leaching under Miscanthus × giganteus and Zea mays |
| title_short | Soil net nitrogen mineralization and leaching under Miscanthus × giganteus and Zea mays |
| title_sort | soil net nitrogen mineralization and leaching under miscanthus giganteus and zea mays |
| topic | biomass crop corn fertilizer immobilization LAMPS nitrogen use efficiency |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12875 |
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