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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #73401
Title: SWITCHGRASS MANAGEMENT FOR A BIOMASS ENERGY FEEDSTOCK IN TEXAS

Author
item SANDERSON, M - TAMU RES&EXT STEPHENVILLE
item REED, R - TAMU RES&EXT STEPHENVILLE
item HUSSEY, M - TEXAS A&M COLLEGE STATION
item Tischler, Charles
item READ, J - TAMU RES&EXT DALLAS
item OCUMPAUGH, W - TAMU AG RES STN BEEVILLE

Submitted to: Grassland International Congress Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/7/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Switchgrass is a warm-season grass that grows throughout much of the southern and central United States. This grass has the potential to be used as a biofuel to produce alcohol or to be burned to generate electricity. Several varieties are commercially available. We planted the different varities at a number of locations throughout Texas to determine how productive each variety was. A variety called 'Alamo' was the most productive of all varieties tested. It also produced more biomass when nitrogen fertilizer was applied. However, phosphorous fertilizer had little influence on biomass production. The spacing between rows was varied to determine if this modification would change the biomass yield and no differences were observed. In another experiment, biomass harvests were made from one to several times per year. Total yearly yield decreased with increasing frequency of harvest. These results indicate that in Texas, best biomass yields can be obtained by growing 'Alamo' switchgrass, applying nitrogen fertilizer, and making a biomass harvest only once at the end of the growing season.

Technical Abstract: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season perennial grass indigenous to North and Central America with excellent potential as a bioenergy crop. Our objective was to develop management practices for switchgrass as a bioenergy crop. We determined the adaptability of several switchgrass cultivars and germplasms at five locations and examined the response of 'Alamo' switchgrass to defoliation frequency; nitrogen and phosphorus fertility; and row spacing at two locations from 1992 to 1996. 'Alamo' switchgrass was the highest yielding entry at all locations with yields of 8 to 20 Mg of dry biomass hq**-1. Yield response of 'Alamo' to N fertilizer was quadratic at Stephenville and linear at Beeville to the highest N rate used of 200 kg ha**-1. There was a small response to 20 kg ha**-1 of P2O5 in 1992 at Stephenville, but no response in later years or at Beeville. Increased row spacing did not increase switchgrass yield. Total seasonal yields are decreased as harvest frequency increases.