Growing tall-grass energy crops on sewage effluent spray field at Tallahassee, FL
Conference
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OSTI ID:478713
- Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)
Six tall tropical grasses, N-51, PI 300086, and Merkeron elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) and US 72-1153, US 56-9 and L 79-1002 energy cane (Saccharum sp.) and Alamo switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) were planted on the sewage effluent spray field of the city of Tallahassee, FL on January 6, 1993. Effluent with a total N content of 18 mg/1 was applied at the average rate of about 65 mm per week. In 1993, the plants grew well but we had difficulty with irrigation not reaching the experimental area during a drought. Seasonal dry matter biomass from Merkeron, PI 300086 and N-51 elephantgrass was 16.0, 18.2 and 16.4 Mg ha{sup -1}, and for L79-1002, US 72-1153 and US 56-9 energy canes was 22.6, 13.0 and 6.4 Mg ha{sup -1}, respectively. The second season all the grasses had excellent growth during season but, cattle broke in and harvested plots for us. In 1995 plots were split and low and high fertilizer rates applied. The average dry matter biomass production for 1995 season over the surviving five tropical tall grasses remaining was 28.7 Mg ha{sup -1} at low fertilizer rate and 32.2 Mg ha{sup -1} at high fertilizer rate. The annual oven dry biomass yields were 3 5.3, 34.8 and 27.7 Mg ha{sup -1} for the elephantgrass entries, Merkeron, N-51 and PI 300086 and 28.7 and 25.8 Mg ha{sup -1} for US 72-1153 and L79-1002 energy canes, respectively. All grass plants suffered N deficiency each winter and spring until N fertilizer was applied. The tall grass energy crops can be successfully grown on sewage effluent fields of cities in Lower South, USA.
- OSTI ID:
- 478713
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960958--; CNN: Grant TV-90771V; Grant TV-94072V
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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