Amandeep S Sharma1, Ricardo Lesmes1, Alan Wright2, Jules Cacho3, John Quinn3 and Hardev Sandhu1
1University of Florida, Everglades Research and Education Center, Belle Glade, Florida, USA; hsandhu@ufl.edu
2University of Florida, Indian River Research and Education Center, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
3Environmental Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois, USA Energycane, or high-fiber sugarcane (Saccharum hybrids), is recognized as a dedicated feedstock for lignocellulosic ethanol production. The biomass yield, quality, and ecosystem services of an improved energycane genotype (UFCP 84-1047) were evaluated by integrating it into the existing sugarcane-sweetcorn planting system using integrated landscape management (ILM). The field trial was conducted at the Everglades Research and Education Center (EREC) in Belle Glade, FL, on shallow muck soil characterized by high pH, shallow soil depth, and poor drainage. Marginal areas in the field were identified based on soil topography, historical yield, and water-quality data using GIS and remote sensing. Energycane was integrated into these marginal areas, while sugarcane and sweetcorn remained in the fertile regions. Two nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) treatments were applied in all three crops (Sugarcane (SC), Energycane (EC), and Sweetcorn (SW)). Monthly data collection on fresh and dry biomass in energycane began 4 months after planting, along with nutrient uptake data collection. Soil samples were collected from SC, SW, and EC at different depths during the crop cycle and analyzed for soil total nitrogen and phosphorus content. The energycane biomass accumulation and nutrient uptake did not show any significant response to the nutrient application, which indicates that no additional N and P application was required on shallow muck soil. The nutrient application did not affect total soil nitrogen and phosphorus content. Soil invertebrates were collected from all the crops at different times, revealing the relative abundance and diversity of ground arthropods in energycane compared to sugarcane and energycane. The first-year data show that energycane can be integrated on marginal land without additional N and P applications for optimum biomass production. Further research is needed better to understand the energycane production system and nutrient dynamics.