Progress 05/01/17 to 04/30/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences included students, researchers, and agricultural/fertilizer industry personnel. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate student and visiting scholars had the opportunity to gain skills and training in collecting and handling samples collected from this project. They were exposed tomajor field operations in energy cane production such asplanting, fertilization and harvesting . They were able to get the foundational training on the use of equipment for quality components analysis for both sweet sorghum and energy cane along with the use of NIR spectroscopy for estimating lignocellulosic content of energy cane and sweet sorghum dry matter (leaves and stalks). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results were presented at the professional society conference (oral presentation). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The project established at two locations, one on a silt loam soil and one on silty clay loam soil, at the LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station in St. Gabriel, LA were completed in April 2021. Within the 4-year period, biomass yield, fiber, and lignocellulosic data on sweet sorghum (summer cover crops in 2017) and energy cane (2018, 2019, and 2020) were collected. Soil samples were collected after each harvest for nutrient content and pH monitoring. Runoff water samples were collected throughout the project period for water quality parameters analysis. Information on cost (return) and prices (inputs) were gathered and used for initial economic analysis for cover cropping implementation in energy cane production.With all these accomplishments, the objectives of this project were addressed. The highlights are provided below: (1) Planting sweet sorghum as summer cover crop significantly increased dry matter production by 12.6% which was equivalent to 8700 kg dry matter/ha increase compared to having a fallow period after plowing out the last ratoon crops. While dry matter production was improved, the corresponding increases in cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin productionwas not statistically significant. (2) Harvesting the entire plants (stalks and leaves) significantly increased dry matter production by 67 Mg/ha. On average, this was 92% higher dry matter yield than harvesting only the energy cane stalk. This resulted in significant increases in cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin production by 105% (37,093 kg/ha), 122% (8,539 kg/ha), and 85% (8,495 kg/ha), respectively. (3) Planting winter (cool season) cover crops three to six weeks after planting new energy cane crop had an apparent negative effect on dry matter production of energy cane. A reduction by 7.5% was incurred which was equivalent to 5,928 kg dry matter/ha compared to energy cane without cool season cover crops. Planting summer cover crops (sweet sorghum) resulted in reduction in soil phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur content while cool season cover cropping in one of the sites (silty clay loam soil) recorded significant reduction in soil phosphorus and zinc. The plots where the whole energy cane plants were harvested combined with cover cropping recorded the lowest soil nutrient content in these reported cases. The runoff water samples collected across the study period showed flush of nitrate in 2018 during the summer, mostly spiking in treatments with sweet sorghum as summer cover crop. Specifically, the site on a silty clay loam recorded a remarkable 11 mg/L nitrate content in runoff water taken from the month of July from plots with both summer and winter cover crops + whole plant-harvesting. The runoff water samples collected in the subsequent years on average had 1 mg/L nitrate content. The other water quality parameters (total suspended solid - TSS, total dissolved solid - TDS, and turbidity) were more influenced by cropping year than the treatments, i.e., in 2018 these parameters were higher by several magnitudes compared to 2019, 2020, and 2021. No clear and consistent pattern was obtained with respect to the treatment effect with the exception of total dissolved solid in silt loam soil markedly higher by 2 to 8 times in energy cane (stalk harvested) with both summer and winter cover crops compared with the rest of the treatments. The poor water quality observed one year after energy cane establishment was more likely associated with the disturbance of soils arising from major field operations.Both cover cropping and removal of cane residues did not impose any effect on total microbial biomass, soil organic matter content, and soil respiration. The microbial community and their populations were not affected as well. Based on the soil penetrometer readings, soil type had more influence on root resistance than the treatments, with silt loam soil on average recorded a 30 psi lower than the silty clay loam soil. Four months after ploughing out the field in January 2021, a significant increase in resistance was recorded for both soils; from 93 to 226 psi for silt loam and from 124 to 210 psi for the silty clay loam soil. All these suggest that the long-term adoption of cover cropping is required to attain the improvement on soil fertility and soil health. (4) Planting sweet sorghum as a summer cover crop incurred an additional expense of $745 per hectare arising from establishment and harvesting cost. The incentives from NRCS from planting cover crops in fallow period is valued at $141 per ha only. The sugar produced (2,720 kg/ha @ $0.48 per kg) brought in $1,305 per ha along with 8,700 kg/ha dry biomass for ethanol production, approximately valued at $306 (2,146 liters ethanol at $0.14 per liter). The winter cover crops seeds cost was $66.41 and had no apparent benefit on dry matter nor on sugar production. Based on this initial economic analysis, the introduction of sweet sorghum as a summer cover crop can improve return to producers by about $1,000/ha. A long-term valuation of cover cropping as an agronomic practice under this production system should be conducted in order to quantify its impact on nutrient cycling and water quality. Presentations were given at the Annual ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting in 2018 and at the 48th American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists Annual Joint meeting in 2019. Manuscript is being prepared for submission to scientific journal.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dalen, M., B. Tubana, H. Viator, L. Fultz, W. Paye, and D. Forestieri. 2019. Biomass and nutrient contribution of summer (sweet sorghum) and winter cover crops in energy cane production in Louisiana. 48th American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists Annual Joint Meeting, Point Clear, AL, June 26-28, 2019.
