Carbon quality of four-year-old woodchips in a denitrification bed treating agricultural drainage water

A denitrification bed is a system that can reduce the nitrate concentration in subsurface drainage water. There is a need to investigate the carbon quality of old woodchips to gain a better understanding of the effect of age on woodchip properties. The objectives of this study were to characterize the carbon quality and carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio of aged woodchips and to examine the suitability of a denitrification bed for a replicated experiment. To achieve these goals, we excavated four-year-old woodchips along the length of a 106.4 m long denitrification bed near Willmar, Minnesota, and analyzed them for particle size, C/N ratio, and carbon quality. Particle size analysis showed similarities from 12.5 to 106.4 m along the bed. We found a mean C/N ratio ranging from 58.4 3.17 to 153.4 9.57 (smallest at the inlet). The mean lignocellulose index (LCI, a measure of carbon quality) of the four-year-old woodchips ranged from 0.47 to 0.57 (highest at the inlet). The woodchip particle sizes, C/N ratios, and LCI from 25.9 to 106.4 m along the bed length were similar. In conclusion, the C/N ratio and LCI of the four-year-old woodchips showed effects of decomposition and increased woodchip carbon recalcitrance over time, respectively.