Physical Properties of an Alfisol Under Biofuel Crops in Ohio

Authors

  • Catherine Bonin Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, The Ohio State Univ., 210 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
  • Rattan Lal Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, The Ohio State Univ., 210 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-6002.2012.01.01.1

Keywords:

Soil quality, biofuel feedstock, tensile strength, water stable aggregate, bioenergy

Abstract

There is an increasing need to develop renewable energy sources from biofuel crops to replace fossil fuels. Biofuel crops may also enhance ecosystem functions such as soil quality, water availability, and nutrient reserves. Therefore, the effects of four biofuel crops (corn (Zea mays), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) and willow (Salix spp.) were evaluated on soil quality at three sites in Ohio to assess the effects of crop species on soil bulk density (ρb), soil moisture characteristics (SMC), water stable aggregate distribution (WSA), and aggregate tensile strength (TS) to 40 cm depth. Overall, results were site-specific, with most differences occurring for the clayey soil at the Northwest site. At the Jackson site, soil in the 0-10 cm layer under switchgrass had a higher moisture content (θ) between 0 and 100 kPa than that under indiangrass. At the Western site, θ under corn at 1500 kPa was higher at 30-40 cm depth. At the Northwest site, soils under corn in the 0-10 cm depth tended to have the lowest θ at 0 and 3 kPa, while soils under switchgrass and willow had 50% more large macroaggregates and fewer small microaggregates than that under corn. Soil TS in the 0-10 cm depth under corn was nearly 160% more than that under other perennial crops. These results suggest that management of perennial biofuel crops can improve soil physical quality. Changes over seven years occur first in the surface soil layers, but further differences may evolve in subsoil layers with increase in time.

References

Renewable Fuels Association. Ethanol industry statistics. [cited 2012 July 6]. Available from: http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pages/statistics

Bonin CL, Lal R. Agronomic and ecological implications of biofuels. Adv Agron 2012; 117: 1-50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-394278-4.00001-5

Adler PR, Del Grosso SJ, Parton WJ. Life-cycle assessment of net greenhouse-gas flux for bioenergy cropping systems. Ecol Appl 2007; 17: 675-91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/05-2018

Tilman D, Hill J, Lehman C. Carbon-negative biofuels from low-input high-diversity grassland biomass. Science 2006; 314: 1598-600. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1133306

Hill J, Polasky S, Nelson E, et al. Climate change and health costs of air emissions from biofuels and gasoline. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2009; 106: 2077-82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0812835106

Boehmel C, Lewandowski I, Claupein W. Comparing annual and perennial energy cropping systems with different management intensities. Agric Syst 2008; 96: 224-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2007.08.004

Blanco-Canqui H. Energy crops and their implications on soil and environment. Agron J 2010; 102: 403-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/agronj2009.0333

Arshad MA, Martin S. Identifying critical limits for soil quality indicators in agro-ecosystems. Agric, Ecosyst Environ 2002; 88: 153-60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8809(01)00252-3

Barthès B, Roose E. Aggregate stability as an indicator of soil susceptibility to runoff and erosion; validation at several levels. Catena 2002; 47: 133-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0341-8162(01)00180-1

Amézketa E. Soil aggregate stability: a review. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 1999; 14: 83-151. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J064v14n02_08

Earl HJ, Davis RF. Effect of drought stress on leaf and whole canopy radiation use efficiency and yield of maize. Agron J 2003; 95: 688-96. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/agronj2003.0688

Reddy AR, Chaitanya KV, Vivekanandan M. Drought-induced responses of photosynthesis and antioxidant metabolism in higher plants. J Plant Physiol 2004; 161: 1189-202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2004.01.013

Vörösmarty CJ, Green P, Salisbury J, Lammers RB. Global water resources: vulnerability from climate change and population growth. Science 2000; 289: 284-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.289.5477.284

Haynes RJ, Beare MH. Aggregation and organic matter storage in meso-thermal, humid soils. In: Saxton KE, Rawls WJ, editors. Soil water characteristic estimates by texture and organic matter for hydrologic solutions Boca Raton: Lewis Publishers 2006; pp. 213-62.

