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At least 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Quantifying the influence of different biocrust community states and their responses to warming temperatures on soil biogeochemistry in field and mesocosm studies

Biocrusts influence soil biogeochemistry by fixing carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and through leachate inputs to soils. Functional rates can vary among biocrust community states and in response to edaphic properties, heterotrophic microbial activity, and global change. Using soils and biocrusts from the Colorado Plateau, Utah, USA, we aimed to quantify the influence of early-successional (ES) and late-successional (LS) biocrust community states on soil biogeochemistry. In a field setting, we found soil was less “fertile” under ES than LS biocrust, but ES biocrust had a relative influence 1.3 times greater than LS biocrust on soil fertility. Leachate collected from LS biocrust had, on average, 6 times more organic C and 1.7 times more dissolved N than ES biocrust, but concentrations of phosphorus (P) and inorganic N did not differ among the two biocrust types. Here, to disentangle influences of biocrusts and soil properties on biogeochemical pools, we constructed mesocosms from homogenized soil and left the surface bare or covered with ES or LS biocrust, before assignment to ambient or warmed (+5 °C) temperature treatments for 3 months. Multivariate biogeochemical properties differed among cover types, yet all exhibited losses of P, N, and organic C and nearly half of the biogeochemical variables considered did not differ among cover types. Mesocosms with LS biocrust retained more dissolved N, supported 8 additional, significant correlations among biogeochemical pools of the biocrust and mineral soil layer on average, and lost fewer of these correlations under warming. Overall, while soils under LS biocrusts were more fertile (i.e., had higher nutrient concentrations) than under ES, we did not find evidence implicating leachate as the primary driver of this difference. Biocrust influences on soil fertility were greater when mineral soil nutrients were in lower concentrations, highlighting the value of even incipient biocrusts for dryland functioning.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Phyllosphere exudates select for distinct microbiome members in sorghum epicuticular wax and aerial root mucilage

Phyllosphere exudates create specialized microhabitats that shape microbial community diversity. We explored the microbiome associated with two sorghum phyllosphere exudates, the epicuticular wax and aerial root mucilage. We assessed the microbiome associated with the wax from sorghum plants over two growth stages, and the root mucilage additionally from nitrogen-fertilized and non-fertilized plants. In parallel, we isolated and characterized hundreds of bacteria from wax and mucilage, and integrated data from cultivation-independent and cultivation-dependent approaches to gain insights into exudate diversity and bacterial phenotypes. We found that Sphingomonadaceae and Rhizobiaceae families were the major taxa in the wax regardless of water availability and plant developmental stage to plants. The cultivation-independent mucilage-associated bacterial microbiome contained Erwiniaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, Rhizobiaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Sphingomonadaceae, and its structure was strongly influenced by sorghum development but only modestly influenced by fertilization. In contrast, the fungal community structure of mucilage was strongly affected by the year of sampling but not by fertilization or plant developmental stage, suggesting a decoupling of fungal-bacterial dynamics in the mucilage. Our bacterial isolate collection from wax and mucilage had several isolates that matched 100% to detected amplicon sequence variants, and were enriched on media that selected for phenotypes including phosphate solubilization, putative diazotrophy, resistance to desiccation, capability to grow on methanol as a carbon source, and ability to grow in the presence of linalool and β-caryophyllene (terpenes in sorghum wax). This work expands our understanding of the microbiome of phyllosphere exudates and supports our long-term goal to translate microbiome research to support sorghum cultivation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Comparative productivity of six bioenergy cropping systems on marginal lands in the Great Lakes Region, United States

