Impacts of management practices on bioenergy feedstock yield and economic feasibility on Conservation Reserve Program grasslands
- Department of Crop Sciences University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign AW‐101 Turner Hall 1102 S. Goodwin Avenue Urbana IL 61801 USA
- Carrington Research Extension Center North Dakota State University 663 Hwy 281 N. PO Box 219 Carrington ND 58421 USA
- Central Agricultural Research Center Montana State University 52583 US Hwy 87 Moccasin MT 59462 USA
- Odum School of Ecology The University of Georgia Athens GA 30602 USA
- Agricultural Research Center Kansas State University Hays KS 67601 USA
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences Oklahoma State University 368 Agricultural Hall Stillwater OK 74078 USA
- Division of Plant Sciences University of Missouri 108 Waters Columbia MO 65211 USA
- Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign 326 Mumford Hall 1301 W. Gregory Dr. Urbana IL 61801 USA
Abstract Perennial grass mixtures planted on Conservation Reserve Program ( CRP ) land are a potential source of dedicated bioenergy feedstock. Long‐term nitrogen (N) and harvest management are critical factors for maximizing biomass yield while maintaining the longevity of grass stands. A six‐year farm‐scale study was conducted to understand the impact of weather variability on biomass yield, determine optimal N fertilization and harvest timing management practices for sustainable biomass production, and estimate economic viability at six CRP sites in the United States. Precipitation during the growing season was a critical factor for annual biomass production across all regions, and annual biomass production was severely reduced when growing season precipitation was below 50% of average. The N rate of 112 kg ha −1 produced the highest biomass yield at each location. Harvest timing resulting in the highest biomass yield was site‐specific and was a factor of predominant grass type, seasonal precipitation, and the number of harvests taken per year. The use of N fertilizer for yield enhancement unambiguously increased the cost of biomass regardless of the harvest timing for all six sites. The breakeven price of biomass at the farmgate ranged from $37 to $311 Mg −1 depending on the rate of N application, timing of harvesting, and location when foregone opportunity costs were not considered. Breakeven prices ranged from $69 to $526 Mg −1 when the loss of CRP land rental payments was included as an opportunity cost. Annual cost of the CRP to the federal government could be reduced by over 8% in the states included in this study; however, this would require the biomass price to be much higher than in the case where the landowner receives the CRP land rent. This field research demonstrated the importance of long‐term, farm‐scale research for accurate estimation of biomass feedstock production and economic viability from perennial grasslands.
- Research Organization:
- South Dakota State Univ., Brookings, SD (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- DE‐FC36‐05GO85041; FC36-05GO85041
- OSTI ID:
- 1328954
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1361201; OSTI ID: 1401643
- Journal Information:
- Global Change Biology. Bioenergy, Journal Name: Global Change Biology. Bioenergy Vol. 8 Journal Issue: 6; ISSN 1757-1693
- Publisher:
- Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
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