Abstract
With the increasing costs of fossil fuels, new methods of generating renewable fuels need to be researched and developed. This study was undertaken to assess the effects of irrigation frequency on crop growth and ethanol yield of sweet sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. Nine combinations of pre‐ and postanthesis irrigation frequencies triggered by 35, 50, or 65% depletion of plant‐available soil water were established in Tucson, AZ. Soil type was a Gila very fine sandy loam. Water application plus precipitation ranged from 1075 to 1394 mm. Crop water use was greatest with the most frequent irrigation treatment (35% depletion all season) (1067 mm), while the 50 and 65% depletion treatments (all season) were not different (882 and 844 mm, respectively). Despite increased biomass at the V‐17 and anthesis stages, no differences due to irrigation frequency were found at harvest for yield of biomass or ethanol. The 65% and 50% depletion treatments (all season) returned more biomass per unit of water applied than the 35% depletion treatment (all season) (21.9, 21.6, and 18.8 kg ha −1 mm −1 , respectively). A difference in total sugar concentration was not found at harvest, implying that water stress does not increase the sugar concentration in sweet sorghum, or the stress imposed in our study (24% reduction in postanthesis water use) was not sufficient to do so. Irrigating sweet sorghum more frequently than at 50% depletion does not increase ethanol yield and reduces biomass produced per unit of water.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Most frequent irrigation produced the greatest crop water use.
Verbatim
e0“Crop water use was greatest with the most frequent irrigation treatment (35% depletion all season) (1067 mm), while the 50 and 65% depletion treatments (all season) were not different (882 and 844 mm, respectively).”
t0“Sweet Sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Water use did not differ between the 50% and 65% depletion treatments.
- Treatment
- 50e0
- Outcome
- Crop water usee1
- Direction
- not differente0
- Value
- 882 and 844 mme0
- Comparator
- 65% depletion treatments (all season)e0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“the 50 and 65% depletion treatments (all season) were not different (882 and 844 mm, respectively)”
e1“Crop water use was greatest”
Claim · model-written summary
More frequent irrigation increased biomass at V-17 and anthesis.
- Taxon
- Sweet Sorghumt0
- Organ / stage
- V‐17 and anthesis stagese0
- Treatment
- irrigation frequencye0
- Outcome
- biomasse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Despite increased biomass at the V‐17 and anthesis stages, no differences due to irrigation frequency were found at harvest for yield of biomass or ethanol.”
t0“Sweet Sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Harvest biomass yield did not differ by irrigation frequency.
- Taxon
- Sweet Sorghumt0
- Organ / stage
- harveste0
- Treatment
- irrigation frequencye0
- Outcome
- yield of biomasse0
- Direction
- no differencese0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“no differences due to irrigation frequency were found at harvest for yield of biomass or ethanol”
t0“Sweet Sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Harvest ethanol yield did not differ by irrigation frequency.
- Taxon
- Sweet Sorghumt0
- Organ / stage
- harveste0
- Treatment
- irrigation frequencye0
- Outcome
- ethanole0
- Direction
- no differencese0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“no differences due to irrigation frequency were found at harvest for yield of biomass or ethanol”
t0“Sweet Sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
The 65% depletion treatment returned 21.9 kg ha−1 mm−1 biomass per water applied, more than 35% depletion.
Verbatim
e0“The 65% and 50% depletion treatments (all season) returned more biomass per unit of water applied than the 35% depletion treatment (all season) (21.9, 21.6, and 18.8 kg ha −1 mm −1 , respectively).”
t0“Sweet Sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
The 50% depletion treatment returned 21.6 kg ha−1 mm−1 biomass per water applied, more than 35% depletion.
Verbatim
e0“The 65% and 50% depletion treatments (all season) returned more biomass per unit of water applied than the 35% depletion treatment (all season) (21.9, 21.6, and 18.8 kg ha −1 mm −1 , respectively).”
t0“Sweet Sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Total sugar concentration did not differ at harvest.
- Taxon
- Sweet Sorghumt0
- Organ / stage
- harveste0
- Treatment
- irrigation frequencye1
- Outcome
- total sugar concentratione0
- Direction
- differencee0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“A difference in total sugar concentration was not found at harvest”
t0“Sweet Sorghum”
e1“effects of irrigation frequency”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded that irrigation more frequent than 50% depletion does not raise ethanol yield and reduces biomass per water applied.
Verbatim
e0“Irrigating sweet sorghum more frequently than at 50% depletion does not increase ethanol yield and reduces biomass produced per unit of water.”
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