Abstract Growing lignocellulosic crops on marginal lands is a promising solution for sustainable biofuel production. We evaluated the productivity of bioenergy cropping systems (switchgrass [ Panicum virgatum L., var. Cave‐In‐Rock], miscanthus [ Miscanthus × giganteus , ‘Illinois clone’], hybrid poplar [ Populus nigra × P. maximowiczii A. Henry ‘NM6’], native grasses [five species], early successional vegetation, and restored prairie vs. historical vegetation [as reference control]) with and without nitrogen fertilization on low‐fertility former cropland at five sites in the Great Lakes Region, United States. We reported biomass yields for the first 7 years after establishment. Switchgrass was most consistently productive across all sites but miscanthus was more productive at three of the five sites. When averaged across sites, years, and nitrogen (N) treatments, biomass yields followed the order miscanthus > switchgrass > hybrid poplar ≈ native grasses > restored prairie > early successional vegetation ≈ historical vegetation, but varied substantially by crop and site, with a significant crop by site interaction. Yields of miscanthus and switchgrass peaked after four–five growing seasons and declined thereafter, while yields of both native grasses and restored prairie increased throughout 6 years with no sign of follow‐on decline, suggesting that polycultures may outperform monocultures over the long term. Yields of early successional vegetation—similar in composition to historical vegetation at each site—did not improve with time. Nitrogen fertilization increased the yields of all cropping systems at all sites. Our results demonstrate the viability of low‐productivity former cropland for long‐term bioenergy production and suggest there is no single crop best suited for all low fertility soils.

Jayawardena, Dileepa M.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Environmental and cost benefits of multi‐purpose buffers in an agricultural watershed for biomass production

Abstract The cost‐benefit of riparian buffers to landowners has not been fully understood despite its ecosystem benefits. This study investigates the environmental and economic value of multi‐purpose buffers for biomass production under alternative land‐management scenarios at the watershed scale. The work incorporates the Soil and Water Assessment Tool with a field‐scale tool, the Agriculture Conservation Practice Framework, and cost‐benefit analysis. Our work took place in the agriculturally dominant Raccoon River watershed (RRW) in Iowa. The cost analysis includes implementing and harvesting the switchgrass buffers, the value of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer, and the forgone income of cropland to determine the net return under 12 alternative feedstock scenarios. We estimated that 14 603 Mg of nitrogen and 2563 Mg of phosphorus runoffs can be intercepted by riparian buffers in the RRW, representing a nutrient loss reduction of 11% of nitrogen and 26% of phosphorus. These nutrients are valued at $1.31 million (M) for phosphorus and $1.24 M for nitrogen as fertilizers. The trapped nutrients account for 12% of the riparian buffers’ total cost. We found that net economic returns increase with biomass market price, increase with maintenance fertilizer application, and decrease with the cropland areas that are converted to buffers. Under current land management, a biomass market price at $60 per dry ton of biomass would be economically viable at the sub‐basin level when maintenance fertilizers are applied. At $80 per dry ton, all 108 sub‐basins in the RRW would be profitable up to $517 a year. The results highlight the trade‐offs between water quality and profitability. Published 2021. This article is a U.S. Government work and is inthe public domain in the USA. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

In silico evaluation of plant nitrification suppression effects on agroecosystem nitrogen loss

