Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory

1
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory

• Natural Resources Management Unit
• USDA-ARS, Mandan, North Dakota
• BFDP November 2001

2
NGPRL Research Group Jon Hanson Holly
Johnson John Berdahl Al Frank Joe
Krupinsky Mark Liebig
3
NGPRL Objectives for BFDP

• Determine the carbon budget of varieties of
  switchgrass cultivars in North Dakota.
• Evaluate carbon sequestration in switchgrass
  fields in on-farm plantings and adjacent crop
  land.
• Determine the potential effects of switchgrass on
  soil carbon storage for established switchgrass
  stands in ND, SD, and MN.

4
NGPRL Objectives for BFDP

• Assess the potential biomass yield of switchgrass
  cultivars in North Dakota.
• Determine the mineral nutrient requirements of
  switchgrass cultivars.
• Monitor and identify disease problems associated
  with growing switchgrass as a biomass fuel crop.

5
Carbon Budget For Switchgrass

• Sampling Dacotah and Sunburst plots
• Two locations and 2 replications
• 2000 2001
• Biomass Roots
• Soil respiration
• Soil water use

6
Carbon Sequestration

• Evaluation of Dacotah and Sunburst cultivars
• Sampling conducted at Dickinson and Streeter, ND
  plots
• May/June 2000
• Soil cores to 120 cm depth
• Laboratory analysis conducted after second set of
  samples collected in 2004
• Analyzed for organic carbon, inorganic carbon,
  total N, POM, soil pH, electrical conductivity,
  soil nitrate and ammonium, and soil bulk density

7
Carbon Sequestration Laboratory Analysis

• 2000/2001 On-farm trials
• Farms in Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota
• In conjunction with ARS-NE NRCS
• ARS-Mandan completing primary analysis
• Organic carbon, inorganic carbon, total N, POM,
  soil pH, electrical conductivity, soil nitrate
  and ammonium, soil bulk density, aggregate
  stability
• Samples from YR.2000 have been completed

8
Soil Carbon Storage

• Paired sampling to establish Carbon baseline
• Comparing C under cultivated land to C under
  adjacent switchgrass stands of various ages
• 11 counties throughout MN, ND, SD
• Sampling finished 2001
• Lab analysis completed March 2002

9
Soil Carbon Storage 20002001
10
Paired Sampling MN Sites
11
Paired Sampling MN Sites
12
Paired Sampling MN Sites
13
Paired Sampling SD Sites
14
On Farm Trial 7.12.01Jerry Roitch Farm
15
Switchgrass Yield Trials

• Establishment and yield, John Berdahl
• Eight cultivars seeded at three ND sites
• Mandan, ND (2) seeded 1999
• Dickinson, ND seeded 2000
• Two harvests
• August September
• Plots fertilized with 65 kg N/ha in April 2000
  and will receive the same N application this
  fall.
• No P was applied after the initial application in
  fall of 1999

16
Switchgrass Cultivars

• Northern Cultivars
• Dacotah
• (ND origin)
• ND 3743
• (ND origin)
• Summer
• Sunburst

• Southern Cultivars
• Trailblazer
• Shawnee
• OK NU 2
• Cave-In-Rock

17
Dickinson 2001 Yield Trials
18
Dickinson 2001 Yield Trials
19
Dickinson 2001 Yield Trials
20
Dickinson 2001 Yield Trials
21
2001 Stand Performance August harvest yields
22
2001 Stand Performance September harvest yields
23
Switchgrass Yield Trials 2001 Results

• Initial stand establishment
• Mandan excellent
• Dickinson fair
• Late maturing entries declined in dry matter
  yield and stand counts
• Sunburst Trailblazer consistently high in stand
  establishment and dry matter yield

24
Switchgrass Yield Trials 2001 Results

• Winter injury evident for Trailblazer in the
  spring of 2001
• Positive traits for Sunburst production in North
  Dakota
• Good winter survival
• Early August heading date
• Consistently high dry matter yield

