CABBI researchers better under SOC dynamics in perreial biomass systems

In Illinois, while annual cropping systems such as maize/soy rotation perpetuate soil organic carbon (SOC) loss, perennial crops have been found to contribute to SOC increases. However, most perennial crop studies have been short-term, resulting in incomplete understanding of their long-term impacts on SOC.

A study, published in the journal GCB Bioenergy, led by researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), addresses that knowledge gap by examining SOC dynamics over time for three perennial systems compared to maize/soy over a seven to 13-year period.

The team included researchers from the University of Wisconsin and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Miscanthus, switchgrass, and mixed prairie plots were planted at the Illinois Energy Farm in 2008 on land that had been previously in maize/soy rotation. Soil, biomass, and eddy covariance data were collected throughout the study with final sampling for prairie in 2016, switchgrass in 2019, maize in 2020, and miscanthus in 2021.