Switchgrass as a sustainable bioenergy crop

Midwest vision for sustainable fuel production

“…Advantages include well-established production practices, ability to thrive in marginal soils, and high yield. In addition to biomass energy, perennial C4 grasses provide desirable conservation attributes like increasing wildlife habitat, controlling erosion, and sequestering carbon [40,59]. …”

Effects of nitrogen fertilization on biomass yield and quality in large fields of established switchgrass in southern Iowa, USA

“…Adding switchgrass to a row cropping operation could lead to major improvements in the sustainability of agroecosystems [2]. Experiments funded principally by the United States Department of Energy over the past two decades have shown that switchgrass is also a model herbaceous species for bioenergy production because of its perenniality, wide geographic distribution, high nutrient use efficiency, relatively low fertilization requirements, high biomass yield potential, and compatibility with conventional farm practices [2,3].…”

“…Experiments funded principally by the United States Department of Energy over the past two decades have shown that switchgrass is also a model herbaceous species for bioenergy production because of its perenniality, wide geographic distribution, high nutrient use efficiency, relatively low fertilization requirements, high biomass yield potential, and compatibility with conventional farm practices [2,3]. In order for switchgrass to be used to generate electricity by cofiring with coal, a substantial amount of biomass would need to be produced in the area close to the generating plant.…”

Linkage Maps of Lowland and Upland Tetraploid Switchgrass Ecotypes

“…The lowland types are tall, coarse in leaf texture, and adapted to the flood plains. Upland types are shorter, have finer leaves, and a slower growth rate than the lowland types and are adapted to the northern USA [1,4]. Lowland ecotypes are primarily tetraploid (2n=4x=36) while upland ecotypes can be tetraploid but are predominantly octoploid (2n=8x=72) [7][8][9].…”

“…The species is largely self-incompatible and, consequently, mainly outcrossing and highly heterozygous. It has been used as a forage crop and for soil conservation, and was identified in the 1990s as a potential feedstock crop for the production of cellulosic biofuels [1,2]. High biomass yield (high net energy production per unit area), broad adaptability including in marginal areas, low production costs, low nutrient requirements, and high water use efficiency [1,3,4] are some of the beneficial attributes that favor switchgrass for bioenergy production.…”