25
Mineral Nutrition

• Calcium budget
• Germination
• Calcium and nitrogen interaction

26
Calcium Budget Trial

• Calcium budget
• 5 levels Ca2 (0, 25, 75, 150, 400 mg/L)
• 12 reps each
• Trailblazer cv.
• (based on 1999 station yield data)
• Interesting results between treatments
• Another trial scheduled for 2002

27
Calcium Budget Trial
28
Calcium Budget Winter 2000 Trial

• All elements kept constant except Calcium.
• Phosphorus 15 mg/L, Magnesium 25 mg/L,
• Sulfur 35 mg/L

29
Calcium Budget Results
N5
N1
N3
N4
N2
30
Calcium Budget Results
T3
T5
T1
T2
T4
31
Calcium budget N1
32
N2
33
N3
34
N4
35
N5
36
Calcium Budget Winter 2000 Trial
Source df MS F
37
Calcium Budget Aboveground Ca Concentration
Treatment
Ca (mg/l) / Biomass (g/plant)
38
Calcium Budget Belowground Ca Concentration
Treatment
Ca (mg/l) / Biomass (g/plant)
39
Calcium Budget Total Plant Ca Concentration
Treatment
Ca (mg/l) / Biomass (g/plant)
40
Switchgrass Germination

• Determine the effect of temperature and pH on
  switchgrass cultivars
• pH (9) Temperature (5) Cultivar (8)
• 1 rep 10 seeds/petri plate 10 replications for
  each cultivar x pH x temperature combination
  (3600 total samples)

41
Germination AOV
Source df MS F
42
Germination Index Variety
Germination index is a value that considers the
speed and success of germination.
Note treatments followed by the same letter are
not significantly different
43
Germination Index Temperature
Germination index is a value that considers the
speed and success of germination.
Note treatments followed by the same letter are
not significantly different
44
Germination Index pH
Germination index is a value that considers the
speed and success of germination.
Note treatments followed by the same letter are
not significantly different
45
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction

• Determining Calcium and Nitrogen requirements for
  switchgrass
• Greenhouse project
• May 2001-November 2001
• 9 nutrient levels (3 Ca2/3 N)
• 32, 8, 2 mg/L
• 270 plants 10 Reps per nutrient level for each
  cv.
• Warm season switchgrass (cv. Sunburst, Dacotah)
• Cool season comparison (intermediate
  wheatgrass, cv. Reliant)

46
Nitrogen and Calcium Treatments
47
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction
48
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction
49
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction
50
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction Early stage
51
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction
mid-sample
52
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction
Pre-harvest
53
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction
54
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction
55
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction
56
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction ANOVA
Source df MS F
57
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction ANOVA
58
Dacotah Cultivar Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction
59
Sunburst Cultivar Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction
60
Calcium?Nitrogen Interaction Results

• Based on preliminary results from this trial
• Nitrogen was the key limiting factor
• No significant differences were apparent between
  the three calcium treatments for either
  switchgrass cultivar

61
Disease Evaluation

• Leaf spot diseaseson switchgrass
• Several fungi have the potential to cause
  diseases on switchgrass.

62
Disease Evaluation

• 1999 Naturally-diseased switchgrass leaves
  collected from local established stands
• 26 collections 171 infected leaves
• 51 fungal isolates were isolated and stored for
  testing
• Eight cultivars inoculated to determine
  pathogenic fungi
• Several fungi confirmed as causing leaf spot
  disease

63
Disease Evaluation

• 2000 Naturally-diseased switchgrass leaves
  collected
• 67 local
• 11 from North Dakota NRCS plantings
• 48 from 10 field locations in Minnesota
• 46 isolates of fungi were obtained and tested for
  ability to cause disease
• Several isolates were determined to be pathogenic
  on switchgrass

64
Disease EvaluationGreenhouse Inoculation
Many fungal isolates tested for ability to cause
disease.
65
Disease EvaluationGreenhouse Inoculation
66
Disease Evaluation Leaf Spot Diseases
Low level of disease symptoms.
67
Disease Evaluation Leaf Spot Diseases
High level of disease symptoms.
68
Disease Evaluation Mandan Pasture Nursery
69
Sioux at Mandan Field Tour
70
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory