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SHORT ROTATION WOODY CROPS CAN PROVIDE MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS WHEN STRATEGICALLY GROWN ON MARGINAL, SEASONALLY WATERLOGGED SITES IN AN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE BECAUSE THEY CAN ABSORB EXCESS NITROGEN, SEQUESTER CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATOMSPHERE AND PROVIDE THE LANDOWNER WITH ADDITIONAL INCOME FROM BIOENERGY MARKETS THAT THESE WOODY CROPS SUPPLY. THE ABSORPTION OF EXCESS NITROGEN IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN THE MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL VALLEY TO REDUCE THE LOW OXYGEN, HYPOXIC ZONE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO WHICH IS DETRIMENTAL TO FISHERIES AND NATURAL POPULATIONS. HOWEVER, WE CURRENTLY LACK CRITICAL INFORMATION ABOUT SHORT ROTATION WOODY CROPS THAT CAN BE GROWN IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES INCLUDING THE INTERACTING EFFECTS OF SOIL PROPERTIES, HYDROLOGY AND THE PHYSIOLOGY OF SPECIFIC WOODY CROP VARIETIES ON PRODUCTIVITY, WATER USE AND NITROGEN UPTAKE AND RETENTION. THEREFORE, OUR RESEARCH GOALS ARE TO DETERMINE HOW BOTH SEASONAL WATERLOGGING AND SOIL WATER STRESS AFFECT GROWTH, WATER USE AND NITROGEN UPTAKE OF SHORT ROTATION WOODY CROPS IN THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL VALLEY. WE WILL PLANT TEST SITES CONTAINING THREE EASTERN COTTONWOOD, BLACK WILLOW AND SYCAMORE VARIETIES AND MEASURE ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS, ABOVE- AND BELOWGROUND CARBON POOLS THROUGH TIME, SEASONAL WATER USE FROM SAPFLOW DATA, AND SEASONAL NITROGEN CONTENT OF TREE COMPONENTS, SOIL WATER, GROUNDWATER AND A NEARBY STREAM. AFTER TWO GROWING SEASONS, HALF OF THE PLOTS WILL BE CUT AND ALLOWED TO RESPROUT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF COPPICING ON PRODUCTION, WATER USE AND N UPTAKE. UPON PROJECT COMPLETION, WE WILL 1) IDENTIFY WOODY BIOFUEL VARIETIES THAT ARE MOST PRODUCTIVE UNDER GIVEN SOIL HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS AND EXHIBIT THE HIGHEST WATER USE EFFICIENCY; 2) IDENTIFY VARIETIES THAT EXHIBIT THE HIGHEST NITROGEN UPTAKE AND RETENTION TO PROVIDE WATER QUALITY BENEFITS; 3) IDENTIFY OPTIMAL ROTATION LENGTHS TO REFINE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND PROVIDE DATA TO PROCESS-BASED MODELS TO REFINE ESTIMATES OF SHORT ROTATIONWOODY CROP PRODUCTIVITY IN THE SOUTHERN U.S. THUS PROVIDING RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FOR THE REGION.

$480,000FY2018National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

Mississippi State University, Mississippi State MS

Investigators

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SHORT ROTATION WOODY CROPS CAN PROVIDE MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS WHEN STRATEGICALLY GROWN ON MARGINAL, SEASONALLY WATERLOGGED SITES IN AN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE BECAUSE THEY CAN ABSORB EXCESS NITROGEN, SEQUESTER CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATOMSPHERE AND PROVIDE THE LANDOWNER WITH ADDITIONAL INCOME FROM BIOENERGY MARKETS THAT THESE WOODY CROPS SUPPLY. THE ABSORPTION OF EXCESS NITROGEN IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN THE MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL VALLEY TO REDUCE THE LOW OXYGEN, HYPOXIC ZONE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO WHICH IS DETRIMENTAL TO FISHERIES AND NATURAL POPULATIONS. HOWEVER, WE CURRENTLY LACK CRITICAL INFORMATION ABOUT SHORT ROTATION WOODY CROPS THAT CAN BE GROWN IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES INCLUDING THE INTERACTING EFFECTS OF SOIL PROPERTIES, HYDROLOGY AND THE PHYSIOLOGY OF SPECIFIC WOODY CROP VARIETIES ON PRODUCTIVITY, WATER USE AND NITROGEN UPTAKE AND RETENTION. THEREFORE, OUR RESEARCH GOALS ARE TO DETERMINE HOW BOTH SEASONAL WATERLOGGING AND SOIL WATER STRESS AFFECT GROWTH, WATER USE AND NITROGEN UPTAKE OF SHORT ROTATION WOODY CROPS IN THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL VALLEY. WE WILL PLANT TEST SITES CONTAINING THREE EASTERN COTTONWOOD, BLACK WILLOW AND SYCAMORE VARIETIES AND MEASURE ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS, ABOVE- AND BELOWGROUND CARBON POOLS THROUGH TIME, SEASONAL WATER USE FROM SAPFLOW DATA, AND SEASONAL NITROGEN CONTENT OF TREE COMPONENTS, SOIL WATER, GROUNDWATER AND A NEARBY STREAM. AFTER TWO GROWING SEASONS, HALF OF THE PLOTS WILL BE CUT AND ALLOWED TO RESPROUT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF COPPICING ON PRODUCTION, WATER USE AND N UPTAKE. UPON PROJECT COMPLETION, WE WILL 1) IDENTIFY WOODY BIOFUEL VARIETIES THAT ARE MOST PRODUCTIVE UNDER GIVEN SOIL HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS AND EXHIBIT THE HIGHEST WATER USE EFFICIENCY; 2) IDENTIFY VARIETIES THAT EXHIBIT THE HIGHEST NITROGEN UPTAKE AND RETENTION TO PROVIDE WATER QUALITY BENEFITS; 3) IDENTIFY OPTIMAL ROTATION LENGTHS TO REFINE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND PROVIDE DATA TO PROCESS-BASED MODELS TO REFINE ESTIMATES OF SHORT ROTATIONWOODY CROP PRODUCTIVITY IN THE SOUTHERN U.S. THUS PROVIDING RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FOR THE REGION. · GrantIndex