Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Differential growth response to fertilization of ten elite shrub willow (Salix spp.) bioenergy cultivars

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Trees Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Key Message

Shrub willow triploid hybrid cultivars obtained the greatest aboveground biomass compared to diploid and tetraploid cultivars, and greater biomass was highly correlated with leaf traits and rapid early stem elongation.

Abstract

Shrub willow (Salix L. spp.) is a strong candidate for use as a dedicated bioenergy crop in moist, temperate climates due to high growth rates, excellent regenerative properties and relatively low nutrient demand. Large discrepancies exist in the literature as to the benefits of fertilization for improving biomass production. Controlled environment fertilization studies can remove some confounding edaphic and climatic factors present in field studies. Ten top-performing commercial or pre-commercial cultivars, mostly bred in the US, were assessed for response to five fertilization levels by measuring 20 biomass and growth traits. Triploid hybrid Salix viminalis × S. miyabeana cultivars had the greatest total aboveground biomass, as well as high stem biomass. There was a strong relationship between early stem growth and final aboveground biomass, but only under adequate fertilization. Different strategies for high biomass production among cultivars are discussed in the context of nitrogen investment in leaves. Comparing field trial results and this greenhouse experiment indicates that while the yield ranking is generally preserved, the greenhouse results diverged greatly for two cultivars.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andralojc PJ, Bencze S, Madgwick PJ, Philippe H, Powers SJ, Shield I, Karp A, Parry MAJ (2014) Photosynthesis and growth in diverse willow genotypes. Food Energy Secur 3:69–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aronsson P, Rosenqvist H, Dimitriou I (2014) Impact of nitrogen fertilization to short-rotation willow coppice plantations grown in Sweden on yield and economy. Bioenerg Res 7:993–1001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bonneville MC, Fyles JW (2006) Assessing variations in SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter measurements and their relationships with nutrient content of trembling aspen foliage. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 37:525–539

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bouman OT, Sylliboy J (2012) Biomass allocation and photosynthetic capacity of willow (Salix spp.) bio-energy varieties. Forstarchiv 83:139–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Brereton NJB, Pitre FE, Shield I, Hanley SJ, Ray MJ, Murphy RJ, Karp A (2014) Insights into nitrogen allocation and recycling from nitrogen elemental analysis and 15N isotope labelling in 14 genotypes of willow. Tree Physiol 34:1252–1262

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fabio ES, Kemanian AR, Montes F, Miller RO, Smart LB (2017a) A mixed model approach for evaluating yield improvements in interspecific hybrids of shrub willow, a dedicated bioenergy crop. Ind Crops Prod 96:57–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fabio ES, Volk TA, Miller RO, Serapiglia MJ, Gauch HG, Van Rees KCJ, Hangs RD, Amichev BY, Kuzovkina YA, Labrecque M, Johnson GA, Ewy RG, Kling GJ, Smart LB (2017b) Genotype × environment interaction analysis of North American shrub willow yield trials confirms superior performance of triploid hybrids. GCB Bioenergy 9:445–459

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hangs RD, Schoenau JJ, Van Rees KCJ, Steppuhn H (2011) Examining the salt tolerance of willow (Salix spp.) bioenergy species for use on salt-affected agricultural lands. Can J Plant Sci 91:509–517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hangs RD, Schoenau JJ, Van Rees KCJ, Knight JD (2012) The effect of irrigation on nitrogen uptake and use efficiency of two willow (Salix spp.) biomass energy varieties. Can J Plant Sci 92:563–575

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karp A, Shield I (2008) Bioenergy from plants and the sustainable yield challenge. New Phytol 179:15–32

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Karp A, Hanley SJ, Trybush SO, Macalpine W, Pei M, Shield I (2011) Genetic improvement of willow for bioenergy and biofuels. J Integr Plant Biol 53:151–165

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuzovkina YA, Quigley MF (2005) Willows beyond wetlands: Uses of Salix L. species for environmental projects. Water Air Soil Pollut 162:183–204

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuzovkina YA, Weih M, Romero MA, Charles J, Hust S, McIvor I, Karp A, Trybush S, Labrecque M, Teodorescu TI, Singh NB, Smart LB, Volk TA (2008) Salix: botany and global horticulture. In: Janick J (ed) Horticultural reviews. Wiley, Hoboken, pp 447–489

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lemaire G, Gastal F (2009) Quantifying crop responses to nitrogen deficiency and avenues to improve nitrogen use efficiency. In: Sadras VO, Calderni DF (eds) Crop physiology. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 171–211

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Littell RC, Pendergast J, Natarajan R (2000) Modelling covariance structure in the analysis of repeated measures data. Stat Med 19:1793–1819

