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Impacts of biofuel-based land-use change on water quality and sustainability in a Kansas watershed

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  • Yasarer, Lindsey M.W.
  • Sinnathamby, Sumathy
  • Sturm, Belinda S.M.

Abstract

The growth in ethanol production in the United States has sparked interest in potential land-use change and the associated environmental impacts that may occur in order to accommodate the increasing demand for grain feedstocks. In this study water quality and sustainability indicators are used to evaluate the impacts of land-use change to increase corn and grain sorghum acreage for biofuel production in the Perry Lake watershed in northeast Kansas. Water quality indicators include sediment loads per converted land acreage and the relative increase of total nitrogen, total phosphorus and sediment loads compared to the baseline conditions. Sustainability indicators include land-use, water use, and nutrient use efficiencies. Hay, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and winter wheat were selected as targeted land-uses for conversion to biofuel feedstocks. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to evaluate 6 different scenarios, each at 10 land-use change increments, for a total of 60 simulations. Results demonstrate that increased corn production generates significantly greater sediment loads than increased grain sorghum production and larger relative increases in nutrient loads. Expansion of corn or grain sorghum cropland by replacing hay or CRP land-uses resulted in the highest sediment loads and relative increases in nutrient loads. Expansion of corn or grain sorghum by replacing winter wheat cropland produced the lowest relative changes in nutrient and sediment loads and therefore may be a more sustainable land-use change. Corn had a higher yield potential per km2 compared to grain sorghum, resulting in better land, nutrient and water use efficiencies.

Suggested Citation

  • Yasarer, Lindsey M.W. & Sinnathamby, Sumathy & Sturm, Belinda S.M., 2016. "Impacts of biofuel-based land-use change on water quality and sustainability in a Kansas watershed," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 4-14.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:175:y:2016:i:c:p:4-14
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2016.05.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hendricks, Nathan P. & Sinnathamby, Sumathy & Douglas-Mankin, Kyle & Smith, Aaron & Sumner, Daniel A. & Earnhart, Dietrich H., 2014. "The environmental effects of crop price increases: Nitrogen losses in the U.S. Corn Belt," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 507-526.
    2. Gassman, Philip W. & Reyes, Manuel R. & Green, Colleen H. & Arnold, Jeffrey G., 2007. "The Soil and Water Assessment Tool: Historical Development, Applications, and Future Research Directions," ISU General Staff Papers 200701010800001027, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    3. Hellerstein, Daniel & Malcolm, Scott, 2011. "The Influence of Rising Commodity Prices on the Conservation Reserve Program," Economic Research Report 262244, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    4. Searchinger, Timothy & Heimlich, Ralph & Houghton, R. A. & Dong, Fengxia & Elobeid, Amani & Fabiosa, Jacinto F. & Tokgoz, Simla & Hayes, Dermot J. & Yu, Hun-Hsiang, 2008. "Use of U.S. Croplands for Biofuels Increases Greenhouse Gases Through Emissions from Land-Use Change," Staff General Research Papers Archive 12881, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    5. Tolk, Judy A. & Howell, Terry A., 2003. "Water use efficiencies of grain sorghum grown in three USA southern Great Plains soils," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 97-111, March.
    6. Secchi, Silvia & Kurkalova, Lyubov A. & Gassman, Philip W. & Hart, Chad E., 2011. "Land Use Change in a Biofuels Hotspot: The Case of Iowa, Usa," Staff General Research Papers Archive 32452, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
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    Cited by:

    1. Momm, H.G. & Porter, W.S. & Yasarer, L.M. & ElKadiri, R. & Bingner, R.L. & Aber, J.W., 2019. "Crop conversion impacts on runoff and sediment loads in the Upper Sunflower River watershed," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 217(C), pages 399-412.
    2. Chen, Yong & Ale, Srinivasulu & Rajan, Nithya & Srinivasan, Raghavan, 2017. "Modeling the effects of land use change from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) to perennial bioenergy grasses on watershed hydrology and water quality under changing climate," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 198-208.

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