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National Cereal Crop Residue Project

Explore using small grain straws for biofuels production in sustainable cropping systems. Research findings on removing grain residues for soil quality maintenance. HI studies on wheat straw yield. Potential sites for straw harvesting and challenges.

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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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