Abstract Nitrification regulates the potential for nitrogen (N) loss from ecosystems because it converts ammonium to nitrate, which is susceptible to leaching and gaseous emissions. Crops can suppress the microbes that perform nitrification by exuding nitrification‐inhibiting compounds from their roots and taking up available ammonium. However, the effect of nitrification suppression on agroecosystem N losses remains poorly characterized, and a lack of temporal synchrony between nitrification, N losses, and nitrification suppression by plants could limit the effect of nitrification suppression. We used the DayCent‐CABBI model to evaluate the effectiveness of the suppression of nitrification by sorghum to reduce N 2 O emissions and nitrate leaching in an energy sorghum/soybean rotation at the Energy Farm in Urbana‐Champaign, IL. We simulated nitrification suppression at the measured levels (MeasNS) and at the maximum measured level applied to the entire growing season (MaxNS), and we also explored ways to better utilize nitrification suppression by altering the timing of urea–ammonium–nitrate fertilizer applications. Model experiments showed that most nitrification occurred immediately after fertilizer was applied, whereas nitrification suppression began to ramp up more than a month after planting. On an annual basis, MeasNS experiments showed a 1%–2% reduction in annual N 2 O emissions relative to no nitrification suppression (NoNS), and MaxNS experiments showed a 4%–9% reduction in annual N 2 O emissions relative to NoNS. Both nitrification suppression levels showed <1% reduction in nitrate leaching. Altering the timing of fertilizer applications to better synchronize nitrification suppression with high soil ammonium levels had mixed effects on annual N 2 O emissions and nitrate leaching and sometimes resulted in increased N losses. The timing of simulated N 2 O emissions shifted with the timing of fertilization, and N 2 O emissions from denitrification increased when N 2 O emissions from nitrification decreased. Increasing N retention during the non‐growing season may be more effective than growing‐season nitrification suppression for reducing annual N losses in the rainfed Midwest.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cover crops and poultry litter impact on soil structural stability in dryland soybean production in southeastern United States

Abstract This study explored the efficacy of soil aggregate indices in quantifying soil structural development, utilizing 5‐year field experiment data from the Southeastern United States. The experiment utilized a split‐plot design with cover crops (native vegetation as control, cereal rye (Secale cerealeL.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), and mustard (Brassica rapa) plus cereal rye as the main factor and fertilizer source (no fertilizer as control, inorganic fertilizer with phosphorus, potassium, and elemental sulfur, and poultry litter) as the secondary factor. Aggregate size fractions were determined using the wet‐sieving method, and aggregate stability index (ASI), mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), and fractal dimension (FD) were calculated to assess soil structural stability. Main effects results indicated that cereal rye (55.11%) and poultry litter (50.97%) exhibited the highest ASI values. The highest MWD, GMD, and FD were observed under mustard plus cereal rye (1.187 mm), cereal rye (0.462 mm), and hairy vetch (2.573), respectively. Principal component analysis revealed that cover crops significantly improved soil aggregate structure and stability, overcoming limitations of sole fertilization practices. Regression analysis suggested that ASI, MWD, and GWD positively correlated with soil organic carbon, whereas FD negatively correlated with MWD, GMD, and ASI. Principal component analysis exhibited that FD decreased with increasing soil organic carbon, ASI, MWD, and GMD, demonstrating that lower FD values indicate enhanced soil aggregation and structure. Assessed indices, FD included, effectively gauged soil structural stability. These metrics should be prioritized in managerial decisions to support soil productivity and health in agricultural systems.

Agriculture↗
DOE OSTI2019

Starch:Pectin Acidic Sachets Development for Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles Storage to Improve Phosphorus Release

The importance of fertilizers in boosting crop production has motivated the development of novel high-performance systems capable of improving the phosphorus release in the soil. For instance, methods capable of increasing the surface area of fertilizer particles and promoting the solubilization of low-solubility compounds, including phosphates, are highly pursued. This study was aimed at synthesizing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and investigating their solubility in relation to crystallinity, size, and morphology for phosphorous fertilizer applications. To improve the phosphate ions release, the hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were storage in biodegradable sachets composed of thermoplastic starch/pectin blends with different polymer ratios. The results showed that the smallest and less crystalline hydroxyapatite nanoparticles presented the highest solubility. After storage in polymeric thermoplastic starch:pectin sachets, solubility for all samples was greatly improved, enhancing the phosphorus release due to pH decrease, independent on the nanoparticle size, shape, and crystallinity. The results highlight that the use of acidic sachets is a valuable approach for enhancing phosphorus and other macronutrients release from fertilizers with basic surface properties, aiming at increasing agricultural crop productivity. Graphical Abstract: .

