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At least 127 records · Page 7

Alterations in internal partitioning of carbon in soybean plants in response to nitrogen stress

Alterations in internal partitioning of carbon were evaluated in plants exposed to limited nitrogen supply. Vegetative, nonnodulated soybean plants (Glycine max (L.) Merrill, 'Ransom') were grown for 21 days with 1.0 mM NO3- and then exposed to solutions containing 1.0, 0.1, or 0.0 mM NO3- for a 25-day treatment period. In nitrogen-limited plants, there were decreases in emergence of new leaves and in the expansion rate and final area at full expansion of individual leaves. As indicated by alterations in accumulation of dry weight, a larger proportion of available carbon in the plant was partitioned to the roots with decreased availability of nitrogen. Partitioning of reduced nitrogen to the root also was increased and, in plants devoid of an external supply, considerable redistribution of reduced nitrogen from leaves to the root occurred. The general decrease in growth potential and sink strength for nutrients in leaves of nitrogen-limited plants suggested that factors other than simply availability of nitrogen likely were involved in the restriction of growth in the leaf canopy and the associated increase in carbon allocation to the roots.

Soybeans/growth & development/metabolism↗

Tomato responses to ammonium and nitrate nutrition under controlled root-zone pH

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L. Mill. 'Vendor') plants were grown for 21 days in flowing solution culture with N supplied as either 1.0 mM NO3- or 1.0 mM NH4+. Acidity in the solutions was automatically maintained at pH 6.0. Accumulation and distribution of dry matter and total N and net photosynthetic rate were not affected by source of N. Thus, when rhizosphere acidity was controlled at pH 6.0 during uptake, either NO3- or NH4+ can be used efficiently by tomato. Uptake of K+ and Ca2+ were not altered by N source, but uptake of Mg2+ was reduced in NH4(+)-fed plants. This indicates that uptake of Mg2+ was regulated at least partially by ionic balance within the plant.

NASA Program CELSS↗

Dry matter and nitrogen accumulation are not affected by superoptimal concentration of ammonium in flowing solution culture with pH control

While it is known that superoptimal concentrations of the nitrate (NO3-) ion in solution culture do not increase NO3- uptake or dry matter accumulation, the same is not known for the ammonium (NH4+) ion. An experiment was conducted utilizing flowing solution culture with pH control to investigate the influence of superoptimal NH4+ concentrations on dry matter, nitrogen (N), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) accumulation by nonnodulated soybean plants. Increasing the NH4+ concentration in solution from 1 to 10 mM did not affect dry matter or N accumulation. Accumulations of K, Ca, and Mg were slightly decreased with increased NH4+ concentration. The NH4+ uptake system, which is saturated at less than 1mM NH4+, is able to regulate uptake of NH4+ at concentrations as high as 10 mM.

NASA Discipline Life Support Systems↗

Global Impacts of Gas-Phase Chemistry-Aerosol Interactions on Direct Radiative Forcing by Anthropogenic Aerosols and Ozone

