Title: An integrated landscape designed for commodity and bioenergy crops for a tile-drained agricultural watershed

Abstract

Locating bioenergy crops on strategically selected subfield areas of marginal interest for commodity agriculture can increase environmental sustainability. Location and choice of bioenergy crops should improve environmental benefits with minimal disruption of current food production systems. We identified subfield soils of a tile‐drained agricultural watershed as marginal if they had areas of low crop productivity index (CPI), were susceptible to nitrate‐nitrogen (NO ₃ –N) leaching, or were susceptible to at least two other forms of environmental degradation (marginal areas). In the test watershed (Indian Creek watershed, IL) with annual precipitation of 852 mm, 3% of soils were CPI areas and 22% were marginal areas. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to forecast the impact of growing switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.), willow ( Salix spp.), and big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardi Vitman) in these subfield areas on annual grain yields, NO ₃ –N and sediment exports, and water yield. Simulated conversion of CPI areas from current land use to bioenergy crops had no significant ( p ≤ 0.05) impact on grain production and reduced NO ₃ –N and sediment exports by 5.0 to 6.0% and 3.0%, respectively. Conversion of marginal areas from current land use to switchgrass forecastedmore » the production of 34,000 t of biomass and reductions in NO ₃ –N (26.0%) and sediment (33.0%) exports. Alternatively, conversion of marginal areas from current land use to willow forecasted similar reductions as switchgrass for sediment but significantly ( p ≤ 0.01) lower reductions in annual NO ₃ –N export (18.0 vs. 26.0%). Core Ideas We classified subproductive soils or soils vulnerable to environmental degradation as marginal. We forecasted the biomass potential of soils and associated water quality benefits. Conversion of soils of lowest CPI to energy crops had no impact on NO ₃ –N export. Targeted conversion of 22% of the watershed to energy crops reduced nutrient export. Largest environmental benefits were from converting environmentally vulnerable land.« less

Authors:

Ssegane, Herbert ^[1]; Negri, M. Cristina ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Publication Date:

Fri Sep 16 00:00:00 EDT 2016

Research Org.:

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)

OSTI Identifier:

1344527

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1582116

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC02-06CH11357

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Journal of Environmental Quality

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 45; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 0047-2425

Publisher:

American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

09 BIOMASS FUELS; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; bioenergy; landscape design; water quality