Nitrogen Uptake and Biomass and Ethanol Yield of Biomass Crops as Feedstock for Biofuel

Abstract

Nitrogen fertilizers are extensively used to enhance the growth of biomass crops. This study was conducted to determine the effect of N rates on the biomass yield and quality, and N uptake of several crops. The experiment was conducted at Fargo and Prosper, ND, in 2010 and 2011. The crops studied were forage sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor L. Moench], sorghum x sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor var. sudanense (Piper) Stapf.], kenaf [Hibiscus cannabinus L.], and reed canarygrass [Phalaris arundinacea L.]. The different crops constituted the main plots and the nitrogen rates were regarded as subplots. The five N rates were 0, 75, 100, 150, and 200 kg N ha-1.

Forage sweet sorghum and sorghum x sudangrass had the greatest dry matter biomass yield. Nitrogen fertilization increased biomass yield for each of the crops. The results indicate that forage sorghum and sorghum x sudangrass have the greatest potential as a feedstock.