Gaetan Parent - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Gaetan Parent

Research paper thumbnail of Semis direct des plantes fourrageres au Quebec: une revue

No-tillage seeding offorage crops has drawn considerable interest over the last few years, princi... more No-tillage seeding offorage crops has drawn considerable interest over the last few years, principally because of the obvious savings associated with the reduced energy and labor requirements for soil preparation and rock picking on many typical dairy or beef cattle farms. However, this technique is yet seen to often result in less than satisfactory stand establishment of forage crops. A review of the current information on the changes in soil edaphic factors brought about byno-tillage seedingwasdeemednecessary toguideno-tillage seeder design or modifications to better meet the soil-seed environ ment needs of these generally very small seeded crops. Increased shading and decreased soil evaporation and heating are likely conse quences of the sometimes important residue mass retained at the surface with no-tillage. However, neither grass nor legume forage species are greatly affected by incoming light. While increased soil water availability near the soil surface may contribute to bet...

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of Harvesting Time on Ultimate Methane Yield of Switchgrass Grown in Eastern Canada

Green energy production from crops has been under investigation for the last two decades. In Euro... more Green energy production from crops has been under investigation for the last two decades. In Europe, this led to the development of energy crops-fed full scale bioreactors. Switchgrass was recognized as one of the most promising crops for energy production among several perennial grass species grown under moderate to hot climates. However, few studies were initiated under colder climate conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the mesophilic methane yield of switchgrass grown under the cooler growing conditions of the north-eastern area of North America. Switchgrass was harvested at three different times (late July, late August, and late September) in 2007 and conserved as silage. The regrowth of plots harvested in late July was also harvested in late September as a two-cut strategy. The switchgrass silage samples were anaerobically digested using small-scale (30 L) laboratory digesters. Specific methane yield decreased significantly with advancing plant development (from ...

Research paper thumbnail of Validation and use of critical phosphorus concentration in maize

European Journal of Agronomy, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Biomass Production and Environmental Considerations from Reed Canarygrass Fertilized with Organic Residues in Northern Environments

Agronomy Journal, 2018

Core Ideas Liquid swine manure and municipal biosolid provide sufficient N for reed canarygrass.L... more Core Ideas Liquid swine manure and municipal biosolid provide sufficient N for reed canarygrass.Liquid swine manure and municipal biosolid use do not cause nitrate leaching and heavy metal accumulation.Kura clover with reed canarygrass improves DM yield but less than fertilizers. Sustainable biomass production on marginal lands of northern areas using cool‐season perennial grasses and under‐exploited N sources requires development. We determined the biomass production of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) fertilized with municipal biosolid (MB), liquid swine manure (LSM), mineral fertilizer (M), or grown with a legume species and harvested either in July or October along with the consequences of soil contamination by nitrates and heavy metals. The experiment, conducted at two sites from 2009 to 2011, included three target N rates (40, 80, and 120 kg total N ha−1) applied in spring as either MB, LSM, or M along with an unfertilized control treatment and a treatment with kura ...

Research paper thumbnail of Urea‐Based Fertilizer as an Efficient Nitrogen Source in Perennial Cool‐Grass Forage Production

Agronomy Journal, 2019

Core Ideas Annual forage grass yields with spring‐applied polymer‐coated urea, a blend of 50% pol... more Core Ideas Annual forage grass yields with spring‐applied polymer‐coated urea, a blend of 50% polymer‐coated urea and 50% urea, and urea treated with a urease inhibitor (NBPT) were similar to those with calcium ammonium nitrate. Forage grass yields and N and nitrate concentrations were highest with NBPT‐treated urea in spring growth and with polymer‐coated urea in summer regrowth. Economic return was greatest with NBPT‐treated urea and a blend of 50% polymer‐coated urea and 50% urea. Urea‐N fertilizers are widely used in agriculture but the efficiency of different forms has yet to be quantified for cool‐season forage grasses grown in northern areas. In a study conducted in eastern Canada during three growing seasons (2014–2016), polymer‐coated controlled release urea (PCU), a blend of 50% PCU and 50% urea, and urea treated with an inhibitor of urease (Urea+NBPT) broadcast in early spring were compared with calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) broadcast in spring (60%) and after the first ...

