Eastern Gamagrass as a Potential Biofuel Crop

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Eastern Gamagrass asa Potential Biofuel Crop

• Joel L. Douglas
• USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Jamie L. Whitten Plant Materials Center
• Coffeeville, MS

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Eastern GamagrassTripsacum dactyloides

• Native, warm season, perennial
• Broad ecological distribution
• 7-8 tons/acre (forage)

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Why Eastern Gamagrass?

• Cultivars available (Pete, Iuka, Jackson)
• 9062680 extends range of adaptation in the
  southeast
• Seed priming technique integrated in seed
  industry
• Established and managed with conventional farm
  equipment.

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Conventional Harvesting Equipment

Conventional Planter
Direct Combine
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Yield Potential
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Objectives

• Yield potential, frequency and timing of harvest
• Determine the effect of cutting frequency on
  Ash and N
• Compare yield and fuel quality estimates to other
  warm season biofuel species
• Establish a management protocol for 9062680

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Procedure

• 10 x 12 (RCB w/4 reps)
• 120 N - Split application for 2 cuts
• First harvest of a 2 cut system in mid June
  Second harvest of 2 cut system mid September
• 1 cut harvested mid September

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One Cut - September 14, 2000
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One Cut - August 8, 2001
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Yield Comparison of Bioenergy Crops at PMC
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Preliminary N and Ash
1 Cut
2 Cut
N
Ash
N
Ash
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Switchgrass (Alamo)
0.3
2.6
0.8
4
Eastern gamagrass (680)
0.8
4.2
1
4
Caucasian bluestem
0.6
4.6
1.2
6.5
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Conclusions

• 1 and 2 cut harvest system can be used to manage
  biomass production
• A single cutting at seed maturity produced yields
  equal to 2 cuttings
• 1 and 2 cut harvest frequency produced similar
  Ash and N

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Conclusions (cont)

• Production is less than Alamo switchgrass but
  higher than Tifton 44 bermudagrass
• Ash and N content are higher than Alamo but
  similar to Tifton 44

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Management Protocol

• A single cutting at seed maturity
• Peak biomass production (early August)
• 30-45 days before row crop harvest begins
• 8 weeks regrowth before frost

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Future Evaluations

• Utilize regrowth for frosted grazing
• Inter-seed legume for N source
• Row spacing

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