We present here a first global modeling study on the influence of gas-phase chemistry/aerosol interactions on estimates of anthropogenic forcing by tropospheric O3 and aerosols. Concentrations of gas-phase species and sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, black carbon, primary organic carbon, secondary organic carbon, sea salt, and mineral dust aerosols in the preindustrial, present-day, and year 2100 (IPCC SRES A2) atmospheres are simulated online in the Goddard Institute for Space Studies general circulation model II' (GISS GCM II'). With fully coupled chemistry and aerosols, the preindustrial, presentday, and year 2100 global burdens of tropospheric ozone are predicted to be 190, 319, and 519 Tg, respectively. The burdens of sulfate, nitrate, black carbon, and organic carbon are predicted respectively to be 0.32. 0.18, 0.01, 0.33 Tg in preindustrial time, 1.40, 0.48, 0.23, 1.60 Tg in presentday, and 1.37, 1.97, 0.54, 3.31 Tg in year 2100. Anthropogenic O3 is predicted to have a globally and annually averaged present-day forcing of +0.22 W m(sup -2) and year 2100 forcing of +0.57 W m(sup -2) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). Net anthropogenic TOA forcing by internally mixed sulfate, nitrate, organic carbon, and black carbon aerosols is estimated to be virtually zero in the present-day and +0.34 W m(sup -2) in year 2100, whereas it is predicted to be -0.39 W m(sup -2) in present-day and -0.61 W m(sup -2) in year 2100 if the aerosols are externally mixed. Heterogeneous reactions are shown to be important in affecting anthropogenic forcing. When reactions of N2O5, NO3, NO2, and HO2 on aerosols are accounted for, TOA anthropogenic O3 forcing is less by 20-45% in present-day and by 20-32% in year 2100 at mid to high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, as compared with values predicted in the absence of heterogeneous gas aerosol reactions. Mineral dust uptake of HNO3 and O3 is shown to have practically no influence on anthropogenic O3 forcing. Heterogeneous reactions of N2Os, NO3, NO2, and HO2 are predicted to have noticeable impacts on anthropogenic aerosol forcing over industrialized areas, leading to 0-2 W m(sup -2) more anthropogenic aerosol cooling in present-day and 2-8 W m(sup -2) more cooling in year 2100 in these areas as compared with forcings calculated in the absence of heterogeneous reactions. Sea salt uptake of SO2 reduces the magnitude of TOA aerosol cooling by 0.5-1 W m(sup -2) over the oceans around 60 N in the present-day and year 2100 scenarios. Near dust sources, mineral dust uptake of SO2 and HNO3 leads to less anthropogenic aerosol cooling by 0.5-1 W m(sup -2) in the present day and 1-2 W m(sup -2) in year 2100.

Liao, Hong↗

Investigation of Global Particulate Nitrate from the AeroCom Phase III Experiment

An assessment of global particulate nitrate and ammonium aerosol based on simulations from nine models participating in the Aerosol Comparisons between Observations and Models (AeroCom) phase III study is presented. A budget analysis was conducted to understand the typical magnitude, distribution, and diversity of the aerosols and their precursors among the models. To gain confidence regarding model performance, the model results were evaluated with various observations globally, including ground station measurements over North America, Europe, and east Asia for tracer concentrations and dry and wet depositions, as well as with aircraft measurements in the Northern Hemisphere mid-to-high latitudes for tracer vertical distributions. Given the unique chemical and physical features of the nitrate occurrence, we further investigated the similarity and differentiation among the models by examining (1) the pH-dependent NH3 wet deposition; (2) the nitrate formation via heterogeneous chemistry on the surface of dust and sea salt particles or thermodynamic equilibrium calculation including dust and sea salt ions; and (3) the nitrate coarse-mode fraction (i.e., coarse/total). It is found that HNO3, which is simulated explicitly based on full O3-HOx-NOx-aerosol chemistry by all models, differs by up to a factor of 9 among the models in its global tropospheric burden. This partially contributes to a large difference in NO3(-), whose atmospheric burden differs by up to a factor of 13. The atmospheric burdens of NH3 and NHC 4 differ by 17 and 4, respectively. Analyses at the process level show that the large diversity in atmospheric burdens of NO3(-), NH3, and NHC4(+) is also related to deposition processes. Wet deposition seems to be the dominant process in determining the diversity in NH3 and NHC 4 lifetimes. It is critical to correctly account for contributions of heterogeneous chemical production of nitrate on dust and sea salt, because this process overwhelmingly controls atmospheric nitrate production (typically greater than 80 %) and determines the coarse- and fine-mode distribution of nitrate aerosol.

Ammonium aerosol based on simulations↗

Isotopically Tracking Nitrogen Oxides, Nitrous Acid, And Nitric Acid, Particulate Nitrate from Wildfire During FIREX-AQ

Wildfires are an important source of reactive nitrogen species including nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and nitrous acid (HONO), as well as products such as nitric acid (HNO3) and particulate nitrate (p-NO3-). These species have strongly influence air quality and climate. In summer of 2019 (July 25 —August 21), as part of the FIREX-AQ ground mission, we drove ~3000 miles and sampled smoke of different ages in both daytime and nighttime from 5 different wildfires in the western US. Using recently developed methods that have been validated in both laboratory and field settings, we conducted high time resolution collection of NOx, NO2, HONO, HNO3, and p-NO3- for off-line characterization of isotopic composition δ15N, δ18O and Δ17O (=δ17O−0.52 δ18O). δ15N serves as a potential tracer for tracking sources and reactive nitrogen cycling pathways, δ18O and Δ17O provide key information about oxidation pathways (i.e. O3 versus RO2). Our measured δ15N for HONO ranges from -4.9‰ to +5.2‰ and -8‰ to +5.2‰ respectively, in the majority overlapping with our prior lab controlled burning results, which suggests the capability of δ15N for tracing the biomass burning emissions against other sources including vehicular emissions and soil emissions. In addition, our measurements show δ18O and Δ17O for NO2 and HONO vary significantly day vs night, as well as in young smoke vs aged smoke, likely reflecting different oxidizing mechanisms under different smoke conditions. Preliminary results of isotopic signatures of all the above reactive nitrogen species will be presented, and their relationships will be explored to identify wildfire derived reactive nitrogen source signatures and to constrain atmospheric processing pathways (e.g. secondary formation of HONO) for different fires under various smoke conditions depending on fuel types, fire conditions and meteorological conditions.

Jiajue Chai↗

Impact of Lanthanide Complexation and Temperature on the Chemical Reactivity of N,N,N',N'-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA) with the Dodecane Radical Cation

The impact of lanthanide (Ln) metal ion complexation and temperature on the chemical reactivity of N,N,N',N'-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA) with the dodecane radical cation (RH?+) has been measured by electron pulse radiolysis. Complexation of trivalent neodymium (Nd), gadolinium (Gd), and ytterbium (Yb) by TODGA yielded [Ln(TODGA)3(NO3)3] complexes that exhibited significantly increased reactivity (up to 9.3×) with the RH?+ radical cation, relative to the “free” ligand: k([Ln(TODGA)3(NO3)3] + RH?+) = (8.99 ± 0.93) × 1010, (2.88 ± 0.40) × 1010, and (1.53 ± 0.34) × 1010 M–1 s–1, for Nd(III), Gd(III), and Yb(III), respectively. The kinetic enhancement measured for both ligands exhibited a dependence on atomic number. Arrhenius parameters—specifically activation energies (Ea) and pre-exponential factors (A)—were determined for the reaction of “free” TODGA ligand with the RH?+ radical cation, giving: Ea(TODGA) = 17.43 ± 1.64 kJ mol–1, and A(TODGA) = (1.08 ± 0.02) × 1013 M–1 s–1. This draft manuscript has been prepared in fulfillment of Milestone M4FT-22IN030402024.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Reactions of NO 3 with aromatic aldehydes: gas-phase kinetics and insights into the mechanism of the reaction

Rate coefficients for the reaction of NO3 radicals with a series of aromatic aldehydes were measured in a 7300 L simulation chamber at ambient temperature and pressure by relative and absolute methods. The rate coefficients for benzaldehyde (BA), ortho-tolualdehyde (O-TA), meta-tolualdehyde (M-TA), para-tolualdehyde (P-TA), 2,4-dimethyl benzaldehyde (2,4-DMBA), 2,5-dimethyl benzaldehyde (2,5-DMBA) and 3,5-dimethyl benzaldehyde (3,5-DMBA) were k 1 = 2.6 ± 0.3, k 2 = 8.7 ± 0.8, k 3 = 4.9 ± 0.5, k 4 = 4.9 ± 0.4, k 5 = 15.1 ± 1.3, k 6 = 12.8 ± 1.2 and k 7 = 6.2 ± 0.6, respectively, in the units of 10 -15 cm 3 molec. -1 s -1 at 298 ± 2 K. The rate coefficient k 13 for the reaction of the NO 3 radical with deuterated benzaldehyde (benzaldehyde-d1) was found to be half that of k 1 . The end product of the reaction in an excess of NO 2 was measured to be C 6 H 5 C(O)O 2 NO 2 . Furthermore, theoretical calculations of aldehydic bond energies and reaction pathways indicate that the NO 3 radical reacts primarily with aromatic aldehydes through the abstraction of an aldehydic hydrogen atom. The atmospheric implications of the measured rate coefficients are briefly discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

TRACER-MAP AMS Measurement

Aerosol composition was measured by using the high resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR ToF-AMS). The data were collected at five different sites (AMF1, Aldine, University of Houston (UH), Jones Forest (JF), San Jacinto Battleground (BG)) from July to August, 2022. Dataset includes time series of five species of aerosol composition: Organic, sulfate (SO4), nitrate (NO3), ammonium (NH4), chlorine (Chl)

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Direct isotopic analysis of solid uranium particulates on cotton swipes by microextraction-ICP-MS

Direct isotope ratio analysis of solid uranium particulates on cotton swipes was achieved using a solution-based microextraction technique, coupled to a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). This microextraction-ICP-MS methodology provides rapid isotopic analysis which could be applicable to nuclear safeguards measurements. Particulates of uranyl nitrate hexahydrate (UO 2 (NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O) and uranyl fluoride (UO 2 F 2 ) ranging from 6 μm to 40 μm in length were transferred to cotton swipes with a particle manipulator. The microextraction probe then delivers a 5% nitric acid (HNO3) solvent onto the swipe surface to extract the uranium species. The extracted sample is then delivered to the ICP-MS for isotopic determination. The majority of uranium signal (~99% and ~94% for UO2(NO3)2·6H2O and UO 2 F 2 , respectively) was detected in the first 15 s extraction, while subsequent extractions on the same location had low or no U signal, suggesting near complete removal of the solid uranium compounds from the swipe surface. Ten samples (for each of the uranium compounds), were analyzed for their isotopic composition. For UO 2 (NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O, the determined isotope ratios resulted in a % relative difference (% RD) from the referenced isotope ratios of 0.97, 1.0, and 7.3% for 234 U/ 238 U, 235 U/ 238 U, and 236 U/ 238 U, respectively. The % RD of the UO 2 F 2 isotope ratios were 1.9 and 0.60% for 234 U/ 238 U and 235 U/ 238 U, respectively. The preliminary limits of detection were determined to be 0.002, 0.4, and 60 pg for 234 U, 235 U and 238 U, respectively This work demonstrates that microextraction ICP-MS is a rapid and sensitive method that could directly determine uranium isotope ratios of UO 2 (NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O and UO 2 F 2 particulates on cotton swipes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Part I: Predicting performance of Purolite A532E resins for remediation of comingled contaminants in groundwater

Ion exchange (IX) resins are used in pump-and-treat (P&T) facilities to remove soluble groundwater contaminants. However, natural anions present at concentrations orders of magnitude higher than contaminants can compete for IX sites and impact resin lifecycles. Here, the Hanford Site’s 200 West Area P&T facility (Washington State, USA) was selected as a case study because it currently uses two IX resins: Purolite® A532E (A532E) to remove pertechnetate (TcO 4 - ) and DOWEX 21K (DOWEX) to remove uranium from groundwater. Nitrate (NO 3 - ), sulfate (SO 4 2- ), chloride (Cl - ), and carbonate (CO 3 2- ) anions have been identified to potentially compete for A532E and DOWEX IX sites. Hanford-relevant anion groundwater concentrations were used to design a series of laboratory-scale batch experiments to evaluate the impact of competing anions on resin performance and potential kinetic effects. These data are then modeled to obtain Cl--normalized equilibrium exchange coefficients (K) needed to predict IX resin performance. The work is presented in two parts, with IX performance evaluated for A532E in Part I and DOWEX in Part II. Part I results demonstrate that TcO 4 - uptake is not impacted by NO 3 - , SO 4 2- , Cl - , CO 3 2- (as HCO 3 - ) and U(VI) carbonate anions, with K TcO4-/Cl- > 4,000, likely due to the high selectivity of A532E trihexylammonium sites for the large, weakly hydrated TcO 4 - anion. Other anion K values were K NO3-/Cl- = 20, K SO4--/Cl- = 0.2, K HCO3-/Cl- = 0.09, K U/Cl- = 370–1000. These K values provide conservative parameters for predicting A532E performance, and demonstrate that, under these test conditions, A532E will remove TcO 4 - from current and future influent streams to meet groundwater treatment objectives.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Part II: Predicting performance of $\mathrm{DOWEX 21K}$ resin for remediation of comingled contaminants in groundwater

The selectivity of ion exchange (IX) resins for aqueous contaminant removal can be impacted by changing concentrations of competing natural groundwater ions. In a two-part investigation, the Hanford Site 200 West Area pump-and-treat (P&T) facility in Washington State, USA is used as a case study to evaluate the performance of two IX resins for groundwater treatment: Purolite® A532E for pertechnetate (TcO 4 - ) removal, explored in Part I, and DOWEX 21K (DOWEX) for uranium (U) removal. In Part II, DOWEX selectivity for U, as uranyl carbonate species, and uptake kinetics is quantified in a series of laboratory-scale aqueous batch experiments containing Hanford-relevant concentrations of competing anions nitrate (NO 3 - ), sulfate (SO 4 2- ), chloride (Cl - ), and carbonate (CO 3 2- ), as well as co-mingled contaminant TcO 4 - . Here the results demonstrate that DOWEX trimethylammonium functional groups are highly selective for U carbonate species (85–100 % uptake) under all conditions investigated. Only NO 3 - concentrations of 100 mM were shown to decrease U removal, with the extent (85–99 %) depending on competing anion concentrations present in solution. However, at the highest NO 3 - concentrations reported for groundwaters treated at the P&T facility (25 mM), the effect on U uptake is minimal. The batch sorption results are modeled to obtain chloride normalized equilibrium exchange coefficients (K) for predicting DOWEX performance: K SO4--/Cl- = 2.0, K NO3-/Cl- = 5.0, K HCO3-/Cl- = 1.5, K TcO4-/Cl- = 2,000, and K U/Cl- = 50,000. These K values predict little effect of current and future influent chemistries on U removal by DOWEX, where both uranyl carbonate species and TcO 4 - are removed such that effluent concentrations meet groundwater treatment requirements.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Separation, speciation, and mechanism of astatine and bismuth extraction from nitric acid into 1-octanol and methyl anthranilate

We report a detailed study of At and Bi extraction from nitric acid media into conventional solvents, namely 1-octanol and methyl anthranilate, has been performed. The analysis includes a mathematical modeling which allows the fitting of experimental data and determination of extraction constants of the two above mentioned elements. Also, this approach helped to estimate a stability constant of a weak AtO(NO3) complex along with thermodynamic constants describing the redox process of At species in the acidic solution and formation of an adduct of Bi in the presence of methyl anthranilate. The results of the fitting have been used to calculate corresponding separation factors of Bi and At as well. Moreover, a computational study has been performed to evaluate At interaction with the above mentioned solvents.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Transient Radiation-Induced Berkelium(III) and Californium(III) Redox Chemistry in Aqueous Solution

Despite the significant impact of radiation-induced redox reactions on the accessibility and lifetimes of actinide oxidation states, fundamental knowledge of aqueous actinide metal ion radiation chemistry is limited, especially for the late actinides. A quantitative understanding of these intrinsic radiation-induced processes is essential for investigating the fundamental properties of these actinides. We present here a picosecond electron pulse reaction kinetics study into the radiation-induced redox chemistry of trivalent berkelium (Bk(III)) and californium (Cf(III)) ions in acidic aqueous solutions at ambient temperature. New, and first of a kind, second-order rate coefficients are reported for the transient radical-induced reduction of Bk(III) and Cf(III) by the hydrated electron (eaq−) and hydrogen atom (H•), demonstrating significant reactivity (up to 1011M-1s-1) indicative of a preference of these metals to adopt divalent states. Additionally, we reportthe first-ever second-order rate coefficients for the transient radical-induced oxidation of these elements by reaction with hydroxyl (•OH) and nitrate (NO3•) radicals, which also exhibited fast reactivity (ca. 108 M-1s-1). Transient Cf(II), Cf(IV), and Bk(IV) absorption spectra are also reported. Overall, the presented data highlight the existence of rich, complex, intrinsic late actinide radiation-induced redox chemistry that has the potential to influence the findings of other areas of actinide science.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Electrochemical Removal of Se(IV) from Wastewater Using RuO2‑Based Catalysts

The removal of selenite (SeO32-) from water is challenging due to the risk of secondary pollutants. To address this, we developed RuO2-based nanocatalysts on the titanium plate (RuO2/TP) for direct electrochemical reduction of Se(IV) to elemental selenium [Se(0)]. Optimizing Sn doping in RuO2 nanoparticles to induce charge redistribution enabled the Ru0.9Sn0.1Ox/TP catalyst to achieve ∼90% Se(IV) removal across concentrations of 0.1, 1, and 10 mM at -2 mA cm-2 over 8 h, outperforming undoped RuO2/TP. Furthermore, Ru0.9Sn0.1Ox/TP also maintained ∼90% removal efficiency in 1 mM of Se(IV) solutions containing competitive anions (0.5 M Cl-, 0.1 M SO42-, 0.01 M NO3-, and their mixtures), demonstrating suitability for complex wastewater treatment. Importantly, the catalysts were recyclable, with no observable contamination introduced into the solution. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that Sn doping effectively reduces the energy barrier for the reduction of Se(IV) to Se(0).

Hao, Shaoyun↗

Impact of lanthanide ion complexation and temperature on the chemical reactivity of N , N , N ', N '-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA) with the dodecane radical cation

The impact of trivalent lanthanide ion complexation and temperature on the chemical reactivity of N,N,N',N'-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA) with the n-dodecane radical cation (RH˙+) has been measured by electron pulse radiolysis and evaluated by quantum mechanical calculations. Additionally, Arrhenius parameters were determined for the reaction of the non-complexed TODGA ligand with the RH˙ + from 10–40 °C, giving the activation energy (E a = 17.43 ± 1.64 kJ mol –1 ) and pre-exponential factor (A = (2.36 ± 0.05) × 10 13 M –1 s –1 ). The complexation of Nd(III), Gd(III), and Yb(III) ions by TODGA yielded [LnIII(TODGA)3(NO3)3] complexes that exhibited significantly increased reactivity (up to 9.3× faster) with the RH˙ + , relative to the non-complexed ligand: k([Ln III (TODGA) 3 (NO 3 ) 3 ] + RH˙ + ) = (8.99 ± 0.93) × 10 10 , (2.88 ± 0.40) × 10 10 , and (1.53 ± 0.34) × 10 10 M –1 s –1 , for Nd(III), Gd(III), and Yb(III) ions, respectively. The rate coefficient enhancement measured for these complexes exhibited a dependence on atomic number, decreasing as the lanthanide series was traversed. Preliminary reaction free energy calculations—based on a model [Ln III (TOGDA)] 3+ complex system—indicate that both electron/hole and proton transfer reactions are energetically unfavorable for complexed TODGA. Furthermore, complementary average local ionization energy calculations showed that the most reactive region of model N,N,N',N'-tetraethyl diglycolamide (TEDGA) complexes, [Ln III (TEGDA) 3 (NO 3 ) 3 ], toward electrophilic attack is for the coordinated nitrate (NO 3 – ) counter anions. Furthermore, it is possible that radical reactions with the complexed NO 3 – counter anions dominate the differences in rates seen for the [Ln III (TODGA) 3 (NO 3 ) 3 ] complexes, and are likely responsible for the reported radioprotection in the presence of TODGA complexes.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Data for "Field-scale Evaluation of Ecosystem Service Benefits of Bioenergy Switchgrass"

Purpose-grown perennial herbaceous species are nonfood crops specifically cultivated for bioenergy production and have the potential to secure bioenergy feedstock resources while enhancing ecosystem services. This study assessed soil greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 and N2O), nitrate (NO3-N) leaching reduction potential, evapotranspiration (ET), and water-use efficiency (WUE) of bioenergy switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) in comparison to corn ( Zea mays L.). The study was conducted on field-scale plots in Urbana, IL, during the 2020–2022 growing seasons. Switchgrass was established in 2020 and urea-fertilized at 56 kg N ha−1 year−1. Corn management followed best management practices for the US Midwest, including no-till and 202 kg N ha−1 year−1 fertilization, applied as urea–ammonium nitrate (32%). Our results showed lower direct N2O emissions in switchgrass compared to corn. Although soil CO2 emissions did not differ significantly during the establishment year, emissions in subsequent years were over 50% higher in switchgrass than in corn, likely due to increased belowground biomass, which was over five times higher in switchgrass. Nitrate-N leaching decreased as the switchgrass stand matured, reaching 80% lower than in corn by the third year. Differences in ET and WUE between corn and switchgrass were not significant; however, results indicate a trend toward reduced WUE in switchgrass under drought, driven by lower aboveground biomass production. Our study demonstrates that switchgrass can be implemented at a commercial scale without negatively impacting the hydrological cycle, while potentially reducing N losses through nitrate-N leaching and soil N2O emissions, and enhancing belowground C storage.

field data↗