Research paper thumbnail of Reed canarygrass crop biomass and silage as affected by harvest date and nitrogen fertilization

Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 2016

Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is a potential biomass crop for energy production but ... more Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is a potential biomass crop for energy production but little is known on its optimum management in the northern areas of North America. We determined the effect of three harvest dates (late July, early September, and mid-October) in a one-cut system and four N fertilization (0, 40, 80, and 160 kg N ha−1) on crop biomass and silage characteristics of reed canarygrass seeded in 2007, and harvested and ensiled in 2008 and 2009 following spring N applications. Delaying harvest from late July to mid-October decreased crop biomass dry matter (DM) yield (−0.8 Mg DM ha−1), in vitro true digestibility of DM (IVTD; −79 g kg−1DM), in vitro neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility (NDFD; −126 g kg−1NDF), and K concentration (−7.4 g kg−1DM), while it increased soluble carbohydrate (+14.7 g kg−1DM) and ash (+8.5 g kg−1DM) concentrations. Increasing N fertilization from 0 to 160 kg N ha−1increased crop biomass DM yield (+4.3 Mg DM ha−1), crop biomass N...

Research paper thumbnail of Yield response of forage grasses to N fertilizer as related to spring soil nitrate sorbed on anionic exchange membranes

Canadian Journal of Soil Science, 2000

Soil N availability is an important factor in forage grass production. Maximising N fertilizer ef... more Soil N availability is an important factor in forage grass production. Maximising N fertilizer efficiency is essential to improve profitability and to reduce the environmental risk associated with residual excess soil N. The objectives of this study were (i): to determine the effects of N fertilizer on yield, N uptake and NO3–N concentration of forage grasses produced in Western Quebec; and (ii) to compare spring soil NO3−measured by anionic exchange membranes (NO3AEMs) and by water extraction (NO3w) as a criterion to predict fertilizer N requirements of forage grasses. The yield response of grasses, especially timothy (Phleum pratense L.), to different rates of NH4NO3 (0 to 240 kg N ha−1) on heavy clay soils (Humic Gleysols) was studied from 1994 to 1996 at four sites in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue area, Quebec (Canada). Nitrogen significantly (P < 0.001) increased forage yield, N uptake, and NO3–N concentration. The economically optimum N fertilizer rate (Nop) for forage yield va...

Research paper thumbnail of Agronomic and Economic Benefits of Rotating Corn with Soybean and Spring Wheat under Different Tillage in Eastern Canada

Agronomy Journal, 2019

Agronomic and economic performance of the corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rot... more Agronomic and economic performance of the corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation is well documented, but few studies have investigated the addition of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to this rotation, particularly at the northern limit of corn and soybean production in North America. A 6‐yr field study was initiated in 1999 on a clay soil in eastern Canada to identify the best crop rotation (continuous corn, continuous soybean, corn–soybean, corn–corn–soybean, corn–soybean–spring wheat, or corn–spring wheat–soybean) under moldboard plow (MP) and reduced tillage (RT) in terms of grain yield, soil aggregate distribution, and annual net returns. To isolate the effect of annual climatic conditions, all crop phases of each rotation were present each year for a total of 13 rotation sequences within each soil tillage practice. Corn grown in rotation had greater yield (+0.6 to +0.9 Mg ha−1) than continuous corn or second‐year corn regardless of soil tillage. Soybea...

Research paper thumbnail of Methane yield from switchgrass harvested at different stages of development in Eastern Canada

Bioresource Technology, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Methane yield from switchgrass and reed canarygrass grown in Eastern Canada

Bioresource Technology, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Precipitation of Liquid Swine Manure Phosphates Using Magnesium Smelting By-Products

Journal of Environment Quality, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of Biomass yield from an old grass field as affected by sources of nitrogen fertilization and management zones in northern areas

Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Process for the treatment of pig manure and the use thereof

Research paper thumbnail of Biomass yield from an old grass field as affected by sources of nitrogen fertilization and management zones in northern areas

Canadian Journal of Plant Science, May 27, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of long-term tillage, terminating no-till and cropping system on organic C and N, and available nutrients in a Gleysolic soil in Québec, Canada

The Journal of Agricultural Science

Some biological and chemical properties of a Gleysol were examined after 24 years of soil tillage... more Some biological and chemical properties of a Gleysol were examined after 24 years of soil tillage (chisel plough – CP, mouldboard plough – MP, no-till – NT) and that of ploughing the 24-yr NT (P-NT) once, in two cropping systems (conventional – CONV, organic – ORG) applied over 4 years (2007–2010) of a long-term experiment (autumn 1987–autumn 2011) at La Pocatière, Québec, Canada. The 0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm soil depths were sampled in autumn 2011 after a maize trial. Tillage affected light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), light fraction organic nitrogen (LFON) and mineralizable N (Nmin) in soil, with the lowest LFOC, LFON and Nmin values in the MP treatment. No-till had lower soil pH than the other tillage systems in the 10–20 and 20–30 cm soil depths. Tillage affected the amounts of nitrate-N in 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil depths, with the lowest amounts for MP (4.3 kg nitrate-N/ha) compared with NT (7.2 or 8.5 kg nitrate-N/ha) or CP (7.7 kg nitrate-N/ha). The P-NT had no negative impa...

Research paper thumbnail of Methane yield from switchgrass harvested at different stages of development in Eastern Canada

Bioresource Technology, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Precipitation of liquid swine manure phosphates using magnesium smelting by-products

Journal of environmental quality

Swine manure contains considerable amounts of total (P) and soluble phosphorus (PO(4)-P) which ma... more Swine manure contains considerable amounts of total (P) and soluble phosphorus (PO(4)-P) which may increase the soil P content when applied in excess to crop requirements and, consequently, risk water eutrophication. The feasibility of using magnesium (Mg) from the by-product of electrolysis and foundries (BPEF) for the removal of P from liquid swine manure was studied by adding up to 3 g of Mg as BPEF per liter of nursery (NU) and grower-finisher (GF) swine manure in 25-L plastic buckets. Changes in P and other elements were monitored for up to 360 h. Small amounts of Mg as BPEF (0.5 and 1.0 g Mg L(-1) manure) reduced the total P concentration of the liquid fraction by 70 to 95% of both manure types with respect to the control treatment of mixed raw manure. A settling period of 8 h or more was necessary to significantly reduce the liquid fraction's total P concentration for both manure types. Reduction of PO(4)-P varied from 96 to 100% in the liquid fractions for both manure ty...

Research paper thumbnail of Semis direct des plantes fourrageres au Quebec: une revue

No-tillage seeding offorage crops has drawn considerable interest over the last few years, princi... more No-tillage seeding offorage crops has drawn considerable interest over the last few years, principally because of the obvious savings associated with the reduced energy and labor requirements for soil preparation and rock picking on many typical dairy or beef cattle farms. However, this technique is yet seen to often result in less than satisfactory stand establishment of forage crops. A review of the current information on the changes in soil edaphic factors brought about byno-tillage seedingwasdeemednecessary toguideno-tillage seeder design or modifications to better meet the soil-seed environ ment needs of these generally very small seeded crops. Increased shading and decreased soil evaporation and heating are likely conse quences of the sometimes important residue mass retained at the surface with no-tillage. However, neither grass nor legume forage species are greatly affected by incoming light. While increased soil water availability near the soil surface may contribute to bet...

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of Harvesting Time on Ultimate Methane Yield of Switchgrass Grown in Eastern Canada

Green energy production from crops has been under investigation for the last two decades. In Euro... more Green energy production from crops has been under investigation for the last two decades. In Europe, this led to the development of energy crops-fed full scale bioreactors. Switchgrass was recognized as one of the most promising crops for energy production among several perennial grass species grown under moderate to hot climates. However, few studies were initiated under colder climate conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the mesophilic methane yield of switchgrass grown under the cooler growing conditions of the north-eastern area of North America. Switchgrass was harvested at three different times (late July, late August, and late September) in 2007 and conserved as silage. The regrowth of plots harvested in late July was also harvested in late September as a two-cut strategy. The switchgrass silage samples were anaerobically digested using small-scale (30 L) laboratory digesters. Specific methane yield decreased significantly with advancing plant development (from ...

