Nitrogen is a key macronutrient found in plants and soil and is responsible for the development of plants. When biomass is repetitively harvested, macronutrients reduce over time. Monitoring nitrogen levels could help determine which fertilizers yield optimal plant growth. The method used to quantify the amount of nitrogen is the Kjedahl method. The samples are first digested using conc. sulfuric acid, analyzed through a distillation apparatus using an excess of concentrated 10 M NaOH, and then titrated with 0.005 M H2SO4. The plant and soil samples were obtained from twelve switch grass plots with four different types of grass (Blackwell, Alamo, Kanlow, and Cave-in-Rock) with controlled amounts of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 50, and 100lbs). Nitrogen concentrations observed in soil range from 1.87-9.05gN/Kg soil and precision ranges from 0.074%-17%. Analysis of nitrogen in switchgrass is currently under study and will be presented at the meeting.

Correlation studies of how switchgrass affects the nitrogen content in soil

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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