Title:
Comparison of Sweet Sorghum, Giant Reed and Poplar as Soil Nitrate Scavengers with Cattle Manure Application
Author(s):
Ceotto, E., Marchetti, R., Castelli, F.
Document(s):
Paper
Poster
Abstract:
The scope of this study was to compare the ability of three energy crops in controlling soil nitrate (NO3-N), with and without cattle manure fertilization. The species compared were: the herbaceous annual sweet sorghum, the herbaceous perennial giant reed, and the woody perennial poplar grown as short rotation coppice (SRC). Fertilization treatments applied to all species were: i) an unfertilized control (Ctrl); ii) 120 kg N ha-1 as industrial fertilizer in the form of urea (IF); iii) 10 mm of cattle slurry (CS10); iv) 20 mm of cattle slurry (CS20). The soil of the individual plots was sampled in December 2012, at 0-0.2 m, 0.2-0.4 m, 0.4-0.6 m, and 0.6-0.8 m soil depth. Soil samples were also collected under wheat, which represents a common crop in the area. In the Ctrl plots, the amount of NO3-N was lower than that in the soil of the reference crop (wheat): 20% for giant reed, 16% for poplar, and 35% for sweet sorghum. Important differences among species arose when fertilization was applied, in particular at the higher rate of cattle slurry. The amount of NO3-N of CS20 compared to Ctrl was only +11% in case of giant reed and +58% in case of sweet sorghum, while in case of poplar SRC it was + 966%. We concluded that giant reed is the species most suitable to keep soil nitrate under control, even when relatively high rates of cattle slurry are applied.
Keywords:
perennial energy crops, environmental impact, annual energy crops, short rotation coppice
Topic:
Biomass Policies, Markets and Sustainability
Subtopic:
Environmental impacts of bioenergy
Event:
25th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
4AV.2.16
Pages:
1724 - 1726
ISBN:
978-88-89407-17-2
Paper DOI:
10.5071/25thEUBCE2017-4AV.2.16
Price:
FREE
