Switchgrass: Production and Utilization

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Switchgrass Production and Utilization

• Bill Curran
• Penn State University

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Outline For Today

• What is switchgrass?
• Some thoughts about management
• Local research

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Switchgrass(Panicum virgatum)

• Perennial warm season bunch grass native to tall
  grass prairies and elsewhere in North America
• Currently grown as ground cover, conservation
  plant, and forage crop
• Frequent species in CRP, CREP, and other
  conservation/wildlife habitat programs
• Most recently - attractive biomass crop for
  biofuel production due to rapid growth, winter
  hardiness, and other traits.

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Warm-Season Native Grasses

• Where do they fit?
• Marginal soils
• Summer forage
• Complement to
• cool-season forages
• Conservation uses
• Wildlife
• Renewable source of energy?

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Switchgrass for forage production

• Can be grazed or harvested and stored as hay
• Produces well during the hot and dry weather of
  July and August
• Management very different than for cool season
  grasses
• Higher in fiber and not suitable for some types
  of livestock - most success with beef cattle
  producers
• Problem for sheep and horses - hepatotoxin (liver
  damage)

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CREP Planting
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Switchgrass - Potential Bioenergy Crop
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Why switchgrass? DOE-McLaughlin

• Native prairie species
• High yield/Energy gain
• Low energy input
• Widely acceptable
• Soil/water conservation
• Wetland protection
• Reduced agrochemical use
• Increased carbon storage
• Excellent wildlife habitat
• Grow/harvest like hay
• Multiple use on/off farm
• Parrish, D.J., and J.H. Fike. 2005. The biology
  and
• agronomy of switchgrass for biofuels.
• Critical Reviews in Plant Science 24423-459..

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Establishment Challenges

• Achieving adequate stands
• Seed dormancy or poor quality
• Improper or nonuniform planting depth
• Lack of weed control
• Variable weather and soil conditions
• Possible solutions
• Appropriate planting dates, seeding rates, seed
  scarification, reduced seed dormancy, new
  herbicides, interplanting opportunities.

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Switchgrass Establishment

• Address the basics and plan ahead at least 9
  months out
• Consider basic agronomic practices
• Soil test, look at pH, nutrient levels
• Control problems (weeds, pests, compaction)
• Think about residue management and seed to soil
  contact
• Typically plant later in spring than cool-season
  grasses

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Establishment (cont.)

• Established from seed
• In PA, should be seeded between May 1 and June 10
  (no-till, mulch-till, conventional till).
• Seed shallow (0.25-0.50 in) at 10 to 15 lb
  PLS/acre
• Slow to establish two to three growing seasons
• Weed competition, seed dormancy, and poor
  seedling vigor are frequent limitations to rapid
  establishment
• Herbicide choices limited establishment year
• Does not tolerate close or frequent cutting or
  grazing
• Stubble height of 6 to 8 inches

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Soil and Site Adaptation

• Most productive on moderately well drained soils
  of medium fertility at a soil pH range from 5.5
  to 7.0.
• Adapted to a wide range of soil conditions
  including dry and shorter-term wet sites
• Lowland and upland varieties are available, but
  upland varieties tend to be better adapted for
  northern regions
• Common varieties include Cave-in-Rock, Shawnee,
  Trail Blazer, Shelter, etc. Research is
  currently looking at traits better suited for
  cellulosic fuel production.

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Fertility

• Switchgrass does not fix nitrogen and will
  require N for biomass production (0-150 lb/acre)
  depending on use
• Switchgrass requires less P and K than corn
• Fertilization needs for long-term annual biomass
  removal have not yet been determined, but annual
  maintenance practices will be necessary.

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Mid-Atlantic Forage RecommendationsParrish et
al., 2002

• Maintain soil pH above 5.0
• Apply 50 lb/acre P when soil test P is low
• Apply 100 lb/acre K, when soil test K is low to
  medium
• Apply 50 lb/acre N in spring for a one-cut system
  and another 50 lb/acre for a two cut system
• Midwest 10 to 12 lb/acre for each 1000 lb
  yield (Vogel et al., 2002)

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Pest Management

• Weeds at establishment are the biggest pest
  problem.
• Insect pests are not generally a major concern
• Leaf and stem fungal diseases are occasionally a
  problem in some years.
• Tilletia maclagani, a head smut has been
  identified in some stands in recent years. This
  has reduced seed and biomass yield.

