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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #251153
Title: Switchgrass

Author
item Vogel, Kenneth
item Sarath, Gautam
item Saathoff, Aaron
item Mitchell, Robert - Rob

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/14/2010
Publication Date: 1/1/2011
Citation: Vogel, K.P., Sarath, G., Saathoff, A.J., Mitchell, R.B. 2011. Switchgrass. Book Chapter. In: Energy Crops, Nigel Halford and Angela Karp (eds.). The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK. P. 341-380. ISBN: 978-1-84973-032-7.

Interpretive Summary: Switchgrass is a warm season perennial grass that is native to North America. It has been used in pastures and for conservation purposes in the Great Plains and the Midwest, USA, for over 70 years. Switchgrass is currently being developed into a biomass energy crop that can be grown on marginal crop land. This report focuses on switchgrass as a biomass energy crop. Switchgrass adaptation and distribution, taxonomy and morphology, physiology and growth, genetics and breeding, management including establishment, fertility, harvest, and seed production, biomass composition and conversion, energy yields and production economics, sustainability, and ecological services are reviewed and summarized.

Technical Abstract: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm season perennial grass that is native to North America. It has been used in pastures and for conservation purposes in the Great Plains and the Midwest, USA, for over 70 years. Switchgrass is currently being developed into a biomass energy crop that can be grown on marginal crop land. This report focuses on switchgrass as a biomass energy crop. Switchgrass adaptation and distribution, taxonomy and morphology, physiology and growth, genetics and breeding, management including establishment, fertility, harvest, and seed production, biomass composition and conversion, energy yields and production economics, and sustainability and ecological services are reviewed and summarized.