Trade‐offs among agronomic, energetic, and environmental performance characteristics of corn and prairie bioenergy cropping systems
Open accessAbstract
Cellulosic bioenergy production provides opportunities to utilize a range of cropping systems that can enhance the multifunctionality of agricultural landscapes. In a 9‐ha field experiment located on fertile land in B oone C ounty, IA, USA, we directly compared a corn‐soybean rotation harvested for grain, continuous corn harvested for grain and stover, continuous corn harvested for grain and stover with a rye cover crop, newly reconstructed prairie harvested for biomass and fertilized with nitrogen, and unfertilized newly reconstructed prairie harvested for biomass. Comparisons were made using four performance indicators: harvestable yield, net energy balance (NEB), root production, and nutrient balances. We found trade‐offs among systems in terms of the measured performance indicators. Continuous corn systems were the highest yielding, averaging 13 Mg ha−1 of harvested biomass (grain plus stover), whereas fertilized and unfertilized prairies produced the least harvested biomass at 8.8 and 6.5 Mg ha−1, respectively. Mean NEB s were highest in continuous corn systems at 45.1 GJ ha−1, intermediate in the corn‐soybean rotation at 28.6 GJ ha−1, and lowest in fertilized and unfertilized prairies at 11.4 and 10.5 GJ ha−1, respectively. Concomitant with the high yields of the continuous corn systems were the large nutrient requirements of these systems compared to the prairie systems. Continuous corn with rye required three times more nitrogen inputs than fertilized prairie. Root production, on the other hand, was on average seven times greater in the prairie systems than the annual crop systems. On highly fertile soils, corn‐based cropping systems are likely to play an important role in maintaining the high productivity of agricultural landscapes, but alternative cropping systems, such as prairies used for bioenergy production, can produce substantial yield, require minimal externally derived inputs, and can be incorporated into the landscape at strategic locations to maximize the production of other ecosystem services.
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Corn may be less well suited than herbaceous perennials for fuel production.
“An annual crop with large soil nutrient requirements and risks of soil erosion and runoff that is cultivated primarily on productive agricultural lands, corn may be less well suited than herbaceous perennials for fuel production [7 -11].”
From Switchgrass and Giant Miscanthus Biomass and Theoretical Ethanol Production from Reclaimed Mine Lands (2018) · cites this paper as [8]
The Introduction reports that prairies can reduce runoff and sediment loss relative to annual crops, and the Discussion finds that corn systems require substantially more nutrient inputs. But the Discussion also finds corn more productive and energetically efficient, and recommends both corn and prairie systems for different roles; it does not conclude that corn is generally less suited to fuel production. (LLM, conf=0.85)
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- Authors
- Jarchow, M. E., Liebman, M., Dhungel, S., Dietzel, R., Sundberg, D., Anex, R. P., Thompson, M. L., & Chua, T.
- Affiliations
- University of South Dakota (US)
- Iowa State University (US)
- University of Wisconsin System (US)
- Corresponding author
- Jarchow, Meghann E.
- Venue
- GCB Bioenergy
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2014-01-04
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 57-71
- ISSN
- 1757-1693 (ISSN-L)
- 1757-1707
- OpenAlex
- W2062681475
- Cited by
- 49
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 11.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- GCB Bioenergy (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- ConocoPhillips
- Iowa State University
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University
- Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Bioenergy crop production and management
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Crop Yield and Soil Fertility
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Biofuel production and bioconversion
- Keywords
- continuous corn, corn-soybean rotation, rye cover crop, net energy balance, root production, nutrient balance, nitrogen fertilization, biomass yield, stover, ecosystem services
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