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National Cereal Crop Residue Project

National Cereal Crop Residue Project. Russ Karow, Head Oregon State University Dept of Crop & Soil Science. Project Goal. to explore possibilities for use of small grain straws as a biomass source for biofuels production to consider such use in a sustainable cropping system context

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National Cereal Crop Residue Project

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  1. National Cereal CropResidue Project Russ Karow, Head Oregon State University Dept of Crop & Soil Science

  2. Project Goal • to explore possibilities for use of small grain straws as a biomass source for biofuels production • to consider such use in a sustainable cropping system context Group was given planning grants

  3. Group Activities • organized a symposium at the 2009 ASA meeting on stover removal findings from long-term plots • mapped 1999-2008 National Ag Statistics Service yield data for wheat, barley, oat, grain sorghum and rice • conducted wheat harvest index studies across major grain growing areas in 2008 and 2009

  4. ASA Symposium Residue Removal and Soil Quality – Findings from Long-Term Research Plots • Hero Gollany - CQESTR • David Tarkalson – Irrigated Grain Residue Removal • Stephen Machado – Pendleton long term (OR - 1930) • Emerson Nafziger - Morrow Plots (IL - 1876) • Randy Miles - Sanborn Field (MO -1888) • David Powlson - Rothamsted Plots (England - 1843) • Gary Varvel – Current Corn Residue Removal Studies 2009 ASA symposium will be publishedas special series in Agronomy Journal

  5. Train of Thought in Mapping • dryland grain yield is driven by rainfall • rainfall can vary dramatically over years • US has vast grain acreages but generally low yield • if straw is left in place for soil quality maintenance, then there are likely few places where straw can be harvested annually • identify the places where consistent straw harvest seems possible and focus research efforts in these areas

  6. Mapping-GIS Team Mike HalbleibChris Daly Oregon State University PRISM Group

  7. Dryland grain yield is driven by rainfall • Yield = (inches available water – 4 for vegetation) x 6.5 bu/in • rainfall ≠ available water due to evaporation High rainfall and irrigated production is limited by other factors

  8. US Wheat Yields

  9. Harvest Index • tool to convert grain yield to straw yield • historic “rule of thumb” has been 38% which equates 100 pounds of straw for every bushel (60 pounds) of grain • HI = grain/(grain + straw) • 0.38 = 60/(100 + 60)

  10. US Wheat Yields & Straw HI 38

  11. HI Studies • Partnered with researchers already conducting grain variety trials and had them collect straw samples for HI determination and submission to INL for composition analysis • HI determination procedures varied by site hence some observed variation may be due to sampling per se

  12. Cereal Group Field Cooperators • Brent Bean – Texas A&M • Bradford Brown – Univ Idaho • Bill Bruening – Univ Kentucky • Jeff Edwards – Oklahoma State • Mike Flowers – Oregon State • Dewey Lee – Univ Georgia • Michael J. Ottman – Arizona State • Joel Ransom – North Dakota State • Jochum J. Wiersma – Univ of Minnesota

  13. 2008 & 2009 HI Studies

  14. 2008 & 2009 HI Studies

  15. HI Studies 0.44 = 60 lb grain/(60 grain +76 straw)

  16. US Wheat Yields & Straw HI 38/44

  17. Straw needed for soil quality • values vary depending on location – soil type, soil slope, rainfall • 3000 -4500 lb/a seem reasonable values • for effective harvest you may need an additional 3000 lb/a • 6000 lb (3t)/a minimum??

  18. Summary • despite vast acreages of grains, given year-to-year variation in yield and harvested acres, there may be few areas where straw can be sustainably harvested as the sole source for a biomass conversion facility • possible sites depend on amount of straw left for soil quality maintenance and volume of straw required for a specific plant • may be possible in some areas to do intermittent harvest of some fields

  19. Summary • do detailed assessments of crops and other biomass in an area - straw likely to be one of several feed stocks for a plant • issue in areas where straw is available for harvest may be competing uses – what will be the cost of drawing straw into biofuels use

  20. Plans for 2010 • 2009 ASA symposium will be published as special series in Agronomy Journal • HI data will be submitted as AJ note • Compiled NASS raw data will be posted to an accessible web site for general use • Maps showing grain yields and predicted straw yields will be posted to an accessible web site for general use • Explore ideas for other needed work

  21. Map Website http://gisdev.nacse.org/prism/sun_grant/

  22. Common beardless Common awned Club awnless

  23. 2008 HI Values

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