Abstract
Nitrogen (N) fertilization can greatly improve plant productivity but needs to be carefully managed to avoid harmful environmental impacts. Nutrient management guidelines aimed at reducing harmful forms of N loss such as nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and nitrate (NO3(-)) leaching have been tailored for many cropping systems. The developing bioenergy industry is likely to make use of novel cropping systems, such as polycultures of perennial species, for which we have limited nutrient management experience. We studied how a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) monoculture, a 5-species native grass mixture and an 18-species restored prairie responded to annual fertilizer applications of 56 kg N ha(-1) in a field-scale agronomic trial in south-central Wisconsin over a 2-year period. We observed greater fertilizer-induced N2O emissions and sub-rooting zone NO3(-) concentrations in the switchgrass monoculture than in either polyculture. Fertilization increased aboveground net primary productivity in the polycultures, but not in the switchgrass monoculture. Switchgrass was generally more productive, while the two polycultures did not differ from each other in productivity or N loss. Our results highlight differences between polycultures and a switchgrass monoculture in responding to N fertilization.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilizer-induced nitrous oxide emissions were greater in switchgrass monoculture than in either polyculture.
- Taxon
- switchgrass
Panicum virgatume1 - Material
- switchgrass monoculturee0
- Outcome
- fertilizer-induced N2O emissionse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- either polyculturee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“We observed greater fertilizer-induced N2O emissions and sub-rooting zone NO3(-) concentrations in the switchgrass monoculture than in either polyculture.”
e1“a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) monoculture”
Claim · model-written summary
Sub-rooting zone nitrate concentrations were greater in switchgrass monoculture than in either polyculture.
- Taxon
- switchgrassPanicum virgatume1
- Material
- switchgrass monoculturee0
- Outcome
- sub-rooting zone NO3(-) concentrationse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- either polyculturee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“We observed greater fertilizer-induced N2O emissions and sub-rooting zone NO3(-) concentrations in the switchgrass monoculture than in either polyculture.”
e1“a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) monoculture”
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilization increased aboveground net primary productivity in the polycultures.
- Taxon
- native grasse1
- Material
- polyculturese0
- Treatment
- Fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- aboveground net primary productivitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Fertilization increased aboveground net primary productivity in the polycultures, but not in the switchgrass monoculture.”
e1“a 5-species native grass mixture and an 18-species restored prairie”
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilization did not increase aboveground net primary productivity in switchgrass monoculture.
- Taxon
- switchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Treatment
- Fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- aboveground net primary productivitye0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fertilization increased aboveground net primary productivity in the polycultures, but not in the switchgrass monoculture.”
Claim · model-written summary
Switchgrass was generally more productive than the polycultures.
- Taxon
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatume0
- Outcome
- productivee0
- Direction
- more productivee0
- Comparator
- two polyculturese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Switchgrass was generally more productive, while the two polycultures did not differ from each other in productivity or N loss.”
Claim · model-written summary
The two polycultures did not differ in productivity.
Verbatim
e0“the two polycultures did not differ from each other in productivity or N loss”
e1“a 5-species native grass mixture and an 18-species restored prairie”
Claim · model-written summary
The two polycultures did not differ in nitrogen loss.
Verbatim
e0“the two polycultures did not differ from each other in productivity or N loss”
e1“a 5-species native grass mixture and an 18-species restored prairie”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · yield · Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)Results differ
5 papers in the same direction as this paper · 30 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
32 papers more in this group
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