CAN PERENNIAL GRASS BIOENERGY CROPS IMPROVE THE HYDROLOGY OF MARGINAL SOILS IN NEW YORK

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0231866
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2012
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2015
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Project Director
Walter, MI, TO.

Recipient Organization
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ITHACA,NY 14853

Performing Department
Biological & Environmental Engineering

Non Technical Summary
The use of marginal lands for bioenergy biomass production is critical in order to avoid competition with food crops. Underutilized marginal lands comprise the primary available bioenergy land resource base in NY and the Northeast US, a resource base that has typically been underestimated at the federal policy level. Excessive seasonal wetness is a primary factor that renders soils marginal with respect to conventional agricultural production. Perennial grass bioenergy crops are better suited for marginal lands than are row crops, but seasonal wetness can still complicate management. Different grass species have markedly different rooting depths, which could have impacts on soil hydrology that, in turn, influence the health and usability of the grass stand, nutrient uptake and cycling, and nonpoint source pollution. The main objective of this study is to measure how the hydrology is impacted under different bioenergy biomass systems relative to unmanaged (control) sites. We have a large scale field site divided into one acre strips of cold-season grasses, switchgrass, and native mixed vegetation. We will make regular measurements of soil and hydrologic properties across the site including, infiltration capacity, soil porosities, soil moisture, etc. Additionally, we will monitor the root growth rate because this process may be important to improving soil drainage capacity. We will repeat these measures at a less intensive level for at least one commercial or other research site. Lastly, we will incorporate our findings into our watershed models to assess potential impacts of watershed-scale conversion of marginal lands to bioenergy biomass conversion. In addition to publishing our results in scientific literature and conferences, we will include relevant material in extension activitiess, bioenergy-focused websites, field day events, and direct communication with collaborators. We will also engage with an informal "brain trust" of stakeholders that have been assembled as part of our overarching bioenergy biomass research program. The "brain trust" includes researchers, producers, industry members, and state regulatory and policy officials. The research team's contacts in the grower community and the participation of collaborator Beneterra Agritech will ensure rapid exposure of program findings. This "brain trust" reviews and comments on overall program progress and will include this proposed expansion of the study in our reporting to that group.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
102	0110	2050	20%
111	0320	2050	20%
112	0399	2050	20%
131	0120	2050	20%
133	0210	2050	20%

Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 133 - Pollution Prevention and Mitigation; 111 - Conservation and Efficient Use of Water; 112 - Watershed Protection and Management; 131 - Alternative Uses of Land;

Subject Of Investigation
0120 - Land; 0320 - Watersheds; 0110 - Soil; 0210 - Water resources; 0399 - Watersheds and river basins, general;

Field Of Science
2050 - Hydrology;

Keywords

bioenergy

biomass production

switchgrass

soil

hydrology

infiltration

root growth

storm runoff

nps pollution

nutrients

greenhouse gasses

Goals / Objectives
The use of marginal lands for bioenergy biomass production is critical in order to avoid competition with food crops. In the Northeast lands are typically classified as marginal because their hydrological properties are unsuited to production agriculture. The goal of this project is to assess the impacts of bioenergy biomass production on marginal soil hydrology. Our four specific objectives are: (O1) Determine the impact of perennial grass bioenergy treatments (switchgrass warm-season grass, reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) cool-season grass, and pre-conversion control) on hydrologic parameters including infiltration, conductivity, drainable porosity, and interflow rates; (O2) Examine effects of these grass bioenergy treatments on crop root morphology and soil flowpath analysis; (O3) Conduct similar analyses at satellite field sites that represent a broader range of site and soil characteristics, including row crop comparisons; (O4) Use distributed hydrologic modeling to simulate and test sensitivity of observed soil moisture response to crop-induced changes in soil characteristics. Program results will be communicated not only by conventional scientific literature and conferences but also via extension networks, bioenergy-focused websites, field day events, and direct communication with collaborators. We will also engage with an informal "brain trust" of stakeholders that have been assembled as part of our overarching bioenergy biomass research program. The "brain trust" includes researchers, producers, industry members, and state regulatory and policy officials. The research team's contacts in the grower community and the participation of collaborator Beneterra Agritech will ensure rapid exposure of program findings. This "brain trust" reviews and comments on overall program progress and will include this proposed expansion of the study in our reporting to that group.

