Is switchgrass good for carbon savings? Long-term results in marginal land

Abstract

The cultivation of perennial crops in marginal land as a feedstock for renewable energy or bio-based products constitutes a promising alternative to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions since they can be produced without land competition issues and with potentially significant amounts of belowground C storing. The objective of this study was to assess soil C storage capacity of switchgrass on a marginal land (poor soil with limited rooting depth on a hilly area) through a spatialized analysis derived from several soil samples. A significant increase in SOC was observed after 13 years. In general terms, SOC increased by 12 Mg C ha−1. The estimated switchgrass-derived C was 12.7 (±5.3) Mg C ha−1. A significant positive correlation was observed between the C derived from switchgrass and SOC gain. The increased SOC along the field, however, was patchy, with the highest increments registered in the center of the field, while the lowest ones in the top and bottom of the hill. Soil N stocks have also increased along with the soil C storage, although no direct relationship with C derived from switchgrass was observed. Therefore, it could be stated that growing switchgrass in marginal land can be a valuable option to mitigate the risk of agricultural land abandonment while storing a significant amount of soil C.