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Littell RC, Stroup WW, Milliken GA, Wolfinger RD, Schabenberger O (2006) SAS for mixed models, Second Edit. SAS Institute Inc., Cary

    Google Scholar 

  • Loh FCW, Grabosky JC, Bassuk NL (2002) Using the SPAD 502 meter to assess chlorophyll and nitrogen content of benjamin fig and cottonwood leaves. Horttechnology 12:682–686

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mamashita T, Larocque GR, DesRochers A, Beaulieu J, Thomas BR, Mosseler A, Major J, Sidders D (2015) Short-term growth and morphological responses to nitrogen availability and plant density in hybrid poplars and willows. Biomass Bioenerg 81:88–97

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meredith MP, Stehman SV (1991) Repeated measures experiments in forestry: focus on analysis of response curves. Can J For Res 21:957–965

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paine CET, Marthews TR, Vogt DR, Purves D, Rees M, Hector A, Turnbull LA (2012) How to fit nonlinear plant growth models and calculate growth rates: an update for ecologists. Methods Ecol Evol 3:245–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rönnberg-Wästljung AC, Gullberg U (1999) Genetics of breeding characters with possible effects on biomass production in Salix viminalis (L.). Theor Appl Genet 98:531–540

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute Inc (2013) SAS Institute, Inc: Cary, NC, USA

  • Serapiglia MJ, Gouker FE, Smart LB (2014) Early selection of novel triploid hybrids of shrub willow with improved biomass yield relative to diploids. BMC Plant Biol 14:74

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stoof CR, Richards BK, Woodbury PB, Fabio ES, Brumbach AR, Cherney J, Das S, Geohring L, Hansen J, Hornesky J, Mayton H, Mason C, Ruestow G, Smart LB, Volk TA, Steenhuis TS (2015) Untapped potential: opportunities and challenges for sustainable bioenergy production from marginal lands in the Northeast USA. Bioenerg Res 8:482–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor G, Allwright MR, Smith HK, Polle A, Wildhagen H, Hertzberg M, Bhalerao R, Keurentjes JJB, Scalabrin S, Scaglione D, Morgante M (2016) Bioenergy trees: genetic and genomic strategies to improve yield. In: Barth S, Murphy-Bokern D, Kalinina O, Taylor G, Jones M (eds) Perennial biomass crops for a resource-constrained world. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp 167–190

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Tharakan PJ, Volk TA, Nowak CA, Abrahamson LP (2005) Morphological traits of 30 willow clones and their relationship to biomass production. Can J For Res 35:421–431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Energy (2016) 2016 billion-ton report: advancing domestic resources for a thriving bioeconomy, volume 1: economic availability of feedstocks. MH Langholtz, Stokes BJ, Eaton LM (Leads), ORNL/TM-2016/160. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge. p 448

    Google Scholar 

  • Weih M (2001) Evidence for increased sensitivity to nutrient and water stress in a fast-growing hybrid willow compared with a natural willow clone. Tree Physiol 21:1141–1148

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weih M (2009) Genetic and environmental variation in spring and autumn phenology of biomass willows (Salix spp.): effects on shoot growth and nitrogen economy. Tree Physiol 29:1479–1490

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weih M, Nordh NE (2005) Determinants of biomass production in hybrid willows and prediction of field performance from pot studies. Tree Physiol 25:1197–1206

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weih M, Ronnberg-Wastljung AC (2007) Shoot biomass growth is related to the vertical leaf nitrogen gradient in Salix canopies. Tree Physiol 27:1551–1559

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Brian DeGasperis, Lindsey Mattick, McKenzie Schessl and Nick Durnin for their assistance with data collection and sample processing. We thank Armen Kemanian for careful review of an earlier version of this manuscript. Funding for this project was provided by the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Federal Capacity Funds grant. Eric Fabio’s efforts were funded by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant No. 2012-68005-19703 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Horticulture Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA

    Eric S. Fabio & Lawrence B. Smart

  2. New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, 102 Hedrick Hall, 630 West North Street, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA

    Lawrence B. Smart

Authors
  1. Eric S. Fabio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lawrence B. Smart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

ESF and LBS conceived and designed the experiment. ESF carried out the experiment, analyzed the data and prepared the manuscript. LBS reviewed and commented on the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lawrence B. Smart.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

LBS is an inventor on patented cultivars described here, and LBS and ESF are inventors on new technology disclosures for cultivars described here.

Additional information

Communicated by L. Kalcsits.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fabio, E.S., Smart, L.B. Differential growth response to fertilization of ten elite shrub willow (Salix spp.) bioenergy cultivars. Trees 32, 1061–1072 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-018-1695-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-018-1695-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation