Download or read book Establishment Fertility and Harvest Management for Optimizing Switchgrass Yield and Quality as a Cellulosic Ethanol Feedstock in the Great Lakes Region written by Katherine Kelly Withers and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Genotype Nitrogen and Harvest Management Effects on Switchgrass Production written by Ramdeo Seepaul and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Use of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) as a forage and feedstock species requires knowledge of fertilizer application rates and harvest timing to optimize yield and quality. Three experiments were conducted at the Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station, Raymond, MS to quantify nitrogen rates, harvest timing, and genotype effects on biomass, nutrient removal, chemical composition and ethanol yield. Dry matter yield varied with N rate, genotype, harvest frequency and timing. Yields among genotypes were: NF/GA992 = NF/GA001 (13.7 Mg ha−1) > Alamo (11.6 Mg ha−1) > Cave-in-Rock (6.1 Mg ha−1). A single (9.5 Mg ha−1) or two harvests annually (10.3 Mg ha−1) produced the greatest dry matter yield. As harvest frequency increased from three (7.3Mg ha−1) to six (5.9 Mg ha−1) harvests annually, yield decreased. There was an effect of N application on yield, but not at application rates greater than 80 kg ha−1. Nitrogen did not consistently affect tissue nutrient concentrations but more frequent harvests led to increased nutrient concentration. Nutrient removal responses to N application were mostly similar to the yield responses. Nitrogen use efficiency and recovery declined as N rate increased. Estimated ethanol yield averaged 162 L Mg−1 for Alamo, NF/GA001 and NF/GA992 . A single (2.4 kL ha−1) or 2 harvests annually (2.3 kL ha−1) produced the greatest ethanol production and was correlated with by biomass yield. Nutrient removal, N use efficiency, N recovery and ethanol production were related to biomass yields rather than chemical composition differences. The findings in this dissertation will enable a database on management effects on ethanol yield and composition, enhance current biomass models, facilitate improved management of feedstock production inputs and improve feasibility of alternative fuel development.
Download or read book Switchgrass Harvest Timing Harvest storage Method Influence Quantity Quality Sustainability Aspects of a Lignocellulosic Ethanol Production System in the Northern Corn Belt Great Lakes Region written by Andrew Brady Adkins and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Switchgrass written by Andrea Monti and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-03-09 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The demand for renewable energies from biomass is growing steadily as policies are enacted to encourage such development and as industry increasingly sees an opportunity to develop bio-energy enterprises. Recent policy changes in the EU, USA and other countries are spurring interest in the cultivation of energy crops such as switchgrass. Switchgrass has gained and early lead in the race to find a biomass feedstock for energy production (and for the almost requisite need for bio-based products from such feedstocks). Switchgrass: A Valuable Biomass Crop for Energy provides a comprehensive guide to the biology, physiology, breeding, culture and conversion of switchgrass as well as highlighting various environmental, economic and social benefits. Considering this potential energy source, Switchgrass: A Valuable Biomass Crop for Energy brings together chapters from a range of experts in the field, including a foreword from Kenneth P. Vogel, to collect and present the environmental benefits and characteristics of this a crop with the potential to mitigate the risks of global warming by replacing fossil fuels. Including clear figures and tables to support discussions, Switchgrass: A Valuable Biomass Crop for Energy provides a solid reference for anyone with interest or investment in the development of bioenergy; researchers, policy makers and stakeholders will find this a key resource.
Download or read book Assessing Best Management Practices for Improving Switchgrass Establishment and Production written by Amir Sadeghpour and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a C4-grass indigenous to North America being considered as the "model" energy crop. Switchgrass is difficult to establish and first-year stand failure often challenge the large scale production of switchgrass. Reliable establishment methods and effective weed management practices to produce a harvestable biomass in the establishment year are required. Also, to maximize the economic viability of switchgrass production, appropriate nutrient management and harvests are needed. Thus, we conducted researches to improve switchgrass establishment and production. These studies ranged from finding the most promising switchgrass variety to adjusting switchgrass seeding rate, determine the most appropriate seeding date, seeding methods, weed management, nitrogen application, and harvest management. Currently Cave-in-Rock is a highly suggested upland variety for northern region of United States. Results of our variety trials both at establishment and production level indicated that Carthage and Shawnee could also be considered as promising varieties in northern regions of United States. In a four-year study, Carthage consistently produced higher biomass yield compared with other varieties. A vigor test trial was suggested for adjusting switchgrass seeding rate and we found significant differences between the required seeding rate for producing acceptable first-year biomass in fertile soils and marginal soils. While approximately 7 kg ha-1 seeding rate might be sufficient for fertile soils, 14 kg ha-1 might be required to produce enough established seedling for the same biomass production in a marginal soil. An early planting of switchgrass was not as effective as a late planting in weed suppression but plants were more advanced morphologically thus, produced acceptable biomass yield with root system which ensures successful second-year production. Among cover crops, oat outperformed others (Fallow and Rye) with both suppressing weeds and improving switchgrass establishment. Results suggested drastic differences between no-till planting and seeding with cultipacker seeder where no-till planting into oat produced significantly higher biomass yield compared with cultipacker seeder. A firm seedbed is also another desirable method of planting where significantly improved switchgrass establishment and production was observed with 2 times rolling/cultipacking after seeding. Our findings indicated that application of herbicides is strongly required in the establishment year where a Broad Spectrum application of atrazine, quinclorac, 2,4-D, and dicamba improved switchgrass establishment through effective control of weeds. We found a late-fall harvest could improve switchgrass quality for combustion (less moisture, ash, and nutrient content) without yield reduction for many years. When switchgrass was harvested in late-fall, no response to N application was found. Overall, it is proposed that a no-till planting of switchgrass into oat cover crop with herbicide application planted in early-June could provide a successful stand and later, a late-fall harvest without any N application could maintain crop productivity with acceptable biomass yield and quality for several years.
Download or read book Compendium of Bioenergy Plants written by Hong Luo and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2014-03-14 with total page 467 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contains the most comprehensive reviews on the latest development of switchgrass research including the agronomy of the plant, the use of endophytes and mycorrhizae for biomass production, genetics and breeding of bioenergy related traits, molecular genetics and molecular breeding, genomics, transgenics, processing, bioconversion, biosystem and chemical engineering, biomass production modeling, economics of switchgrass feedstock production etc. The book will be of interest and great value to the switchgrass research communities in both academia and industry and a handbook for agronomists, geneticists, breeders, molecular biologists, physiologists, biosystems engineers and chemical engineers.
Download or read book Exploring Potential U S Switchgrass Production for Lignocellulosic Ethanol written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In response to concerns about oil dependency and the contributions of fossil fuel use to climatic change, the U.S. Department of Energy has begun a research initiative to make 20% of motor fuels biofuel based in 10 years, and make 30% of fuels bio-based by 2030. Fundamental to this objective is developing an understanding of feedstock dynamics of crops suitable for cellulosic ethanol production. This report focuses on switchgrass, reviewing the existing literature from field trials across the United States, and compiling it for the first time into a single database. Data available from the literature included cultivar and crop management information, and location of the field trial. For each location we determined latitude and longitude, and used this information to add temperature and precipitation records from the nearest weather station. Within this broad database we were able to identify the major sources of variation in biomass yield, and to characterize yield as a function of some of the more influential factors, e.g., stand age, ecotype, precipitation and temperature in the year of harvest, site latitude, and fertilization regime. We then used a modeling approach, based chiefly on climatic factors and ecotype, to predict potential yields for a given temperature and weather pattern (based on 95th percentile response curves), assuming the choice of optimal cultivars and harvest schedules. For upland ecotype varieties, potential yields were as high as 18 to 20 Mg/ha, given ideal growing conditions, whereas yields in lowland ecotype varieties could reach 23 to 27 Mg/ha. The predictive equations were used to produce maps of potential yield across the continental United States, based on precipitation and temperature in the long term climate record, using the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) in a Geographic Information System (GIS). Potential yields calculated via this characterization were subsequently compared to the Oak Ridge Energy Crop County Level data base (ORECCL), which was created at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Graham et al. 1996) to predict biofuel crop yields at the county level within a limited geographic area. Mapped output using the model was relatively consistent with known switchgrass distribution. It correctly showed higher yields for lowland switchgrass when compared with upland varieties at most locations. Projections for the most northern parts of the range suggest comparable yields for the two ecotypes, but inadequate data for lowland ecotypes grown at high latitudes make it difficult to fully assess this projection. The final model is a predictor of optimal yields for a given climate scenario, but does not attempt to identify or account for other limiting or interacting factors. The statistical model is nevertheless an improvement over historical efforts, in that it is based on quantifiable climatic differences, and it can be used to extrapolate beyond the historic range of switchgrass. Additional refinement of the current statistical model, or the use of different empirical or process-based models, might improve the prediction of switchgrass yields with respect to climate and interactions with cultivar and management practices, assisting growers in choosing high-yielding cultivars within the context of local environmental growing conditions.
Download or read book Establishment of Switchgrass in Corn Across a Landscape Gradient written by Theodore Paul Gunther and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 71 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Establishing a Fall Harvest Window for Switchgrass Biomass Based on Optimum Decline of Phosphorus and Potassium Levels in Shoots written by Jennifer Kay Lane and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 115 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a perennial grass that remobilizes nutrients during senescence and is being used as biomass for cellulosic ethanol production. Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are removed in harvested biomass and replenished through additions of fertilizer. Identifying the appropriate harvest window in a one-cut system based on the remobilization of nutrients can be economically beneficial for biomass producers. The primary objective of this research was to determine if a one-cut harvest can be executed earlier in the fall based on the remobilization of P and K from stems and leaves to crown and roots of plants. Better harvesting conditions and reduced nutrient removal rates are potential benefits of earlier harvest. This project consisted of three parts, evaluating: (1) P and K levels in shoots and whole plants of Alamo and Kanlow cultivars, (2) P and K levels in shoots of upland and lowland switchgrass varieties, and (3) Effects of earlier harvest on yield. Twelve varieties, including 'Alamo' and 'Kanlow' cultivars, were planted in Knoxville, TN in 2007. Eight of these varieties were planted in Springfield, TN. Above and belowground samples were collected throughout the fall and analyzed for P and K concentrations. No significant declines of P and K were observed in stems and leaves from early October through November. Levels of P and K in leaves, stems, and panicles fluctuated during the fall season; however, final levels were similar in all tissues. Based on these changes in aboveground biomass, the harvest window could begin as early as mid-September. Data suggested that P and K in Alamo and Kanlow followed similar patterns through the fall, without significant declines in shoots. This is confirmed by data from whole plants, which showed no significant increases in P and K in crowns and roots. Levels of P and K in varieties of upland and lowland switchgrass did not differ and followed patterns observed in Alamo and Kanlow. Yields observed in different varieties did not decline when harvested as early as mid-September. Based solely on this study, it is not necessary to delay harvest and could take place as early as September.
Download or read book Nitrogen and Harvest Impact on Warm season Grass Biomass Yield and Feedstock Quality written by Chamara Sandaruwan Weerasekara Imbulana Acharige and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perennial warm-season grasses have drawn interest as bioenergy feedstocks due to their high productivity with minimal amounts of inputs under a wide range of geography while producing multiple environmental benefits. Nitrogen (N) fertility and harvest timing are critical management practices when optimizing biomass yield of these grasses. Our objective was to quantify the impact of N fertilizer rate and application timing in combination with the harvest date on warm-season grass yield and feedstock quality. Research was conducted in 2014 and 2015 on a total of four field-plot locations in Missouri. The experiment was a split-plot design where N rate and harvest timing were main and sub-plot treatments, respectively. Nitrogen rates were 0, 30, 60, and 90 lbs/ac with two application timings, all early spring and split N (early spring and following 1st harvest). Harvest timing treatments included two single (September and November) and two double harvests (June harvest followed by a September or a November harvest) per year. In both years, delaying harvest until November improved biomass yield, energy and ethanol production while reducing total N and ash contents across sites. November harvest and N rates [greater than or equal to]60 lbs/ac improved biomass yields. Although N fertilization improved yield, N use metrics declined with annual N rates of [greater than]30 lbs/ac. Nitrogen fertilization at 60 lbs/ac per year provides an opportunity to maintain a balance between yield and efficiency of N inputs while improving energy and ethanol production, high feedstock quality. Our results highlight the simultaneous implications of N fertilization and harvest management for optimizing warm-season grasses grown as bioenergy feedstocks.
Download or read book Management of Switchgrass for the Production of Biofuel written by Leryn E. Gorlitsky and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season perennial being considered as a biofuel to meet energy challenges. In Massachusetts, a small state where the price of land is expensive, farmers want to determine if switchgrass can produce sufficient yields for consecutive years to warrant its production. The objective of this study was to determine what harvest management practices affect the vigor and health of switchgrass and which varieties produce the best yields for biofuel production. Four experiments were conducted from 2009-2012. Twelve varieties were tested to determine their viability in the Massachusetts climate. Five were chosen for further chemical analysis. All varieties were harvested in August (senescence), November (killing frost), and April (early spring). A high yielding variety, Cave-in-Rock, known to grow well in northern latitudes, was chosen for more extensive research. In one experiment, a young stand, three years old, received three nitrogen treatments, was cut at two heights, and was harvested at three different times during the year. A mature stand, seven years old, of the same variety located on conservation land, was harvested three times at two cutting heights. These experiments were done to provide projections on the expected yields over the plant's 10 to 20 year life cycle. In our final experiment Switchgrass was harvested every two weeks from September to November. A caliometer tracked how much energy was present in the dry matter throughout the growing season. Dry matter yield, chemical constituents, and carbohydrate reserves in the below ground tissues were measured as indicator variables to determine the health and quality of yield. Harvest time was the most significant variable observed.
Download or read book Switchgrass Cultivar Harvest Frequency Fertilizer Source and Irrigation Effects on Near surface Soil Properties in West Central Arkansas written by Alayna Amy Jacobs and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has been identified as a model bioenergy feedstock crop and is expected to become an important feedstock for future renewable fuel generation. Agronomic management combinations that maximize monoculture switchgrass yield are generally well understood; however, little is known about corresponding effects of differing switchgrass management combinations on near-surface soil properties. The objective of this research was to determine the residual near-surface soil property effects of three years (2008 to 2011) of consistent management combinations to maximize switchgrass biomass production, including cultivar ('Alamo' and 'Cave-in-Rock'), harvest frequency (1-cut and 2-cut systems per year), fertilizer source (poultry litter and commercial fertilizer), and irrigation management (irrigated and non-irrigated). Effects on soil properties were assessed on a Leadvale silt loam (fine-silty, siliceous, semiactive, thermic, Typic Fragiudult) at the USDA-NRCS Booneville Plant Materials Center in Logan County by evaluating soil bulk density, total water stable aggregates (TWSA), soil pH and EC, Mehlich-3 extractable soil nutrients, root density, and surface infiltration. Irrigating switchgrass, which did not increase past biomass production, increased (p > 0.01) soil bulk density in treatment combinations where poultry litter was applied (1.40 g cm−3) compared to non-irrigated treatment combinations (1.33 g cm−3). Total WSA concentration was greater (p 0.05) in 'Alamo' (0.91 g g−1) than 'Cave-in-Rock' (0.89 g g−1) treatment combinations when averaged over all other treatment factors. Root density was greater (p = 0.031) in irrigated (2.62 kg m−3) than in non-irrigated (1.65 kg m−3) treatments when averaged over all other treatment factors. Surface infiltration rate under unsaturated conditions was greater (p = 0.01) in the 1-cut (33 mm min−1) than 2-cut (23 mm min−1) harvest treatment combinations when averaged over all other treatment factors, while surface infiltration rate under saturated conditions did not differ among treatment combinations (p 0.05) and averaged 0.79 mm min−1. Results from this study indicate that management decisions to maximize switchgrass biomass production affect soil properties over relatively short periods of time and further research is needed to develop local best management practices to maximize yield while maintaining or improving soil quality.
Download or read book Switchgrass Yield and Quality with Multiple Fertilizer Applications and Harvest Dates written by Thomas Clarkson Keene and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Cultivar and Fertility Effects on Switchgrass Biofuel Production in Southern Iowa written by Roque Wilson Lemus Barrios and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study included both released cultivars as well as experimental germplasm of both upland and lowland ecotypes. Yield and quality parameters were obtained in 1998 and 1999. Biomass yield was determined from a single autumn harvest each year. Cell wall fiber, total plant nitrogen, ash, and the minerals Cl, P, and S were determined each year. The lowland cultivars 'Alamo' and 'Kanlow' had among the highest yields although some upland experimental entries equaled their yield. The persistence of the lowland cultivars may need to be considered because the winters during the experiment were mild. Other traits differed among the cultivars, although the range was not substantial. Some of the highest yielding cultivars also had low ash, high fiber, and low levels of important minerals, suggesting that excellent germplasm is available for biofuel production.
Download or read book Dual Use Switchgrass written by Jordan Richner and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 45 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two studies were conducted on established switchgrass plots at Columbia and Mount Vernon, Missouri. The Columbia site was located on Mexico silt loam, and the Mount Vernon site on Viraton silt loam. The first study examined the feasibility of harvesting switchgrass for biomass and summer forage within a season. Yields and forage quality were compared between four harvest management treatments: a single post-frost harvest for biomass, a forage harvest at boot stage followed by a post-frost biomass harvest, biomass harvest at post-anthesis with summer regrowth harvested as forage, and biomass harvest at pre-anthesis with summer regrowth harvested as forage. Summer regrowth was minimal at Mount Vernon due to a fragipan and shallower rooting depth at that site. Regrowth had greater lignin content and as a result, was less digestible. The second study attempted to determine the effect of switchgrass maturity on efficiency of conversion to glucose through enzymatic hydrolysis. These maturity stages included boot stage, pre-anthesis, post-anthesis, full seed, and post-frost. Lignin was not shown to negatively affect efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis. Rather, hemicellulose was shown to negatively impact conversion efficiency, possibly because acid pretreatment was incomplete and thus some hemicellulose remained in the digested material.
Download or read book Evaluating Different Switchgrass Cultivars and Compost Treatments for Biofuel Production of Switchgrass Panicum Virgatum L written by Jessica D. Baculis and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Evaluation of Swicthgrass Panicum Virgatum L as a Bioenergy Feedstock for the Northeastern and Mid Atlantic USA written by Laura Mary Cortese and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm season, C4 perennial grass native to most of North America with numerous applications, including use as a bioenergy feedstock. Although switchgrass has emerged as a bioenergy crop throughout the midwestern and southern US, little information is available on the performance of switchgrass in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic. In the first genetic diversity study of switchgrass populations to utilize both morphological and molecular markers, it was found that the combination of morphological and molecular markers differentiated populations best, and should be useful in future applications such as genetic diversity studies, plant variety protection, and cultivar identification. In a study that evaluated several bioenergy traits of 10 switchgrass cultivars in NJ, populations with improved agronomic characteristics were identified. Cultivar Timber exhibited the best combination of characteristics and has promise for biomass production in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic US. In a third study, the effects of cultivar, location, and harvest date on biomass yield, dry matter, ash, and combustion energy content in three switchgrass cultivars were investigated. Results indicated that a January harvest allowed for optimal feedstock quality and that cultivars Alamo, Carthage, and Timber produced high yielding, high quality biomass. In an effort to improve the establishment capacity of switchgrass, a fourth study was conducted examining the effects of divergent selection for seed weight on germination and emergence in three switchgrass populations over two cycles of selection, and cold stratification on germination in the derived populations. Selection for seed weight alone was not sufficient to improve germination and germination rate in populations tested, while cold stratification improved germination. Therefore, breeding efforts should be directed towards reducing dormancy in order to improve switchgrass germination and establishment. The final two studies examined genotype x environment effects, estimated broad-sense heritability, and stability analysis on lignocellulosic and agronomic traits in switchgrass clones grown on marginal and prime soils in NJ. Results support the existence of both specifically and broadly adapted switchgrass germplasm, and demonstrate the need for evaluation of germplasm across multiple years and environments (including prime and marginal sites) in order to develop cultivars with optimal lignocellulosic and agronomic characteristics.