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Biomass Production of Prairie Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata Link.) Using Urea and Kura Clover (Trifolium ambiguum Bieb.) as a Source of Nitrogen

Abstract Optimizing nitrogen (N) management is an important factor for sustainable perennial biomass systems. However, N application is costly, both financially and environmentally. Our objectives were to determine: (1) N rate and plant spacing effects on yield and yield components of prairie cordgrass swards and (2) fertilizer N replacement value (FNRV) of kura clover in prairie cordgrass-kura clover binary mixtures. Plots were established in Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, USA, in 2010. Kura clover was transplanted on 30-cm centers in all treatments in which it was a component; prairie cordgrass seedlings were transplanted within the kura clover on 60- and 90-cm centers. Monoculture prairie cordgrass stands were established at the same population densities of mixed stands and fertilized with 0, 75, 150, or 225 kg N ha -1 . Biomass was harvested in the autumn from 2011 to 2013. N (urea), year, plant spacing, and year × plant spacing affected prairie cordgrass production at all locations. Prairie cordgrass yield increased with N application, but the response varied by location. N application tended to increase prairie cordgrass tiller density and consistently increased tiller mass. Prairie cordgrass yield with 0 N was equal to or less than the yield of prairie cordgrass/kura clover mixtures at all locations in 2011 and 2012; however, kura clover provided a FNRV of 25–82 kg N ha -1 to prairie cordgrass in 2013. Kura clover has potential to provide N to prairie cordgrass in binary mixtures of these two species and on land that may not be easily farmed due to wetness.

Energy & Fuels↗
DOE OSTI2021

Temporal nitrogen dynamics in intensively managed loblolly pine early stand development

Forest production is strongly dependent on nutrient uptake; however, sustainable management of intensively managed plantations requires an improved understanding of this relationship when fertilization occurs frequently across short rotations. Here, we studied temporal nitrogen (N) concentration ([N]) and content (Nc) dynamics under different silvicultural practices (herbicide, fertilization, and planting density) throughout early loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stand development (5 years). We describe relationships of [N] and Nc of different stand components (foliage, branches, stem, roots, and competing vegetation) with carbon and biomass. Our results demonstrate that [N] of perennial loblolly tissues do not respond to silvicultural practices and progressively decrease through development. While foliar [N] was most responsive to resource availability, it was not consistent across time. Controlling competing vegetation was crucial to promote the use of site resources by the crop tree and increased loblolly Nc by >500%. However, increased N uptake and expedited growth is dependent upon fertilization early in stand development. At age 5, herbicide plus reduced and full fertilization rates exhibited similar aboveground Nc, which was 32% higher than with herbicide only. Increasing planting density resulted in increased above- and belowground loblolly Nc; however, increases in Nc were not proportional with increases in planting density. Net primary productivity and N uptake were linearly related, but age/development strongly controlled N use efficiency. Our study helps to understand complex relationships between N, biomass, and silvicultural practices during early stand development and demonstrates that temporal evaluation of nutrient dynamics is crucial to better understand loblolly pine growth, carbon sequestration potential, and to inform sustainable silvicultural practices across short rotations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Agricultural practices influence soil microbiome assembly and interactions at different depths identified by machine learning

Agricultural practices affect soil microbes which are critical to soil health and sustainable agriculture. To understand prokaryotic and fungal assembly under agricultural practices, we use machine learning-based methods. We show that fertility source is the most pronounced factor for microbial assembly especially for fungi, and its effect decreases with soil depths. Fertility source also shapes microbial co-occurrence patterns revealed by machine learning, leading to fungi-dominated modules sensitive to fertility down to 30 cm depth. Tillage affects soil microbiomes at 0-20 cm depth, enhancing dispersal and stochastic processes but potentially jeopardizing microbial interactions. Cover crop effects are less pronounced and lack depth-dependent patterns. Machine learning reveals that the impact of agricultural practices on microbial communities is multifaceted and highlights the role of fertility source over the soil depth. Machine learning overcomes the linear limitations of traditional methods and offers enhanced insights into the mechanisms underlying microbial assembly and distributions in agriculture soils.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Zinc sparks induce physiochemical changes in the egg zona pellucida that prevent polyspermy

