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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Innovative Cropping Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 October 2020) | Viewed by 39783

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Prof. Dr. Marisol Berti

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Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
Interests: forage; cover crops; bioenergy crops production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomass crops are increasing in importance and area around the world. There is a consensus that the demand for biomass crops as a source of energy will increase rapidly in an attempt to meet the mandated reduction of fossil fuel use in many countries. Perennial energy crops reduce greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient leaching and runoff, and soil erosion, improving water quality and increasing biodiversity. Numerous species have been evaluated as feedstocks for energy production. Biomass crops include perennial and annual grasses, legumes, and oilseeds, and examples of specific biomass crops include switchgrass, miscanthus, reed canarygrass, forage sorghum, giant reed, rapeseed, camelina, and jatropha, etc., though research into other crops with regard to the production of renewable energy is also of interest to this Special Issue.

This Special Issue will focus on “Biomass Crop Production, Management, and Ecophysiology”. We welcome novel research and reviews covering all related topics in biomass crops, including crop genetics and improvement, production management, soil fertility and microbiology, soil–plant interaction, biodiversity, crop physiology, phytoremediation, integration of biomass crops into food cropping systems, growing biomass crops in marginal land, modeling, lifecycle assessment, economics and marketing, and policy.

Prof. Marisol Berti
Guest Editor

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Keywords

energy crops
soil–plant interaction
crop physiology
phytoremediation
water quality
modeling
lifecycle assessment

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1856 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Husk Leaf Senescence Characteristics of Spring Maize (Zea mays L.) Cultivated in Two Row Directions and Three Plant Spacings in Northeast China

by Shengqun Liu, Yan Gu, Xiaobo Wang, Xiangnan Li and Yang Wang

Agronomy 2020, 10(8), 1216; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10081216 - 18 Aug 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2534

Abstract

Row direction and plant spacing influence crop senescence. An experiment was conducted to analyze the effect of row direction and plant spacing on the husk leaf senescence. Physiological indicators related to husk leaf senescence at days after silking (DAS) 12, 22, and 40 were investigated under two row directions (east to west and south to north, abbreviated as EW and SN, respectively) and three plant patterns (single rows spaced at 65 cm, 40 cm twin rows spaced at 90 cm between the paired rows of narrow–wide rows, and 40 cm twin rows spaced at 160 cm between the paired rows of narrow–wide rows, abbreviated as SR, WN1, and WN2, respectively). Row direction affects the chlorophyll content and dehydration rate according to our results. Superoxide dismutase activity at DAS 22, catalase (CAT) activity at DS, and abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations at DAS 12, 22, and 40 were significantly affected by plant spacing. The CAT activities of WN1 and WN2 were significantly higher than those of SR, and WN2 had a lower ABA concentration than WN1 and SR. Our results suggest that row direction from SN and plant spacing from WN1 and WN2 were the suitable conditions for delaying the senescence of husk leaves of maize in the experimental site. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass Crop Production, Management, and Ecophysiology)

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13 pages, 1101 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Response of Switchgrass Grown for Forage and Bioethanol to Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium on Semiarid Marginal Land

by Chao-Chen Tang, Li-Pu Han and Guang-Hui Xie

Agronomy 2020, 10(8), 1147; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10081147 - 06 Aug 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2681

Abstract

A two-year nutrient omission trial was conducted on semiarid wasteland to determine the effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) on the chemical composition and theoretical ethanol yield (TEY) of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). The fertilizer treatments were the following: NPK, PK, NK, NP, and no nutrient inputs (CK). Results indicated that the crude protein (CP) content and protein yield of switchgrass aboveground biomass decreased significantly in the PK treatment (N omission) and the CK, compared with the NPK treatment. The omission of N, P, or K did not significantly affect the other feed and energy quality indicators. When averaged across the two years, the neutral- and acid-detergent fiber contents were lower in the NPK and NP treatments, but the CP, dry matter digestibility, dry matter intake, total digestible nutrients, net energy for lactation, and relative feed value were higher, indicating that the suitable application with combination of N and P was helpful to improve the forage quality of switchgrass. In PK and CK treatments, the contents of soluble sugar, cellulose, and hemicellulose were higher but that of ash was lower than that in other three treatments, indicating that no N application meant better quality of switchgrass aboveground biomass for bioethanol production. The TEY at NPK was 2532 L ha⁻¹ in 2015 and 2797 L ha⁻¹ in 2016; in particular, the TEY decreased significantly by 15.1% in PK, 14.7% in NK, 10.5% in NP, and 29.9% in CK in 2016. To conclude, N was the most limiting factor in switchgrass productivity and the combined N, P, and K nutrient supply management strategy is recommended based on the consideration of quality and quantity of switchgrass as forage and bioenergy feedstock on semiarid marginal land. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass Crop Production, Management, and Ecophysiology)