Johnson JM, Barbour NW, Weyers SL. Chemical composition of crop biomass impacts its decomposition. Soil Sci Soc Am J 2007; 71: 155-62. http://dx.doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2005.0419

Vinton MA, Burke IC. Interactions between individual plant species and soil nutrient status in shortgrass steppe. Ecology 1995; 76: 1116-33. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1940920

Liebig MA, Johnson HA, Hanson JD, Frank AB. Soil carbon under switchgrass stands and cultivated cropland. Biomass Bioenergy 2005; 28: 347-54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2004.11.004

Evrendilek F, Celik I, Kilic S. Changes in soil organic carbon and other physical soil properties along adjacent Mediterranean forest, grassland, and cropland ecosystems in Turkey. J Arid Environ 2004; 59: 743-52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2004.03.002

Bonin C, Lal R, Schmitz M, Wullschleger S. Soil physical and hydrological properties under three biofuel crops in Ohio. Acta Agric Scand, Sect B 2012; 62: 595-603.

Ma Z, Wood CW, Bransby DI. Soil management impacts on soil carbon sequestration by switchgrass. Biomass Bioenergy 2000; 18: 469-77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0961-9534(00)00013-1

Follett RF, Vogel KP, Varvel GE, Mitchell RB, Kimble J. Soil carbon sequestration by switchgrass and no-till maize grown for bioenergy. Bioenergy Res 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12155-012-9198-y

Frank A, Berdahl J, Hanson J, Liebig M, Johnson H. Biomass and carbon partitioning in switchgrass. Crop Sci 2004; 44: 1391-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2004.1391

Tufekcioglu A, Raich JW, Isenhart TM, Schultz RC. Biomass, carbon and nitrogen dynamics of multi-species riparian buffers within an agricultural watershed in Iowa, USA. Agrofor Syst 2003; 57: 187-98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1024898615284

Seobi T, Anderson SH, Udawatta RP, Gantzer CJ. Influence of grass and agroforestry buffer strips on soil hydraulic properties for an albaqualf. Soil Sci Soc Am J 2005; 69: 893-901. http://dx.doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2004.0280

Blanco-Canqui H, Lal R, Lemus R. Soil aggregate properties and organic carbon for switchgrass and traditional agricultural systems in the southeastern United States. Soil Sci 2005; 170: 998-1012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.ss.0000187342.07331.a6

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Official soil series descriptions. [cited 2012 June 22]. Available from: http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/osd/index.html

USDA-NRCS. Web soil survey. [cited 2012 June 22]. Available from: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/ HomePage.htm

Jung JY. Nitrogen fertilization impacts on soil organic carbon and structural properties under switchgrass. PhD dissertation. Columbus: The Ohio State University; 2010.

Grossman RB, Reinsch TG. Bulk density and linear extensibility. In: Dane JH, Topp GC, Eds. Methods of soil analysis Part 4. Madison: SSSA 2002; pp. 201-25.

Klute A, Dirksen C. Hydraulic conductivity and diffusivity: laboratory methods. In: Klute A, Ed. Methods of soil analysis Part 1: Physical and mineralogical methods. 2nd. ed. Madison: ASA-SSSA 1986; pp. 687-734.

Brady NC, Weil RR. The nature and properties of soils. 13th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall 2001.

Yoder RE. A direct method of aggregate analysis of soils and a study of the physical nature of erosion losses. J Am Soc Agron 1936; 28: 335-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/agronj1936.00021962002800050001x

Kemper WD, Rosenau RC. Aggregate stability and size distribution. In: Klute A, Ed. Methods of soil analysis, Part 1: Physical and mineralogical methods. 2nd ed. Madison: ASA-SSSA 1986; pp. 425-42.

