Switchgrass as a biofuels feedstock for the upper Southeast
- Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA (United States)
- West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States); and others
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has been identified as a promising perennial, herbaceous biofuels feedstock species. It is highly productive, even on marginal sites; but relatively little is known about its management as a potential biofuels feedstock. We no-till planted four varieties (Alamo, Cave-in-Rock, Kanlow, and Shelter) and two breeder`s lines (NC1 and NC2) of switchgrass in 1992 and 1993 at eight locations across the upper Southeast (three sites in Virginia, two in Tennessee, and one each in Kentucky, North Carolina, and West Virginia). The plots were fertilized with 100 kg N/ha/yr, and P and K were maintained at high levels based on soil tests. Biomass was harvested once (in late Fall) or twice (in mid-Summer and again in late Fall) per year. The yield data presented here are for the most recent full season (1994). Alamo and Kanlow were among the more productive varieties, averaging 14.3 Mg dry matter per ha across the eight sites and two cutting managements. One site averaged over 20 Mg/ha across varieties and cutting managements. When averaged across all varieties and locations, the two-cut system provided higher yields (15.0 Mg/ha) than a single harvest (11.7 Mg/ha). Shelter and Cave-in-Rock showed a 40% to 50% increase in seasonal total yield when cut twice rather than once, but other varieties and lines responded somewhat less to multiple harvests. Taken together, these data suggest that switchgrass has good potential as a dedicated biofuels feedstock crop in the upper Southeast. The yield differences between genotypes point to potential improvements in productivity, especially if selection is made for biomass production (and not for forage quality). The yield advantage of multiple harvests over a single harvest needs further study to establish whether the higher levels of productivity can be maintained and whether the additional harvests are economic.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 115251
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/CP--200-8098; CONF-9508104--; ON: DE95009230
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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