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ARS Home » Plains Area » Temple, Texas » Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #398837
Research Project: Contributions of Climate, Soils, Species Diversity, and Management to Sustainable Crop, Grassland, and Livestock Production Systems

Location: Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory

Title: Local adaptation of switchgrass drives trait relations to yield and differential responses to climate and soil environments

Author
item RICKETTS, MICHAEL - Argonne National Laboratory
item HECKMAN, ROBERT - University Of Austin
item FAY, PHILIP - Retired ARS Employee
item MATAMALA, ROSER - Argonne National Laboratory
item JASTROW, JULIE - Argonne National Laboratory
item FRITSCHI, FELIX - University Of Missouri
item BONNETTE, JASON - University Of Texas
item JUENGER, THOMAS - University Of Texas

Submitted to: Global Change Biology Bioenergy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/19/2023
Publication Date: 2/23/2023
Citation: Ricketts, M.P., Heckman, R.W., Fay, P.A., Matamala, R., Jastrow, J.D., Fritschi, F.B., Bonnette, J., Juenger, T.E. 2023. Local adaptation of switchgrass drives trait relations to yield and differential responses to climate and soil environments. Global Change Biology Bioenergy. 15(5):680-696. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.13046.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.13046

Interpretive Summary: Switchgrass, a potential biofuel crop, is a genetically diverse species broadly grouped into lowland and upland ecotypes grow in a range of climate and soils. The ecotypes also differ considerably in leaf and stem traits that adapt them to the environment. How, climate, soils, and traits contribute to biomass yield across broad climate gradients remains w understood. To address this gap, we grew two upland, two lowland, and two intermediate/hybrid cultivars of switchgrass at three sites along a latitudinal gradient in the central United States and measured plant functional traits and biomass yields. We found that soils were more important than climate in predicting variation in switchgrass yield, and especially for a southern lowland cultivar ‘Alamo’. Conservative plant traits such as high stem mass and tiller height became increasingly positively associated with biomass yield at sites where the climate is hotter and drier, regardless of ecotype. Altogether, this research provides essential knowledge in improving the viability of switchgrass as a biofuel crop.

Technical Abstract: Switchgrass, a potential biofuel crop, is a genetically diverse species broadly grouped into lowland and upland ecotypes grow in a range of climate and soils. The ecotypes also differ considerably in leaf and stem traits that adapt them to the environment. How, climate, soils, and traits contribute to biomass yield across broad climate gradients remains w understood. To address this gap, we grew two upland, two lowland, and two intermediate/hybrid cultivars of switchgrass at three sites along a latitudinal gradient in the central United States and measured plant functional traits and biomass yields. We found that soils were more important than climate in predicting variation in switchgrass yield, and especially for a southern lowland cultivar ‘Alamo’. Conservative plant traits such as high stem mass and tiller height became increasingly positively associated with biomass yield at sites where the climate is hotter and drier, regardless of ecotype. Altogether, this research provides essential knowledge in improving the viability of switchgrass as a biofuel crop.