J Plant Ecol ›› 2014, Vol. 7 ›› Issue (5): 451-460 .DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtt057

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Net primary production in three bioenergy crop systems following land conversion

Michael W. Deal1,2,*, Jianye Xu1,2, Ranjeet John1, Terenzio Zenone1,2, Jiquan Chen1,2, Housen Chu1, Poonam Jasrotia2,3, Kevin Kahmark2,3, Jonathan Bossenbroek1 and Christine Mayer1Dea1   

  1. 1 Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, 2801 West Bancroft Street, Mail Stop 604, Toledo, OH 43606, USA; 2 Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, 164 Food Safety and Toxicology Building, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; 3 W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, 3700 East Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA
  • Received:2013-08-12 Accepted:2013-09-19 Published:2014-09-24
  • Contact: Chen, Jiquan

Net primary production in three bioenergy crop systems following land conversion

Abstract: Aims Identifying the amount of production and the partitioning to above- and belowground biomass is generally the first step toward selecting bioenergy systems. There are very few existing studies on the dynamics of production following land conversion. The objectives of this study were to (i) determine the differences in aboveground net primary production (ANPP), belowground net primary production (BNPP), shoot-to-root ratio (S:R) and leaf area index in three bioenergy crop systems and (ii) evaluate the production of these three systems in two different land use conversions.
Methods This investigation included biometric analysis of NPP on three agricultural sites converted from conservation reserve program (CRP) management to bioenergy crop production (corn, switchgrass and prairie mix) and three sites converted from traditional agriculture production to bioenergy crop production.
Important findings The site converted from conventional agriculture produced smaller ANPP in corn (19.03±1.90 standard error [SE] Mg ha-1 year-1) than the site converted from CRP to corn (24.54±1.43 SE Mg ha-1 year-1). The two land conversions were similar in terms of ANPP for switchgrass (4.88±0.43 SE for CRP and 2.04±0.23 SE Mg ha-1 year-1 for agriculture) and ANPP for prairie mix (4.70±0.50 SE for CRP and 3.38±0.33 SE Mg ha-1 year-1 for agriculture). The BNPP at the end of the growing season in all the bioenergy crop systems was not significantly different (P = 0.75, N = 8).

Key words: bioenergy crops, land use change, net primary production, aboveground net primary production, belowground net primary production

摘要:
Aims Identifying the amount of production and the partitioning to above- and belowground biomass is generally the first step toward selecting bioenergy systems. There are very few existing studies on the dynamics of production following land conversion. The objectives of this study were to (i) determine the differences in aboveground net primary production (ANPP), belowground net primary production (BNPP), shoot-to-root ratio (S:R) and leaf area index in three bioenergy crop systems and (ii) evaluate the production of these three systems in two different land use conversions.
Methods This investigation included biometric analysis of NPP on three agricultural sites converted from conservation reserve program (CRP) management to bioenergy crop production (corn, switchgrass and prairie mix) and three sites converted from traditional agriculture production to bioenergy crop production.
Important findings The site converted from conventional agriculture produced smaller ANPP in corn (19.03±1.90 standard error [SE] Mg ha-1 year-1) than the site converted from CRP to corn (24.54±1.43 SE Mg ha-1 year-1). The two land conversions were similar in terms of ANPP for switchgrass (4.88±0.43 SE for CRP and 2.04±0.23 SE Mg ha-1 year-1 for agriculture) and ANPP for prairie mix (4.70±0.50 SE for CRP and 3.38±0.33 SE Mg ha-1 year-1 for agriculture). The BNPP at the end of the growing season in all the bioenergy crop systems was not significantly different (P = 0.75, N = 8).