Youker RE, McGuinness JL. A short method of obtaining mean weight-diameter values of aggregate analyses of soils. Soil Sci 1957; 83: 291-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00010694-195704000-00004

Horn R, Dexter AR. Dynamics of soil aggregation in an irrigated desert loess. Soil Tillage Res 1989; 13: 253-66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0167-1987(89)90002-0

Dexter AR, Kroesbergen B. Methodology for determination of tensile strength of soil aggregates. J Agric Eng Res 1985; 31: 139-47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0021-8634(85)90066-6

Rogowski AS, Moldenhauer WC, Kirkham D. Rupture parameters of soil aggregates. Soil Sci Soc Am J 1968; 32: 720-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1968.03615995003200050037x

Burt R, Ed. Soil survey laboratory methods manual. Version 4.0. Soil survey investigations report No. 42. Washington: USDA-NRCS 2004.

SAS. SAS user’s guide: Statistics. Cary: SAS Institute 2009.

Carter MR. Researching structural complexity in agricultural soils. Soil Tillage Res 2004; 79: 1-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2004.04.001

Tolbert V, Todd D, Mann L, et al. Changes in soil quality and below-ground carbon storage with conversion of traditional agricultural crop lands to bioenergy crop production. Environ Pollut 2002; 116: S97-S106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(01)00262-7

Coleman MD, Isebrands JG, Tolsted DN, Tolbert VR. Comparing soil carbon of short rotation poplar plantations with agricultural crops and woodlots in North Central United States. Environ Manage 2004; 33: S299-308. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-9139-9

Heggenstaller AH, Moore KJ, Liebman M, Anex RP. Nitrogen influences biomass and nutrient partitioning by perennial, warm-season grasses. Agron J 2009; 101: 1363-71. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/agronj2008.0225x

Pierce FJ, Dowdy RH, Larson WE, Graham WAP. Soil productivity in the Corn Belt: An assessment of erosion's long-term effects. J Soil Water Conserv 1984; 39: 131-6.

Morgan CLS, Norman JM, Lowery B. Estimating plant-available water across a field with an inverse yield model. Soil Sci Soc Am J 2003; 67: 620-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2003.0620

Lal R. Enhancing crop yields in the developing countries through restoration of the soil organic carbon pool in agricultural lands. Land Degrad Dev 2006; 17: 197-209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ldr.696

Schwartz R, Evett S, Unger P. Soil hydraulic properties of cropland compared with reestablished and native grassland. Geoderma 2003; 116: 47-60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(03)00093-4

Ekwue EI. Organic-matter effects on soil strength properties. Soil Tillage Res 1990; 16: 289-97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0167-1987(90)90102-J

Tisdall JM, Oades JM. Organic matter and water-stable aggregates in soils. J Soil Sci 1982; 33: 141-63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.1982.tb01755.x

Udawatta RP, Kremer RJ, Adamson BW, Anderson SH. Variations in soil aggregate stability and enzyme activities in a temperate agroforestry practice. Appl Soil Ecol 2008; 39: 153-60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2007.12.002

Kremer RJ, Li J. Developing weed-suppressive soils through improved soil quality management. Soil Tillage Res 2003; 72: 193-202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0167-1987(03)00088-6

Angers DA. Changes in soil aggregation and organic carbon under corn and alfalfa. Soil Sci Soc Am J 1992; 56: 1244-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1992.03615995005600040039x

Ma Z, Wood CW, Bransby DI. Impacts of soil management on root characteristics of switchgrass. Biomass Bioenergy 2000; 18: 105-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0961-9534(99)00076-8

Barber SA. Effect of tillage practice on corn (Zea mays L.) root distribution and morphology. Agron J 1971; 63: 724-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/agronj1971.00021962006300050020x

Downloads

Published

2012-10-09

How to Cite

Bonin, C., & Lal, R. (2012). Physical Properties of an Alfisol Under Biofuel Crops in Ohio. Journal of Technology Innovations in Renewable Energy, 1(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-6002.2012.01.01.1

Issue

Section

Articles