During fertilization or chemically-induced egg activation, the mouse egg releases billions of zinc atoms in brief bursts known as ‘zinc sparks.’ The zona pellucida (ZP), a glycoprotein matrix surrounding the egg, is the first structure zinc ions encounter as they diffuse away from the plasma membrane. Following fertilization, the ZP undergoes changes described as ‘hardening’, which prevent multiple sperm from fertilizing the egg and thereby establish a block to polyspermy. A major event in zona hardening is cleavage of ZP2 proteins by ovastacin; however, the overall physiochemical changes contributing to zona hardening are not well understood. Using x-ray fluorescence microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and biological function assays, we tested the hypothesis that zinc release contributes to ZP hardening. We found that the zinc content in the ZP increases by 300% following activation and that zinc exposure modulates the architecture of the ZP matrix. Importantly, zinc-induced structural changes of the ZP have a direct biological consequence; namely, they reduce the ability of sperm to bind to the ZP. These results provide a paradigm-shifting model in which fertilization-induced zinc sparks contribute to the polyspermy block by altering conformations of the ZP matrix. Finally, this adds a previously unrecognized factor, namely zinc, to the process of ZP hardening.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Impacts of 1.5 versus 2.0 °C on cereal yields in the West African Sudan Savanna

To reduce the risks of climate change, governments agreed in the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to less than 2.0 °C above pre-industrial levels, with the ambition to keep warming to 1.5 °C. Charting appropriate mitigation responses requires information on the costs of mitigating versus associated damages for the two levels of warming. In this assessment, a critical consideration is the impact on crop yields and yield variability in regions currently challenged by food insecurity. The current study assessed impacts of 1.5 °C versus 2.0 °C on yields of maize, pearl millet and sorghum in the West African Sudan Savanna using two crop models that were calibrated with common varieties from experiments in the region with management reflecting a range of typical sowing windows. As sustainable intensification is promoted in the region for improving food security, simulations were conducted for both current fertilizer use and for an intensification case (fertility not limiting). With current fertilizer use, results indicated 2% units higher losses for maize and sorghum with 2.0 °C compared to 1.5 °C warming, with no change in millet yields for either scenario. In the intensification case, yield losses due to climate change were larger than with current fertilizer levels. However, despite the larger losses, yields were always two to three times higher with intensification, irrespective of the warming scenario. Though yield variability increased with intensification, there was no interaction with warming scenario. Risk and market analysis are needed to extend these results to understand implications for food security.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Quantifying nitrogen loss hotspots and mitigation potential for individual fields in the US Corn Belt with a metamodeling approach

The high productivity in the US Corn Belt is largely enabled by the consumption of millions of tons of manufactured fertilizer. Excessive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer has been pervasive in this region, and the unrecovered N eventually escaped from croplands in forms of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emission and N leaching. Mitigating these negative impacts is hindered by a lack of practical information on where to focus and how much mitigation potential to expect. At a large scale, process-based crop models are the primary tools for predicting variables required by decision making, but their applications are prohibited by expensive computational and data storage costs. To overcome these challenges, we built a series of metamodels to learn the key mechanisms regarding the carbon (C) and N cycle from a well-validated process-based biogeochemical model, ecosys. The trained metamodel captures over 98% of the variability of the ecosys simulated outputs for 99 randomly selected counties in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. To identify hotspots with high mitigation potential, we introduce net societal benefit (NSB) as an indicator for synthesizing the loss in yield and social benefits through emissions and pollutants avoided. Our results show that reducing N fertilizer by 10% leads to 9.8% less N 2 O emissions and 9.6% less N leaching at the cost of 4.9% more SOC depletion and 0.6% yield reduction over the study region. The estimated total annual NSB is $\$395$ M (uncertainty ranges from $\$114$ M to $\$1271$ M), including $\$334$ from social benefits (uncertainty ranges from $\$46$ M to $\$1076$ M), $\$100$ M from saving fertilizer (uncertainty ranges from $\$13$ M to $\$455$ M), and –$\$40$ M due to yield changes (uncertainty ranges from –$\$261$ M to $\$69$ M). For the median scenario, we noted that 20% of the study area accounts for nearly 50% of the NSB, and thus represent hotspot locations for targeted mitigation. Although the uncertainty range suggests that developing such a high-resolution framework is not yet settled and the scenario based estimations are not appropriate to inform the management practices for individual farmers, our efforts shed light on the new generation of analytical tools for life cycle assessment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Efficient generation of bone morphogenetic protein 15-edited Yorkshire pigs using CRISPR/Cas9†

