Economic feasibility analysis of conventional and dedicated energy crop production

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:135674

Nelson, R G; Langemeier, M R; Krehbiel, L R ^[1]

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1. Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States)

Economic feasibilities (net return per acre) associated with conventional agricultural crop production versus that of dedicated bioenergy crop (herbaceous energy crops) were investigated for northeastern Kansas. Conventional agricultural crops examined were corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum and alfalfa and dedicated herbaceous energy crops included big bluestem/indiangrass, switchgrass, eastern gamagrass, brome, fescue and cane hay. Costs, prices and government program information from public and private sources were used to project the net return per acre over a six-year period beginning in 1997. Three soil productivity levels (low, average and high), which had a direct effect on the net return per acre, were used to model differences in expected yield. In all three soil productivity cases, big bluestem/indiangrass, switchgrass and brome hay provided a higher net return per acre versus conventional crops grown on both program and non-program acres. Eastern gamagrass, fescue hay and cane hay had returns that were similar or less than returns provided by conventional crops.

• OSTI ID: 135674
• Report Number(s): CONF-9410176--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
GRAMINEAE
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES