Switchgrass forage yield and biofuel quality with no-tillage interseeded winter legumes in the southern Great Plains |
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| Authors: | Apurba K. Sutradhar Eric C. Miller Daryl B. Arnall Bruce L. Dunn Kefyalew Girma William R. Raun |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA;2. DuPont Pioneer, Field Agronomist, Noblesville, IN, USA;3. Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA;4. Department of Horticulture &5. Landscape Architecture, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA;6. Northern Agricultural Research Center, Montana State University, Havre, MT, USA |
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| Abstract: | Information is limited on using winter legumes as a source of nitrogen (N) intercropped with switchgrass in the southern Great Plains of the United States. The objectives of this study were to evaluate N contribution of several winter legumes to switchgrass, and to determine the influence of winter legumes on biofuel quality and soil fertility status. Field experiments were conducted at two locations in Oklahoma in which six winter legumes and four rates of N fertilizer were studied over a 3-year period. Winter legumes did not increase switchgrass forage yield, cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose concentrations at any location. Soil organic matter (OM), nitrate-N (NO3-N), soil test phosphorus (P), soil test potassium (K), and soil pH remained unchanged. In contrast, applying inorganic N only increased switchgrass yield. This study demonstrated that southern Great Plains may not be conducive to utilizing legumes as the primary N source for switchgrass. |
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| Keywords: | biofuel quality forage yield switchgrass winter legumes |
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