Abstract Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15), a member of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) superfamily, plays an essential role in ovarian follicular development in mono-ovulatory mammalian species. Studies using a biallelic knockout mouse model revealed BMP15 potentially has just a minimal impact on female fertility and ovarian follicular development in poly-ovulatory species. In contrast, our previous study demonstrated that in vivo knockdown of BMP15 significantly affected porcine female fertility, as evidenced by the dysplastic ovaries containing significantly decreased numbers of follicles and an increased number of abnormal follicles. This finding implied that BMP15 plays an important role in the regulation of female fertility and ovarian follicular development in poly-ovulatory species. To further investigate the regulatory role of BMP15 in porcine ovarian and follicular development, here, we describe the efficient generation of BMP15-edited Yorkshire pigs using CRISPR/Cas9. Using artificial insemination experiments, we found that the biallelically edited gilts were all infertile, regardless of different genotypes. One monoallelically edited gilt #4 (Δ66 bp/WT) was fertile and could deliver offspring with a litter size comparable to that of wild-type gilts. Further analysis established that the infertility of biallelically edited gilts was caused by the arrest of follicular development at pre-antral stages, with formation of numerus structurally abnormal follicles, resulting in streaky ovaries and the absence of obvious estrous cycles. Our results strongly suggest that the role of BMP15 in non-rodent poly-ovulatory species may be as important as that in mono-ovulatory species.

Shi, Xuan↗
DOE OSTI2022

Intra‐ and inter‐annual variability of nitrification in the rhizosphere of field‐grown bioenergy sorghum

Abstract Biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) and plant–microbe competition for ammonium (NH 4 + ) by sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) have the potential to suppress nitrification, reducing nitrate (NO 3 − ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) production for more sustainable bioenergy feedstock production. However, it is unknown how variability in environmental factors, field management, and plant growth affect the suppression of nitrification. We conducted a field trial with four genotypes of energy sorghum and four fertilization rates in central Illinois, USA, and measured soil N pools, potential nitrification and denitrification rates, and microbial community composition in bulk and rhizosphere soils to assess nitrification suppression throughout the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons. Concentrations of NO 3 − and NH 4 + were very low in rhizosphere soil regardless of fertilization level, suggesting strong N demand by plants and microbes. Potential nitrification was lower in the rhizosphere soil than bulk soil, and this suppression was strongest mid‐season ~2 months after planting in both years (20% suppression in 2018 and 58% in 2019). Since precipitation was lower during the mid‐growing season of 2019 compared to 2018, we speculate that hydrophilic BNI root exudates accumulated in the rhizosphere and suppressed nitrification more than in 2018 when soil moisture was higher. Unfertilized plots had greater nitrification suppression than fertilized plots during the mid‐season in 2018, but otherwise nitrification suppression was insensitive to fertilizer treatment. Potential denitrification was stimulated in the rhizosphere compared to bulk soil in both study years, suggesting that heterotrophic activity was stimulated by plant carbon inputs, possibly further suppressing slower‐growing chemoautotrophic nitrifying microbes. Overall, we found inter‐ and intra‐annual variation in nitrification suppression in the rhizosphere of field‐grown biomass sorghum, suggesting that plant phenology and environmental conditions should be considered when devising strategies to improve the nitrogen sustainability of this annual bioenergy crop.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data for Genetic Variation in Zea mays Influences Microbial Nitrification and DeNitrification in Conventional Agroecosystems