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23 pages, 2371 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenotyping a Diverse Collection of Forage Sorghum Genotypes for Chilling Tolerance

by Swarup Podder, Dulan Samarappuli, James V. Anderson and Marisol T. Berti

Agronomy 2020, 10(8), 1074; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10081074 - 25 Jul 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4525

Abstract

Forage sorghum (FS) (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is a warm-season biomass crop used as forage for hay or silage with the potential to become a bioenergy feedstock or for dual-purpose (forage and energy). The objective of this study was to screen potential forage sorghum genotypes for increased chilling tolerance and biomass productivity. Seventy-one genotypes of FS were first ranked for high to low vigor index under controlled conditions at 24, 12, and 10 °C. Field experiments were also conducted on a subset of 12 genotypes in Fargo and Hickson, ND, USA, in 2017 and 2018, using two different seeding dates: early (10 May) and late (27 May). Field emergence index values were greater for the late-seeding compared with the early seeding date. Under field conditions, seed mortality and biomass yield were affected by the seeding date and biomass yield correlated with emergence index and normalized vegetative index. Chemical composition of forage sorghum biomass was not affected by the seeding dates. The results of this study suggest that some forage sorghum genotypes carry genetic traits for increased chilling tolerance and produce greater biomass yield when seeded earlier than normal, which could allow for breeding chilling tolerance into forage sorghum. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass Crop Production, Management, and Ecophysiology)

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14 pages, 2974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Long-Term Productivity of Thirteen Lowland and Upland Switchgrass Ecotypes in the Mediterranean Region

by Efthymia Alexopoulou, Federica Zanetti, Eleni G. Papazoglou, Konstantinos Iordanoglou and Andrea Monti

Agronomy 2020, 10(7), 923; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10070923 - 27 Jun 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2162

Abstract

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has been identified in the USA as an ideal biomass crop, in relation to its wide environmental suitability, mainly linked to the availability of both upland and lowland ecotypes, allowing the possibility of growing this species in most of the North American region. Switchgrass is conventionally grown for forage, but more recently, it has been considered as a model biofuel crop. Early European studies on switchgrass as a bioenergy crop started in the late 1990s, when a multi-location field trial was established in Greece (Aliartos) and Italy (Ozzano) to compare the productivity of 13 switchgrass genotypes, including upland (Carthage, Blackwell, Caddo, CIR, Forestburg, SU 94-1, Summer) and lowland (Alamo, Kanlow, Pangburn, SL 93-2, SL 93-3, SL94-1) genotypes. The scope was to identify the most suitable ecotype within each environment and, possibly, the best performing variety. The trials lasted 17 years (1998–2014) in Greece and 13 years (1998–2010) in Italy. While in Italy the trial was rainfed and unfertilized, in Greece, where the soil was marginal, drip irrigation was always applied, and the plots were fertilized regularly. The biomass yields in Greece, as averages across the 17 years, were similar for the lowland and upland varieties (11.5 vs. 11.1 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively), while in Italy, as averages across the 13 years, the differences were relevant: 15.4 vs. 11.3 Mg ha⁻¹ for lowland and upland, respectively. Alamo (lowland) was the most productive variety, both in Greece and Italy, with average annual yields of 12.7 and 16.6 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively; CIR in Greece (10.1 Mg ha⁻¹) and Forestburg in Italy (9.1 Mg ha⁻¹) (both upland) were the least productive genotypes. The present results demonstrate the good suitability of switchgrass as biomass crop for the Mediterranean climate. Despite the very marginal soil (i.e., very shallow and with a sandy texture) in the Greek trial, the application of regular fertilization and irrigation produced biomass yields above 11 Mg ha⁻¹ (grand mean) in the present 17-year-long study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass Crop Production, Management, and Ecophysiology)

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16 pages, 2111 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coronatine Enhances Stalk Bending Resistance of Maize, Thickens the Cell Wall and decreases the Area of the Vascular Bundles

by Yanxia Li, Guanmin Huang, Yuling Guo, Yuyi Zhou and Liusheng Duan

Agronomy 2020, 10(6), 807; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10060807 - 05 Jun 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3033

Abstract

Coronatine (COR) is a phytotoxin produced by the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, it has a structure similar to that of jasmonates (JAs), but it is much more active as a plant growth regulator. The goal of this study was to gain more insight into the effect and the mechanism of COR effects on stalk characteristics are related lodging resistance of maize. The agronomic traits, stalk ultrastructure, and endogenous hormones in maize stalks were studied in field trails and greenhouses, using hybrid cultivar “Xianyu 335” (XY335), “Zhengdan 958” (ZD958) and inbred line B73 as materials in 2018 and 2019. Different concentration of COR were sprayed onto maize foliar surfaces at the seven-expanded-leaves (V₇) stage. Foliar application with 10 µmol L⁻¹ of COR at the V₇ stage decreased plant and ear height, increased weight and diameter of the basal internodes, and increased penetration strength and stalk bending resistance. Compared to the control treatment, in COR-treated plants, salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) were decreased significantly in stalks. The treatment of 10 µmol L⁻¹ of COR enhanced lignin accumulation, the integrity, and the thickness of cell walls in maize stalks in the early stages of stem growth in the inbred line B73, as revealed by autofluorescence microscopy and scanning electron micrographs. Our results indicated that COR improved stalk bending resistance of maize not only by optimizing stalk morphological characteristics, but also by altering hormone levels, which may led to greater lignin accumulation, thickens cell wall, and decreased the area of vascular bundles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass Crop Production, Management, and Ecophysiology)

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13 pages, 1947 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Breeding Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Adapted to Subtropical Agroecosystems

by Janam P. Acharya, Yolanda Lopez, Beatriz Tome Gouveia, Ivone de Bem Oliveira, Marcio F. R. Resende, Jr., Patricio R. Muñoz and Esteban F. Rios

Agronomy 2020, 10(5), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10050742 - 21 May 2020

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 4902

Abstract

Alfalfa is planted in more than 30 million hectares worldwide, but despite its popularity in temperate regions, it is not widely grown in subtropical agroecosystems. It is critical to improve alfalfa for such regions, considering current predictions of global warming and the increasing demands for animal-based products. In this study, we examined the diversity present in subtropical alfalfa germplasm and reported genetic parameters for forage production. An initial screening was performed from 2014 to 2016, evaluating 121 populations from different subtropical origins. Then, a breeding population was created by crossing selected plants, resulting in 145 full-sib and 36 half-sib families, which were planted in a row-column design with augmented representation of three controls (‘Bulldog805′, ‘FL99′ and ‘UF2015′). Dry matter yield (DMY), canopy height (AH), and percentage blooming (BLOOM) were measured across several harvests. Moderate narrow-sense heritability and high genetic correlations between consecutive harvests were estimated for all traits. The breeding line UF2015 produced higher DMY than FL99 and Bulldog805, and it could be a candidate cultivar release. Several families produced higher DMY than all checks, and they can be utilized to develop high yielding and adapted alfalfa cultivars for subtropical agroecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass Crop Production, Management, and Ecophysiology)

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14 pages, 2541 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sewage Sludge as a Soil Amendment for Growing Biomass Plant Arundo donax L.

by Marcela Gubišová, Miroslav Horník, Katarína Hrčková, Jozef Gubiš, Andrea Jakubcová, Martina Hudcovicová and Katarína Ondreičková

Agronomy 2020, 10(5), 678; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10050678 - 11 May 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2852

Abstract

Sewage sludge (SS) is a waste originated from wastewater treatment that could be considered an interesting source of organic matter and nutrients for agricultural production. Our experiments aimed to assess the effect of SS on the growth parameters and the biomass yield of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) plants. Experiments were carried out in pots during two growing seasons, where samples of dried SS were applied in doses of 5 or 15 t ha⁻¹. The number of shoots per plant was significantly higher with the application of 5 t ha⁻¹ of SS into arable soil compared to the control treatment and did not increase with the dose of SS. On the other hand, the height of the plants was gradually elevated with the dose of SS. The diameter of the shoots was positively affected by the dose of 15 t ha⁻¹, and it was the only parameter with significant differences between the used types of SS. The biomass yield increased by 1.2–2.7× depending on the type and dose of SS. Cu and Zn uptake, as micronutrients present in SS, and their accumulation in the aboveground parts were significantly higher for plants cultivated in the presence of SS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass Crop Production, Management, and Ecophysiology)

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17 pages, 1777 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nitrogen and Sulfur Fertilization in Kale and Swede for Grazing

by Osvaldo Teuber, Dulan Samarappuli and Marisol Berti

Agronomy 2020, 10(5), 619; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10050619 - 27 Apr 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3158

