Abstract
Abstract Sustainable development of a bioenergy industry will require low‐cost, high‐yielding biomass feedstock of desirable quality. Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) is one of the primary feedstock candidates in North America, but the potential to grow this biomass crop using fertility from biosolids has not been fully explored. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of harvest frequency and biosolids application on switchgrass in Virginia, USA. ‘Cave‐in‐Rock’ switchgrass from well‐established plots was cut once (November) or twice (July and November) per year between 2010 and 2012. Class A biosolids were applied once at rates of 0, 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1 in May 2010. Biomass yield, neutral and acid detergent fiber, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and ash were determined. Theoretical ethanol potential ( TEP , l ethanol Mg −1 biomass) and yield ( TEY , l ethanol ha −1 ) were calculated based on cellulose and hemicellulose concentrations. Cutting twice per season produced greater biomass yields than one cutting (11.7 vs. 9.8 Mg ha −1 ) in 2011, but no differences were observed in other years. Cutting once produced feedstock with greater TEP (478 vs. 438 l Mg −1 ), but no differences in TEY between cutting frequencies. Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1 increased biomass yields by 25%, 37%, and 46%, and TEY by 25%, 34%, and 42%, respectively. Biosolids had inconsistent effects on feedstock quality and TEP . A single, end‐of‐season harvest likely will be preferred based on apparent advantages in feedstock quality. Biosolids can serve as an effective alternative to N fertilizer in switchgrass‐to‐energy systems.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting twice per season produced greater switchgrass biomass yield than cutting once in 2011.
- Taxon
- Switchgrass
Panicum virgatume0 - Treatment
- Cutting twice per seasone1
- Outcome
- biomass yieldse1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Value
- 11.7 vs. 9.8 Mg ha −1e1
- Qualifier
- in 2011e1
- Comparator
- one cuttinge1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e1“Cutting twice per season produced greater biomass yields than one cutting (11.7 vs. 9.8 Mg ha −1) in 2011, but no differences were observed in other years”
Claim · model-written summary
No difference in switchgrass biomass yield between cutting twice and cutting once in other years.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- Cutting twice per seasone1
- Outcome
- biomass yieldse1
- Direction
- no differencese1
- Qualifier
- in other yearse1
- Comparator
- one cuttinge1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e1“Cutting twice per season produced greater biomass yields than one cutting (11.7 vs. 9.8 Mg ha −1) in 2011, but no differences were observed in other years”
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting once produced switchgrass feedstock with greater theoretical ethanol potential (TEP) than cutting twice.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- Cutting oncee2
- Outcome
- TEPe2
- Direction
- greatere2
- Value
- 478 vs. 438 l Mg −1e2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e2“Cutting once produced feedstock with greater TEP (478 vs. 438 l Mg −1)”
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting frequency did not change the theoretical ethanol yield (TEY) of switchgrass.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- cutting frequenciese3
- Outcome
- TEYe3
- Direction
- no differencese3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e3“but no differences in TEY between cutting frequencies”
Claim · model-written summary
Biosolids applied at 153 kg N ha −1 increased switchgrass biomass yield by 25%.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1e4
- Outcome
- biomass yieldse4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Value
- 25%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e4“Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1 increased biomass yields by 25%, 37%, and 46%, and TEY by 25%, 34%, and 42%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Biosolids applied at 306 kg N ha −1 increased switchgrass biomass yield by 37%.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1e4
- Outcome
- biomass yieldse4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Value
- 37%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e4“Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1 increased biomass yields by 25%, 37%, and 46%, and TEY by 25%, 34%, and 42%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Biosolids applied at 459 kg N ha −1 increased switchgrass biomass yield by 46%.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1e4
- Outcome
- biomass yieldse4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Value
- 46%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e4“Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1 increased biomass yields by 25%, 37%, and 46%, and TEY by 25%, 34%, and 42%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Biosolids applied at 153 kg N ha −1 increased switchgrass theoretical ethanol yield (TEY) by 25%.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1e4
- Outcome
- TEYe4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Value
- 25%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e4“Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1 increased biomass yields by 25%, 37%, and 46%, and TEY by 25%, 34%, and 42%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Biosolids applied at 306 kg N ha −1 increased switchgrass theoretical ethanol yield (TEY) by 34%.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1e4
- Outcome
- TEYe4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Value
- 34%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e4“Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1 increased biomass yields by 25%, 37%, and 46%, and TEY by 25%, 34%, and 42%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Biosolids applied at 459 kg N ha −1 increased switchgrass theoretical ethanol yield (TEY) by 42%.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1e4
- Outcome
- TEYe4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Value
- 42%e4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e4“Biosolids applied at 153, 306, and 459 kg N ha −1 increased biomass yields by 25%, 37%, and 46%, and TEY by 25%, 34%, and 42%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Biosolids had inconsistent effects on switchgrass feedstock quality and TEP.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- Biosolidse5
- Outcome
- feedstock quality and TEPe5
- Direction
- inconsistente5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e5“Biosolids had inconsistent effects on feedstock quality and TEP”
Claim · model-written summary
A single end-of-season harvest is likely to be preferred for switchgrass because of its apparent advantages in feedstock quality.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Outcome
- advantages in feedstock qualitye6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e6“likely will be preferred based on apparent advantages in feedstock quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Biosolids can serve as an effective alternative to N fertilizer in switchgrass energy systems.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Outcome
- alternative to N fertilizere7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.)”
e7“Biosolids can serve as an effective alternative to N fertilizer”
The same questions in other papers
nitrogen · yield · Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)Results differ
22 papers in the same direction as this paper · 6 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- no effect
25 papers more in this group
See all 29 papers →climate site · yield · Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)Positive and negative results
3 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- negative
- no effect
pruning · yield · Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 8 in the opposite direction
- negative
- negative
- negative
7 papers more in this group
See all 11 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.