Paper details

Title:

Switchgrass a Perennial Grass with Sustainable Biomass Yields that Can Be Cultivated in Most European Climatic Areas

Author(s):

Alexopoulou, E., Papatheohari, Y., Christou, M.

Document(s):

Abstract:

Switchgrass is a perennial grass that can be cultivated successfully in most of the climatic areas of Europe. In this work the yields of five switchgrass varieties (upland and lowland ones) were compared under three nitrogen fertilization rates (0, 75 and 150 kg N/ha) in a marginal area in central Greece (1998-2010). It was found that yields for all varieties maximized in the second and the third growing year, while from the fourth the yields were reduced and remain almost stable until the thirteen year of their cultivation. In all years the lowland varieties were the ones that gave higher dry matter yields compared to the upland varieties. Averaged over all years the dry matter yields of the lowland varieties were 13 % higher that the corresponding yields of the upland varieties. The mean dry yields (of thirteen years) by descending order were 13.2 t/ha (Alamo), 12.2 t/ha (Kanlow), 12.1 t/ha (Pangburn), 11.5 t/ha (Blackwell) and 10.7 t/ha (CIR). The dry matter yields were increased when the nitrogen rate was also increased. It should be noted that this trend became more profound from the seventh until the thirteen growing season (2004¬2010).

Keywords:

switchgrass, perennial grass, dry matter yields, lowland and upland varieties, marginal land

Topic:

Biomass Resources

Subtopic:

Energy crops and energy grasses

Event:

20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Session:

1CO.6.2

Pages:

183 - 185

ISBN:

978-88-89407-54-7

Paper DOI:

10.5071/20thEUBCE2012-1CO.6.2

Price:

FREE