Abstract
Abstract Biofuel crops may help achieve the goals of energy‐efficient renewable ethanol production and greenhouse gas ( GHG ) mitigation through carbon (C) storage. The objective of this study was to compare the aboveground biomass yields and soil organic C ( SOC ) stocks under four crops (no‐till corn, switchgrass, indiangrass, and willow) 7 years since establishment at three sites in O hio to determine if high‐yielding biofuel crops are also capable of high levels of C storage. Corn grain had the highest potential ethanol yields, with an average of more than 4100 L ha −1 , and ethanol yields increased if both corn grain and stover were converted to biofuel, while willow had the lowest yields. The SOC concentration in soils under biofuels was generally unaffected by crop type; at one site, soil in the top 10 cm under willow contained nearly 13 Mg C ha −1 more SOC (or 29% more) than did soils under switchgrass or corn. Crop type affected SOC content of macroaggregates in the top 10 cm of soil, where macroaggregates in soil under corn had lower C, N and C : N ratios than those under perennial grasses or trees. Overall, the results suggest that no‐till corn is capable of high ethanol yields and equivalent SOC stocks to 40 cm depth. Long‐term monitoring and measurement of SOC stocks at depth are required to determine whether this trend remains. In addition, ecological, energy, and GHG assessments should be made to estimate the C footprint of each feedstock.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Corn grain had the highest potential ethanol yield, averaging over 4100 L per hectare.
- Taxon
- Corn
Zea mays subsp. mayse0 - Outcome
- potential ethanol yieldse0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- more than 4100 L ha −1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Corn grain had the highest potential ethanol yields, with an average of more than 4100 L ha −1”
Claim · model-written summary
Converting corn grain and stover increased potential ethanol yield.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Treatment
- both corn grain and stover were converted to biofuele0
- Outcome
- ethanol yieldse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“ethanol yields increased if both corn grain and stover were converted to biofuel”
Claim · model-written summary
Willow had the lowest potential ethanol yield.
SalixOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“while willow had the lowest yields”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil organic carbon concentration was generally unaffected by crop type.
Verbatim
e0“The SOC concentration in soils under biofuels was generally unaffected by crop type”
Claim · model-written summary
At one site, topsoil under willow had nearly 13 Mg C per hectare, or 29%, more soil organic carbon than under switchgrass or corn.
- Outcome
- SOCe0
- Direction
- moree0
- Value
- nearly 13 Mg C ha −1e0
- Qualifier
- 29% moree0
- Comparator
- switchgrass or corne0
- Setting
- at one sitee0
Not reportedOrgan / stage
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“at one site, soil in the top 10 cm under willow contained nearly 13 Mg C ha −1 more SOC (or 29% more) than did soils under switchgrass or corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Corn soil macroaggregates had lower carbon than those under perennial grasses or trees.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Outcome
- Ce0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- perennial grasses or treese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“macroaggregates in soil under corn had lower C, N and C : N ratios than those under perennial grasses or trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Corn soil macroaggregates had lower nitrogen than those under perennial grasses or trees.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Outcome
- Ne0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- perennial grasses or treese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“macroaggregates in soil under corn had lower C, N and C : N ratios than those under perennial grasses or trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Corn soil macroaggregates had lower carbon to nitrogen ratios than those under perennial grasses or trees.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Outcome
- C : N ratiose0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- perennial grasses or treese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“macroaggregates in soil under corn had lower C, N and C : N ratios than those under perennial grasses or trees”
Claim · model-written summary
No-till corn had high ethanol yields with equivalent soil organic carbon stocks to 40 cm depth.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Material
- no‐till corne0
- Outcome
- high ethanol yields and equivalent SOC stockse0
- Qualifier
- to 40 cm depthe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“no‐till corn is capable of high ethanol yields and equivalent SOC stocks to 40 cm depth”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend long-term monitoring of soil organic carbon stocks at depth.
Verbatim
e0“Long‐term monitoring and measurement of SOC stocks at depth are required”
t0“biofuel crops”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend ecological, energy and greenhouse gas assessments of each feedstock’s carbon footprint.
Verbatim
e0“ecological, energy, and GHG assessments should be made to estimate the C footprint of each feedstock”
t0“biofuel crops”
The same questions in other papers
Zea mays subsp. mays · yield · Zea mays (maize)Results differ
195 papers in the same direction as this paper · 85 in the opposite direction · 11 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- no effect
- negative
288 papers more in this group
See all 292 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.