Switchgrass production and establishment in the Southern Italy climatic conditions

Piscioneri, I.; Pignatelli, V.; Palazzo, Salvatore; Sharma, Nitesh Kumar

doi:10.1016/s0196-8904(00)00174-6

Cited by 18 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Switchgrass is divided into two ecotypes: (a) lowland, with adaptation to low latitudes and wet conditions, and (b) upland, with adaptation to higher latitudes and drier conditions [9]. The crop is particularly characterized by high growth rates with plant heights in excess of 2 m when grown under favorable conditions in Europe [10][11][12]. Switchgrass has a deep rooting system [13] contributing to organic matter accumulation in the soil and thus to carbon sequestration [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Switchgrass biomass partitioning and growth characteristics under different management practices

Giannoulis

Karyotis²,

Sakellariou‐Makrantonaki

et al. 2016

NJAS: Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences

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a b s t r a c tBiomass dry matter partitioning and growth characteristics are important selection criteria for energy crops. The objective of the study was to examine the response of switchgrass (cv. Alamo) to irrigation (2 levels: rainfed and irrigated with 250 mm) and N-fertilization (4 levels: 0, 80, 160 and 240 kg N ha −1 ) under two different soil-climatic conditions for two growing seasons 2011 and 2012. The results demonstrated a significant effect (P < 0.05) of irrigation, fertilization and their interaction on crop growth and biomass productivity. Biomass yield ranged from 14 to 27 Mg ha −1 for the calcareous, clay loam to clay, fertile soil (Velestino; Greece) and for the deep, calcareous sandy loam to loam, semi-fertile soil (Palamas; Greece), respectively. In both sites, switchgrass accumulated a high amount of biomass in stems. Dry stem/total biomass ratio was stabilized in the 3rd growing year and it was rather constant throughout the growing period (range 68-71%). The maximum growth rates were similar for both sites with value of 390 kg ha −1 day −1 , whereas the highest leaf area index observed was 7.59, indicating that switchgrass has high growth rate independently of the site and its microclimate. Therefore switchgrass should be included in future cropping systems as an important energy crop for solid bio-fuel production.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Switchgrass biomass partitioning and growth characteristics under different management practices

Giannoulis

Karyotis²,

Sakellariou‐Makrantonaki

et al. 2016

NJAS: Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences

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“…Although the lowland cultivars outperformed the upland cultivars, the authors suggested that better understanding of the impact of winters on the lowland varieties was needed. Similar field evaluations have been performed for different switchgrass varieties in the USA [31], as well as elsewhere, including Greece and Italy [32][33][34], China [35], Germany [36] and Quebec, Canada [37]. The objective of the last study was to understand the performance of switchgrass in regions with a short growing season.…”

Section: Challenges In Establishment and Productionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Switchgrass - practical issues in developing a fuel crop.

Shastri

Hansen

Rodríguez³

et al. 2012

CABI Reviews

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The biomass-based energy sector will play an important role in our drive towards renewable energy. Switchgrass has been identified as one of the candidate-dedicated energy crops in the USA because of its various desirable traits. However, many challenges still exist in ensuring a commercially viable switchgrass crop that is sustainable and techno-economically feasible. This article reviews the existing literature to highlight those challenges and potential solutions and recommendations to address those in the future. Various stages in the switchgrass-based biofuel system, namely crop production, provision and logistics, and conversion, are analysed. For each of these stages, the important challenges as reported in the literature are mentioned, and research gaps are identified. The systems-level issues as well as the challenges associated with the practical implementation of switchgrass production are also highlighted. The review illustrates that although switchgrass is a viable biofuel feedstock, considerable progress is necessary to achieve large-scale practical success.

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“…Here, ploughing and disk harrowing were considered for the soil preparation. During the first growth, it is crucial for the seedbed to be thoroughly weed controlled given that the crop is not competitive during the first establishment phase [26]. For this, a pre-seeding herbicide control was considered.…”

Section: Cropping Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For this reason, Switchgrass requires weed control both before the establishment and for the next two years. Regarding harvesting, there is no technical reason for the crop not to be cut and harvested by conventional grass harvesting machinery [26]. Before the forage harvester operates, a mower is considered in order to allow to the mowed plants to have adequate time to dry during winter [26].…”

Section: Cropping Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Savings from Optimised In-Field Route Planning for Agricultural Machinery

et al. 2017

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Various types of sensors technologies, such as machine vision and global positioning system (GPS) have been implemented in navigation of agricultural vehicles. Automated navigation systems have proved the potential for the execution of optimised route plans for field area coverage. This paper presents an assessment of the reduction of the energy requirements derived from the implementation of optimised field area coverage planning. The assessment regards the analysis of the energy requirements and the comparison between the non-optimised and optimised plans for field area coverage in the whole sequence of operations required in two different cropping systems: Miscanthus and Switchgrass production. An algorithmic approach for the simulation of the executed field operations by following both non-optimised and optimised field-work patterns was developed. As a result, the corresponding time requirements were estimated as the basis of the subsequent energy cost analysis. Based on the results, the optimised routes reduce the fuel energy consumption up to 8%, the embodied energy consumption up to 7%, and the total energy consumption from 3% up to 8%.

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Switchgrass production and establishment in the Southern Italy climatic conditions

Cited by 18 publications

References 1 publication

Switchgrass biomass partitioning and growth characteristics under different management practices

Switchgrass biomass partitioning and growth characteristics under different management practices

Switchgrass - practical issues in developing a fuel crop.

Energy Savings from Optimised In-Field Route Planning for Agricultural Machinery

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