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Progress 05/01/19 to 04/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include students, researchers, and industry personnel. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate students and visiting scholars obtained hands-on experience on field data collection for this type of research and cropping system. They had the opportunity to learn the major field operations (fertilization, in-furrow tillage, harvesting etc.) and equipment use in energy cane production. They also obtained hands-on training on energy cane quality components and fiber composition analysis using state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The trials will be continued in 2020. The energy cane will be on its 3rd year or 2nd ratoon (crop age). Nitrogen and potassium fertilization will be scheduled in May. Field sampling of plant tissue, water, and soil will be continued. Harvesting will be done in November. Burning of residue will follow the soonest possible in plots under T1 to T3. Planting of cover crops will be done in T3 and T4 plots after residue burning. If the ASA-CSSA-SSSA conference will proceed this year, a poster presentation will be provided by the investigators.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The field study that was established on the Commerce silt loam and Sharkey clay soils at the LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station in St. Gabriel, Louisiana was continued in 2019. Among the field tasks that were accomplished were: fertilization of plots in May, runoff water sampling, harvesting (1st ratoon), mid-season and post-harvest soil sampling, cover crops planting in one of the treatments, cover crops biomass sampling, and termination of cover crops before spring fertilization. Sugar, stalk, fiber, and cover crops biomass yield data were collected along with soil pH and nutrient content post-harvest. On average, the energy cane under T4 treatment (with cover cropping every harvest) attained 9 and 12 Mg/ha higher dry matter yield than the energy cane under T1 treatment (with fallow period and no cover crops) on Commerce silt loam and Sharkey clay soil, respectively. The nutrient content measured in the soil (midseason), and stalk and leaf (at harvest) was unaffected by the treatments. The amount of nutrients removed by energy cane grown on Commerce silt loam soil was similar across the treatments whereas on Sharkey clay soil, energy cane under T1 removed the lowest amounts of phosphorus, potassium and sulfur. Energy cane under T3 had the highest potassium removal rate at 170 kg/ha; this was about 50 kg/ha and 30 kg/ha higher than energy cane under T1 and T4, respectively. Differences in water quality parameters were not observed between treatments. Database on soil, plant, and water quality variables was updated. The data collected from this study is essential to establish the impact of cover cropping on energy cane productivity, nutrient cycling, and soil quality.
Publications
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Progress 05/01/18 to 04/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include students, scientist, industry personnel, NIFA project leaders. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate students obtained hands-on training on fiber composition analysis (lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose) and analysis for parameters to evaluate water quality. Students also learned the logistic of field data collection (plant dry matter, soil and water samples). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results from this research project thus far were presented (oral) at the ASA-CSSA Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD on Nov. 4-7, 2018. The principal investigator was able to provide progress report (oral presentation) during the 2018 Climate and Agroecology Project Directors Meeting on Dec. 6-7, 2018. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The trials will be continued; the energy cane will be on its second year harvest (1st ratoon). Annual nitrogen and potassium fertilization will be accomplished in May along with weed and insect management (when necessary). Soil sampling during the active growth stage of energy cane will be done and runoff water sampling will be continued as well. Harvesting will be done in December that will be immediately followed by burning of residue (treatments 1-3), and planting of cover crops (treatment 4). Data will be summarized and presented at the 2019 American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists Annual Joint Meeting on June 26-28 in Point Clear, AL and at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting on Nov. 10-13 in San Antonio, TX.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In 2018, the field trial established on the Commerce silt loam and Sharkey clay soil at the LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station in St. Gabriel, LA was continued. During the reporting period the following field activities were accomplished: fertilizer application in May, collection of runoff water samples was continued from a total of 13 rainfall events, harvesting (plant cane),soil sampling post-harvest of energy cane, planting of cover crops post-harvest of cane, and biomass sampling of cover crops before chemical burn down. Analysis of soil (chemical and biological), plant, and water quality was accomplished. Sugar, stalk, fiber, and biomass (of cover crops) yield data were collected. Dry weights of stalk and leaves (+ tops) were determined along with the quality components, fiber composition, and sugar yields. The energy cane grown with winter cover crops had significantly higher dry matter yield (stalk + leaves) than plots without cover crops and with summer cover crops (sweet sorghum). In general, plots where sweet sorghum was grown showed reduced level of plant-available nutrients mainly on phosphorus and potassium levels at the 0-6 inches depth, and calcium, magnesium and sulfur at the 6-12 inches depth. The data collected during the reporting period showed that the level of plant-available nutrients for both soils was reduced after the harvesting of plant cane. In less than a year from the time of chemical burn down of winter cover crops, improvement in levels of plant available nutrients was observed. The differences in water quality parameters were more pronounced between the soil types than across the treatments. Overall, the major accomplishment made during the reporting period was the establishment of the database on soil, plant, and water quality variables; these along with the data that will be collected in the subsequent years will provide basis on the value of cover cropping on feedstock production, soil quality and nutrient cycling.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Nicchio, B., Dalen, M., D. Forestieri, W. Paye, J. Mite, M. Martins, J. Cruz, H. Viator and B. Tubana. 2018. Biomass and nutrient contribution of sweet sorghum as a summer cover crop in an energy cane production system in Louisiana. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings. Nov. 4-7, 2018, Baltimore, MD.
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Progress 05/01/17 to 04/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include students, farm/field research associates, and researchers/scientists who mainly participated in the establishments of the two large field trials for this research project. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate students and post-doctoral researcher had a hands-on training in establishing different cropping systems involving energy cane, sweet sorghum and winter cover crops, installation of runoff water sample collectors, and logistics in collecting field data (e.g. plant dry matter, soil, and water samples). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Laboratory analyses of soil, water, and plant samples (remaining from last year) will continue. Soil sampling during the active growth stage of energy cane will be done while runoff water sampling will continue. Cover crop biomass sampling along with the first harvest (December) of energy cane will be done this year. Data on following will be summarized and used for potential presentations in conference meetings and field days/growers meeting: soil nutrient content, crop biomass nutrient recovery, nutrient content of runoff water samples, and dry matter/fiber yield from sweet sorghum and energy cane. Maintenance of field trials such as fertilizer application, weed and insect management (when necessary), and building of surface drainage ditches will be done in spring and summer of 2018.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In 2017, the two large trials were established at the LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station in St. Gabriel, LA, one on a Commerce silt loam soil and one on a Sharkey clay soil. Composite soil samples were collected prior to establishing the 4 cropping systems involving sweet sorghum and energy cane for production of feedstocks. Sweet sorghum as a summer cover crop was planted in April and harvested in July. During this time, the runoff water sample collectors were also installed. Immediately after sweet sorghum harvesting, energy cane was planted followed by cover crops seeding. Initial soil sample characterization was made for the two sites showing higher level of plant-essential nutrient on the soil with heavier texture than the soil with light texture. On average, plots under energy cane-sweet sorghum rotation had recorded additional dry matter yield (stalks and leaves) of 7443 and 8380 lbs/ac corresponding to 4390 and 4855 lbs/ac fiber yield on silt loam and clay soil, respectively. The fallow field had higher soil phosphorus and potassium content compared to plots planted to sweet sorghum (after harvest) whereas other plant-essential nutrients of soils between fallow and sweet sorghum rotation were virtually the same. Biomass yield determination and analysis of nutrient composition of cover crops are in-progress. The energy cane crop is established and scheduled for fertilization in mid-April. Overall, the major accomplishment made was the establishment of the all the cropping systems that will be evaluated in terms of its value on feedstock production and impact on soil quality and nutrient cycling.
Publications
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