Abstract

Species in the Brassicaceae family, hence forth brassicas, such as forage kale [Brassica. oleracea L. convar acephala (DC)], swede (B. napus L. var. napobrassica), turnip [Brassica rapa L. var. rapa (L.) Thell], and hybrids (B. rapa L. × B. pekinensis L. or B. rapa L. × B. oleracea L.), have become an important source of forage for grazing worldwide. One of the limitations of forage brassicas is the relatively higher water content and low forage yield in rain-fed environments. The objective of this study was to determine swede and kale forage yield and nutritive value response to various nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) fertilization rates. The study was conducted at two experimental field sites in North Dakota in 2012 and 2014. Kale cv. Maris Kestrel and swede cv. Major Plus and five N rates (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg N ha⁻¹) and two rates of S (0 and 40 kg S ha⁻¹) were evaluated. Swede total forage yield was greater than kale across all nitrogen and sulfur rates. Compared with no N fertilization, N fertilization increased total leaf and root/stems yield and nitrogen accumulation in leaves, roots, and stems. Sulfur did not affect forage yield. Forage nutritive value was greater in swede than kale due to a higher proportion of edible root compared with kale’s higher proportion of fibrous stems. Nitrogen and sulfur interacted with some forage nutritive components. This study results suggest that growers will benefit from greater forage yield in kale and swede if they fertilize with N up to 200 kg N ha⁻¹. Forage yield and nutritive value of swede and kale in the northern Great Plains are novel results, since these crops are not grown for forage and represent an interesting and valuable new alternative for beef cattle growers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass Crop Production, Management, and Ecophysiology)

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12 pages, 1090 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Leaf Removal Affects Maize Morphology and Grain Yield

by Guangzhou Liu, Yunshan Yang, Wanmao Liu, Xiaoxia Guo, Jun Xue, Ruizhi Xie, Bo Ming, Keru Wang, Peng Hou and Shaokun Li

Agronomy 2020, 10(2), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10020269 - 13 Feb 2020

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 8346

Abstract

Increasing planting density is an important practice associated with increases in maize yield, but densely planted maize can suffer from poor light conditions. In our two-year field experiments, two morphologically different cultivars, ZD958 (less compact) and DH618 (more compact), were planted at 120,000 plants ha⁻¹ and 135,000 plants ha⁻¹, respectively. We established different leaf area index (LAI) treatments by removing leaves three days after silking: (1) control, no leaves removed (D0); (2) the two uppermost leaves removed (D1); (3) the four uppermost leaves removed (D2); (4) the leaves below the third leaf below the ear removed (D3); (5) the leaves of D1 and D3 removed (D4); (6) the leaves of D2 and D3 removed (D5). Optimal leaf removal improved light distribution, increased photosynthetic capacity and the post-silking source-sink ratio, and thus the grain yield, with an average LAI of 5.9 (5.6 and 6.2 for ZD958 and DH618, respectively) for the highest yields in each year. Therefore, less-compact cultivars should have smaller or fewer topmost leaves or leaves below the ear that quickly senesce post-silking, so as to decrease leaf area and thus improve light distribution and photosynthetic capacity in the canopy under dense planting conditions. However, for more compact cultivars, leaves below the ear should senesce quickly after silking to reduce leaf respiration and improve the photosynthetic capacity of the remaining top residual leaves. In future maize cultivation, compact cultivars with optimal post-silking LAI should be adopted when planting densely. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass Crop Production, Management, and Ecophysiology)

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17 pages, 2008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plant Density Influences Reproductive Growth, Lint Yield and Boll Spatial Distribution of Cotton

by Nangial Khan, Yingchun Han, Fangfang Xing, Lu Feng, Zhanbiao Wang, Guoping Wang, Beifang Yang, Zhengyi Fan, Yaping Lei, Shiwu Xiong, Xiaofei Li and Yabing Li

Agronomy 2020, 10(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10010014 - 20 Dec 2019

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4948

Abstract

The number of cotton plants grown per unit of ground area has gained attention due to the high prices of inputs and lower production. Cotton yield per unit of area in Henan province has been stagnant in the last few years. The objectives of this study were to investigate cotton growth, yield, boll spatial distribution and biomass accumulation using different plant densities at cultivation and to find out the optimal plant density. A 2-year field experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design under six plant densities (D1, 15,000; D2, 33,000; D3, 51,000; D4, 69,000; D5, 87,000 and D6, 105,000 ha⁻¹). Cotton grown at lower plant density produced taller plants and high number of leaves per plant while greater number of branches, fruiting nodes and high number of bolls per unit of ground area were produced under high plant density. Boll retention rate decreased as plant population increased and at nodes 1–8 the rate decreased slowly and then increased dramatically. The highest seed cotton yield (4546 kg ha⁻¹) and lint yield (1682 kg ha⁻¹) was produced by D5. The seed cotton and lint yield produced by D5 were 51–55%, 40–37%, 22–26%, 11–15%, 12–15%, 28–30%, 21–24%, 15–20%, 7–13% and 13–17% higher than D1, D2, D3, D4 and D6 during both years of experimentation, respectively. The increase in seed yield was due to higher biomass accumulation in reproductive organs under D5 plant density. The highest average (110.4 V_A kg ha⁻¹ d⁻¹) and maximum (126 V_M kg ha⁻¹ d⁻¹) rate of reproductive organs biomass was also accumulated by D5 as compared to other plant densities. The results suggest that D5 is the optimal plant density for high reproductive biomass accumulation and high yield for the area of Henan province. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass Crop Production, Management, and Ecophysiology)

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