Research paper thumbnail of Validation and use of critical phosphorus concentration in maize

European Journal of Agronomy, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Biomass Production and Environmental Considerations from Reed Canarygrass Fertilized with Organic Residues in Northern Environments

Agronomy Journal, 2018

Core Ideas Liquid swine manure and municipal biosolid provide sufficient N for reed canarygrass.L... more Core Ideas Liquid swine manure and municipal biosolid provide sufficient N for reed canarygrass.Liquid swine manure and municipal biosolid use do not cause nitrate leaching and heavy metal accumulation.Kura clover with reed canarygrass improves DM yield but less than fertilizers. Sustainable biomass production on marginal lands of northern areas using cool‐season perennial grasses and under‐exploited N sources requires development. We determined the biomass production of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) fertilized with municipal biosolid (MB), liquid swine manure (LSM), mineral fertilizer (M), or grown with a legume species and harvested either in July or October along with the consequences of soil contamination by nitrates and heavy metals. The experiment, conducted at two sites from 2009 to 2011, included three target N rates (40, 80, and 120 kg total N ha−1) applied in spring as either MB, LSM, or M along with an unfertilized control treatment and a treatment with kura ...

Research paper thumbnail of Urea‐Based Fertilizer as an Efficient Nitrogen Source in Perennial Cool‐Grass Forage Production

Agronomy Journal, 2019

Core Ideas Annual forage grass yields with spring‐applied polymer‐coated urea, a blend of 50% pol... more Core Ideas Annual forage grass yields with spring‐applied polymer‐coated urea, a blend of 50% polymer‐coated urea and 50% urea, and urea treated with a urease inhibitor (NBPT) were similar to those with calcium ammonium nitrate. Forage grass yields and N and nitrate concentrations were highest with NBPT‐treated urea in spring growth and with polymer‐coated urea in summer regrowth. Economic return was greatest with NBPT‐treated urea and a blend of 50% polymer‐coated urea and 50% urea. Urea‐N fertilizers are widely used in agriculture but the efficiency of different forms has yet to be quantified for cool‐season forage grasses grown in northern areas. In a study conducted in eastern Canada during three growing seasons (2014–2016), polymer‐coated controlled release urea (PCU), a blend of 50% PCU and 50% urea, and urea treated with an inhibitor of urease (Urea+NBPT) broadcast in early spring were compared with calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) broadcast in spring (60%) and after the first ...

Research paper thumbnail of Reed canarygrass crop biomass and silage as affected by harvest date and nitrogen fertilization

Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 2016

Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is a potential biomass crop for energy production but ... more Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is a potential biomass crop for energy production but little is known on its optimum management in the northern areas of North America. We determined the effect of three harvest dates (late July, early September, and mid-October) in a one-cut system and four N fertilization (0, 40, 80, and 160 kg N ha−1) on crop biomass and silage characteristics of reed canarygrass seeded in 2007, and harvested and ensiled in 2008 and 2009 following spring N applications. Delaying harvest from late July to mid-October decreased crop biomass dry matter (DM) yield (−0.8 Mg DM ha−1), in vitro true digestibility of DM (IVTD; −79 g kg−1DM), in vitro neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility (NDFD; −126 g kg−1NDF), and K concentration (−7.4 g kg−1DM), while it increased soluble carbohydrate (+14.7 g kg−1DM) and ash (+8.5 g kg−1DM) concentrations. Increasing N fertilization from 0 to 160 kg N ha−1increased crop biomass DM yield (+4.3 Mg DM ha−1), crop biomass N...

Research paper thumbnail of Yield response of forage grasses to N fertilizer as related to spring soil nitrate sorbed on anionic exchange membranes

Canadian Journal of Soil Science, 2000

Soil N availability is an important factor in forage grass production. Maximising N fertilizer ef... more Soil N availability is an important factor in forage grass production. Maximising N fertilizer efficiency is essential to improve profitability and to reduce the environmental risk associated with residual excess soil N. The objectives of this study were (i): to determine the effects of N fertilizer on yield, N uptake and NO3–N concentration of forage grasses produced in Western Quebec; and (ii) to compare spring soil NO3−measured by anionic exchange membranes (NO3AEMs) and by water extraction (NO3w) as a criterion to predict fertilizer N requirements of forage grasses. The yield response of grasses, especially timothy (Phleum pratense L.), to different rates of NH4NO3 (0 to 240 kg N ha−1) on heavy clay soils (Humic Gleysols) was studied from 1994 to 1996 at four sites in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue area, Quebec (Canada). Nitrogen significantly (P < 0.001) increased forage yield, N uptake, and NO3–N concentration. The economically optimum N fertilizer rate (Nop) for forage yield va...

Research paper thumbnail of Agronomic and Economic Benefits of Rotating Corn with Soybean and Spring Wheat under Different Tillage in Eastern Canada

Agronomy Journal, 2019

Agronomic and economic performance of the corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rot... more Agronomic and economic performance of the corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation is well documented, but few studies have investigated the addition of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to this rotation, particularly at the northern limit of corn and soybean production in North America. A 6‐yr field study was initiated in 1999 on a clay soil in eastern Canada to identify the best crop rotation (continuous corn, continuous soybean, corn–soybean, corn–corn–soybean, corn–soybean–spring wheat, or corn–spring wheat–soybean) under moldboard plow (MP) and reduced tillage (RT) in terms of grain yield, soil aggregate distribution, and annual net returns. To isolate the effect of annual climatic conditions, all crop phases of each rotation were present each year for a total of 13 rotation sequences within each soil tillage practice. Corn grown in rotation had greater yield (+0.6 to +0.9 Mg ha−1) than continuous corn or second‐year corn regardless of soil tillage. Soybea...

Research paper thumbnail of Methane yield from switchgrass harvested at different stages of development in Eastern Canada

Bioresource Technology, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Methane yield from switchgrass and reed canarygrass grown in Eastern Canada

Bioresource Technology, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Precipitation of Liquid Swine Manure Phosphates Using Magnesium Smelting By-Products

Journal of Environment Quality, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of Biomass yield from an old grass field as affected by sources of nitrogen fertilization and management zones in northern areas

Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Process for the treatment of pig manure and the use thereof

Research paper thumbnail of Biomass yield from an old grass field as affected by sources of nitrogen fertilization and management zones in northern areas

Canadian Journal of Plant Science, May 27, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of long-term tillage, terminating no-till and cropping system on organic C and N, and available nutrients in a Gleysolic soil in Québec, Canada

The Journal of Agricultural Science

Some biological and chemical properties of a Gleysol were examined after 24 years of soil tillage... more Some biological and chemical properties of a Gleysol were examined after 24 years of soil tillage (chisel plough – CP, mouldboard plough – MP, no-till – NT) and that of ploughing the 24-yr NT (P-NT) once, in two cropping systems (conventional – CONV, organic – ORG) applied over 4 years (2007–2010) of a long-term experiment (autumn 1987–autumn 2011) at La Pocatière, Québec, Canada. The 0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm soil depths were sampled in autumn 2011 after a maize trial. Tillage affected light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), light fraction organic nitrogen (LFON) and mineralizable N (Nmin) in soil, with the lowest LFOC, LFON and Nmin values in the MP treatment. No-till had lower soil pH than the other tillage systems in the 10–20 and 20–30 cm soil depths. Tillage affected the amounts of nitrate-N in 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil depths, with the lowest amounts for MP (4.3 kg nitrate-N/ha) compared with NT (7.2 or 8.5 kg nitrate-N/ha) or CP (7.7 kg nitrate-N/ha). The P-NT had no negative impa...

Research paper thumbnail of Methane yield from switchgrass harvested at different stages of development in Eastern Canada

Bioresource Technology, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Precipitation of liquid swine manure phosphates using magnesium smelting by-products

Journal of environmental quality

Swine manure contains considerable amounts of total (P) and soluble phosphorus (PO(4)-P) which ma... more Swine manure contains considerable amounts of total (P) and soluble phosphorus (PO(4)-P) which may increase the soil P content when applied in excess to crop requirements and, consequently, risk water eutrophication. The feasibility of using magnesium (Mg) from the by-product of electrolysis and foundries (BPEF) for the removal of P from liquid swine manure was studied by adding up to 3 g of Mg as BPEF per liter of nursery (NU) and grower-finisher (GF) swine manure in 25-L plastic buckets. Changes in P and other elements were monitored for up to 360 h. Small amounts of Mg as BPEF (0.5 and 1.0 g Mg L(-1) manure) reduced the total P concentration of the liquid fraction by 70 to 95% of both manure types with respect to the control treatment of mixed raw manure. A settling period of 8 h or more was necessary to significantly reduce the liquid fraction's total P concentration for both manure types. Reduction of PO(4)-P varied from 96 to 100% in the liquid fractions for both manure ty...