Nitrogenous fertilizers provide a short-lived benefit to crops in agroecosystems, but stimulate nitrification and denitrification, processes that result in nitrate pollution, N2O production, and reduced soil fertility. Recent advances in plant microbiome science suggest that genetic variation in plants can modulate the composition and activity of rhizosphere N-cycling microorganisms. Here we attempted to determine whether genetic variation exists in Zea mays for the ability to influence the rhizosphere nitrifier and denitrifier microbiome under “real-world” conventional agricultural conditions. To capture an extensive amount of genetic diversity within maize we grew and sampled the rhizosphere microbiome of a diversity panel of germplasm that included ex-PVP inbreds ( Z. mays ssp. mays ), ex-PVP hybrids ( Z. mays ssp. may s), and teosinte ( Z. mays ssp. mexicana and Z. mays ssp. parviglumis ). From these samples, we characterized the microbiome, a suite of microbial genes involved in nitrification and denitrification and carried out N-cycling potential assays. Here we are showing that populations/genotypes of a single species can vary in their ecological interaction with denitrifers and nitrifers. Some hybrid and teosinte genotypes supported microbial communities with lower potential nitrification and potential denitrification activity in the rhizosphere, while inbred genotypes stimulated/did not inhibit these N-cycling activities. These potential differences translated to functional differences in N2O fluxes, with teosinte plots producing less GHG than maize plots. Taken together, these results suggest that Zea genetic variation can lead to changes in N-cycling processes that result in N leaching and N2O production, and thereby are selectable targets for crop improvement. Understanding the underlying genetic variation contributing to belowground microbiome N-cycling into our conventional agricultural system could be useful for sustainability.

Nitrogen↗
DOE OSTI2022

AmeriFlux US-UiB University of Illinois Miscanthus

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-UiB University of Illinois Miscanthus. Site Description - Diammonium phosphate, potash & lime fertilizer applied before planting in 2008. Prowl & 2,4-D herbicide used. 2,4-D & accent herbicide applied in 2009. No fertilizer applied. Bicep herbicide applied in 2010 & 2011. 56 kg/ha nitrogen applied in 2014, 2015 & 2016. 45 kg/ha nitrogen applied in 2017.

Bernacchi, Carl J↗
DOE OSTI2019

Miscanthus x giganteus yield in a REpeated PLAnting Year (REPLAY) experiment across three sites in Iowa, USA.

Research objectives were to study nitrogen (N) fertilization and age effect on Miscanthus x giganteus (mxg) yield and their interaction. In addition, we studied how establishment conditions affected mxg yield response to N fertilization. This is the first repeated planting year experiment conducted on perennial bioenergy grasses. Data showed that mxg yield response to N fertilization was highly variable. Establishment effects were an important driver of this variability and caused significant changes on the magnitude and direction of one-year-old stands’ response to N fertilization. With repeated planting we compared yield gain from first to second year of growth of different single starts. Yield gain of each single start was different within and between sites. This site-specific response suggests that important biases could be introduced when comparing results across studies if repeated planting is not utilized. Biomass from mxg plots was sampled annually in winter or early spring after multiple days with freezing temperatures (Table 1). At each harvest, two 1-m2 quadrats per plot were collected by hand at 0.10 m above the soil surface and weighed. In 2016 and 2018, we used a composite subsample to estimate dry matter content. In 2017, the dry weight subsamples were made of 15 randomly collected stems from each plot. Subsamples were weighed in the field and dried to constant mass at 60 °C in a forced air drier. The final mass was recorded and dry matter content was calculated for each plot.

Agricultural Science↗