Project Methods
In 2011 we established a large long-term field study on a Cornell site. The site is characterized by marginal soils including areas that have poor drainage. Large (~1 acre) quadruplicate strip plots of each treatment (switchgrass, reed canarygrass, and control) have permanent sampling subplots (5 per strip x 16 strips = 80 subplots). These subplots capture the range of soil moisture conditions in each strip and are where soil moisture, soil C, soil health parameters, and localized yield and crop composition are monitored. Procedures for the proposed work include: (O1) We will select three similar moderately sloped subplots of the three crop treatments within replicate 1-acre strip plots at the site. In addition to existing measurements being made (periodic soil moisture levels using TDR probes and shallow wells for tracking perched water table levels) we will install equipment to make ongoing hydrologic measurements, including runoff and lateral flow collectors and samplers. Collaborator Paul Richards has already begun making measurements of surface roughness (using a surface clinometer) and will continue to observe re-development of roughness and hydrologic surface storage after tillage in contrast to never-tilled controls. Periodic measurements of infiltration rate and drainable porosity will also be made. A gauged weir is planned for the man-made draw that serves as the outlet for both surface and subsurface drains of the test site to enable determination of overall outflows at the site. We will correlate results with plant treatments and with other ongoing measurements that include annual soil health assessments and soil penetrometer measurements. (O2) For this objective we will observe relative development of rooting over the course of the study. Perennial grasses were planted in 2011. We will conduct ongoing in situ rhizotron imaging (clear tube with camera for imaging) to observe root depth and extent in a nondisruptive manner. We will correlate soil flowpath analysis and hydrologic characteristics from O1 with root development and morphology. (O3) For this objective we will apply the above tests to existing satellite research sites that represent a wider array of crops and soil types, including mixed species stands and row crop prior use. Once the main site has been successfully instrumented and begun to be monitored, we will identify and instrument at least one satellite site using the same approach. (O4) We will take advantage of a distributed model being developed for the main project to test sensitivity of site hydrologic patterns to a range of anticipated changes in soil characteristics as well as to simulate observed effects. A detailed site survey has been made in support of development of a distributed GIS-based model of the site. As mentioned in our "Goals/Objectives/Expected Outputs," we will employ a wide range of dissemination methods transfer our findings and new knowledge to our stakeholders. Many of these are two-way venues, which allow the stakeholders to directly evaluate our findings as the project progresses so that changes can be made to address potential questions or concerns.

Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences are environmental scientists and engineers, soil and water conservationists, agricultural producers, and other land managers. Changes/Problems:We were able to greatly expand the scope and relevance of this project. Perhaps the most notable extrapolations were to include forest land (data analysis incomplete at this time), link our project with microbial metagenomic analyses of functional genes important to nitrogen and phosphorus cycling, use our data to address nonpoint source pollution risks from agricultural lands, and apply our methods to support biogeochemistry projects, both locally and in other states (NJ, PA, MI). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided an incredible opportunity to train undergraduate students, visiting scientists, and in-coming graduate students in hydrological field methods. Some of the field sites were used for labs in the PI's hydrology and water resources engineering courses. Two undergraduate researchers co-authored published peer-reviewed journal articles. The dataset we developed through this project is proving to be a valuable resource for hydrological modeling testing. Our fully-empirical spatial analyses have been very valuable and contributed to new DEC guidelines on animal manure applications to agricultural land. We anticipate continuing our monitoring in the Finger Lakes Region to capture soil moisture dynamics over a broader set of climatic conditions. Additionally, this project is currently being adapted to a study in Michigan where landscape-scale soil moisture patterns exert strong influences on a variety of biogeochemical processes involving carbon, nitrogen, and mercury. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In addition to presenting our results to the scientific and engineering target audiences through peer-reviewed journal articles and professional meetings, the results have also been presented to local stakeholders through a variety of venues, e.g., Owasco Lake Watershed Association meetings, seminars at regional colleges and universities, as part of the community outreach efforts associated with the Cayuga Lake TMDL program, and through the 4H youth program (4H2O). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We were able to fully accomplish three of our four originally proposed goals (O3-O4). (O1) Determine the impact of perennial grass bioenergy treatments (switchgrass warm-season grass, reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) cool-season grass, and pre-conversion control) on hydrologic parameters including infiltration, conductivity, drainable porosity, and interflow rates: The data to address O1 have been collected but not fully analyzed. However, a preliminary assessment suggests that we will need to make additional measurements in 2016 because of the inherent variability in soil properties, i.e., the variability within any one site was much greater than any differences in mean or median values between sites. As of this reporting period, our data suggest that there are likely no significant differences in soil properties among non-tilled agricultural fields. (O2) Examine effects of these grass bioenergy treatments on crop root morphology and soil flowpath analysis: While we found a few instances of roots penetrating the shallow restrictive soil layer (fragipan) at our primary study site, rooting depth was generally restricted by this layer and saturated subsoils. We hypothesize that more pronounced differences will be seen over a longer study period. We are in the process of summarizing our findings in a manuscript to be submitted for peer-review and eventual journal publication. (O3) Conduct similar analyses at satellite field sites that represent a broader range of site and soil characteristics, including row crop comparisons: We expanded our field soil moisture monitoring to four other sites and, indeed, expanded our bioenergy sampling footprint well beyond the bioenergy fields in order to make comparisons across a wider range of agricultural land covers. While one perennial hay site was persistently wetter than the other field's sites, we saw no statistically significant differences in patterns of the frequency of soil saturation. It appears that the underpinning soil properties and topography are the primary driers of soil moisture dynamics. (O4) Use distributed hydrologic modeling to simulate and test sensitivity of observed soil moisture response to crop-induced changes in soil characteristics: We completed a hydrological model that appears to capture the spatiotemporal distribution of observed soil moisture patterns but because we could not meaningfully assess any crop-induced changes in soil characteristics (if indeed there are any), we were unable to fully address this aspect of the objective. Interestingly, this model is part of a national USDA-funded comparison of models for assessing real-time risks of agricultural nonpoint source pollution.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Buchanan, B.P., M.L. Fleming, R.L. Schneider, B.K. Richards, J.A. Archibald, Z. Qiu, M.T. Walter. 2014. Evaluating topographic wetness indices across Central New York agricultural landscapes. Hydrology and Earth System Science (HESS) 18: 3279-3299.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Hofmeister, K.L., C.B. Georgakakos, M.T. Walter. 2015. A simple runoff threshold model based on topographic wetness indices and soil moisture for central New York agricultural fields. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (in press).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Archibald, J.A., B.P. Buchanan, D.R. Fuka, C.B. Georgakakos*, S.W. Lyon, M.T. Walter. 2014. A simple, regionally parameterized model for predicting nonpoint source areas in the Northeastern US. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies 1: 7491.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Hofmeister, K., C.B. Georgakakos, M T Walter. 2014. A simple runoff model based on topographic wetness indices and soil moisture for Central New York agricultural fields (H43K-1112). 2014 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 15-19 Dec.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Hofmeister, K. and M.T. Walter 2015. H43I-1665: Identifying Landscape Areas Prone to Generating Storm Runoff in Central New York Agricultural Fields (H432-1665). 2015 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 14-189 Dec.

Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: For this reporting period, we primarily targeted scientists and engineers interested in climate change, biofuels, and hydrology. We leveraged this project to also explore the potential impacts of perennial biofuel grass production on ecosystems, using earthworms as an ecological indicator; this fit well with our original goals because earth worms are sensitive to soil moisture. Changes/Problems: There have been no changes per se, although we have found opportunities to expand the scope of this project as discussed in our plans for the next reporting period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project has directly engaged one undergraduate and one graduate student; these students have carried out the bulk of the field monitoring. Both these students as well as 6 others participated in a GIS workshop that focused on the landscape-hydrology analyses that are the primary analytical underpinning for this project. This workshop will be repeated semiannually. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results have primarily been disseminated via scientific journal articles and scientific conferences. Results have also been integrated into the dissemination activities of a larger USDA-NIFA biofuels project, including bioenergy-focused websites, extension/outreach, and other stakeholder engagement. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We will continue to gather field data and we will finish a second manuscript for peer-review publication. We were able to leverage this project to at no extra cost to investigate broader ecosystem questions, which will result in a presentation at the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative in Dijon, France (December 2012) - title: Earthworm abundance and diversity within a range of permanent and temporal moisture conditions in biofuel crops. We have also secured undergraduate research funds to look at denitrification and methane gene distributions across our perenial biofuel cropped field site.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We have now completed two full years of field monitoring and these data are central to all the objectives. We have also developed and tested a model that will be used to address objective O4.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Buchanan, B.P., M.L. Fleming, R.L. Schneider, B.K. Richards, J.A. Archibald, Z. Qiu, M.T. Walter. 2014. Evaluating topographic wetness indices across Central New York agricultural landscapes. Hydrology and Earth System Science (HESS). 18: 3279-3299
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Archibald, J.A., B. Buchanan, D.R. Fuka, C.B. Georgakakos*, S.W. Lyon, M.T. Walter. 2014. A simple, regionally parameterized model for predicting nonpoint source areas in the Northeastern US. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies 1: 7491.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Walter, M.T. 2014. Re-plumbing watersheds: Implications of road ditches for storm flows, pollutant transport, and biogeochemistry. The First International Workshop of Urbanization in Watersheds: Ecological and Environmental Responses, Xiamen, China, 12-17 Oct.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Archibald, J.A., M. Mullen; C. Berry; R. Stedman; M.T. Walter. 2013. Online hydrologic tool to minimize phosphorus loading from agriculture (H23A-1230). 2013 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 9-13 Dec.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Archibald, J.A., C. Berry, D.R. Fuka, M.T. Walter. 2013. Using available online data to map out areas of hydrologic sensitivity for watershed residents. CUAHSI Conference on Hydroinformatics and Modeling, Logan, UT, July 17-19.

Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Scientists and engineers, graduate students, undergraduate student researchers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project engaged two undergraduate researchers and one graduate student (who transitioned of a post-doctoral researcher) during this period. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We have published one paper in the journal Hydrological and Earth System Sciences, Discussions, which is being revised for publication in Hydrological and Earth System Sciences (i.e., non-discussion paper). We have also used the data collected in a hydrological model, which was presented at the Fall American Geophysical Union meeting; a manuscript is being submitted to the Journal of Hydrology, Regional Studies. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We have continued to collect soil moisture data and will throughout the next reporting period. We are adding additional monitoring sites. We will begin analyzing our shallow water table data to assess interflow. In the summer we will make soil hydraulic measurements. A weir was installed in the stream that runs through the primary study site and we will use this information to link soil water status to storm flows.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? O4) We found no obvious differences in soil moisture patterns relative to the different treatments.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Buchanan, B.P., M.L. Fleming, R.L. Schneider, B.K. Richards, J.A. Archibald, Z. Qiu, M.T. Walter. Evaluating topographic wetness indices across Central New York agricultural landscapes. Hydrology and Earth System Science, Discussion 10: 14041-12093.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Archibald, J.A., M. Mullen; C. Berry; R. Stedman; M.T. Walter. 2013. Online hydrologic tool to minimize phosphorus loading from agriculture (H23A-1230). 2013 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 9-13 Dec.