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First year seeding - Is there switchgrass in
there?
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Seedling switchgrass Slow to
establish (photos courtesy of Ernst Conservation
Seeds)
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Weed Control

• Herbicides
• Same as are labeled in grass pasture and hay
• Some additional products available for CREP and
  conservation mixes (Plateau, Outrider, etc.)
• Biggest problem to control is grasses
• foxtail, panicum, etc.
• Johnsongrass
• Cool-season species quackgrass, fescue, etc.
• Mowing
• Once or twice after establishment leave 4 to 6
  inches of stubble

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Weed Control is Critical for Successful Stand
Establishment
No weed control
Post herbicide program
End of first season - establishment year
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Effect of planting date on switchgrass and weed
yield one year after seeding (Panciera and Jung,
1983)
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Established

• Management inputs will vary depending on use
• Occasional weed control will still be necessary
• Harvest management will determine fertility needs
• Burning
• Fire in late spring has increased production in
  some areas
• PA regulations will determine suitability
• Not an issue if biomass is harvested?

(photo courtesy of K. Vogel)
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Native Grasses can be Exciting!
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Yield

• Switchgrass yield is limited during the first two
  to three years following seeding
• Established switchgrass yields vary, but range
  from 1 to 6 tons/acre (3-4 ton avg. in central
  PA)
• Optimum harvest management trials are currently
  taking place.

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Switchgrass Yield Rock Springs (Adler et al.,
2006. Agron. J.)
Fall Harvest Spring Harvest
Field Scale Tons/acre dry matter Tons/acre dry matter
2001 3.0 3.0
2002 3.1 2.1
2003 3.1 1.8
Plot Scale
Cave-In-Rock 3.8 3.0
Shawnee 3.8 3.0
Trailblazer 3.0 2.3
Yields could be higher in different years and at
different locations
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Estimated Cost

• Seeding year - 125-225/acre
• Established - 100-150/acre

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Estimated Switchgrass Costs (/acre) Curran
and Roth, 2007
Variable costs Seeding year Established
---------------------------/acre---------------------- ---------------------------/acre---------------------- ---------------------------/acre----------------------
seed (12 lb PLS/acre) seed (12 lb PLS/acre) 120 0
lime 0 15
fertilizer 0 40
herbicide 30 20
insecticide 0 0
soil test 1 1
labor 10 5
fuel 6 3
repairs and maintenance repairs and maintenance 5 3
custom mowing 10 13
custom raking 0 8
custom baling (large rounds) custom baling (large rounds) 0 7
Total variable costs Total variable costs 182 115

Fixed costs
tractors 3 3
equipment 7 7
land 0 0
Total fixed costs 10 10
Total Costs 192 125
Costs do not include interest on capital or land costs (taxes, rent, interest, etc.) and income is not considered
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Switchgrass Establishment Costs from C. Ernst

• Three examples (include labor)
• 1. Abandoned farmland (contained small brush,
  goldenrod, quackgrass, and yellow nutsedge)
•   92.67/acre chemicals and spraying costs
•   27.76/acre tillage costs
•   95.85/acre seed and drilling costs
  (approximately 6 PLS lb/acre)
• 216.28/acre Total
•  
• 2. Annually hayed farmland
•   42.52/acre chemicals and spraying costs
•   13.36/acre tillage costs
•   63.11/acre seed and drilling costs
• 118.99/acre Total
• 3. Annual row crop production
•   25.47/acre chemicals and spraying costs
•   74.66/acre seed and planting costs
• 100.13/acre Total
• Above cost estimates exclude land or management
  costs and any income.

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• Switchgrass production and management
• Economic production-costs information. Avg. of 10
  farms in the central great plains.

Year 1 Year 2-5 Year 2-5
/ac/yr /ac/yr /ton
Machinery and labor 33.00 47.00 13.00
Materials 42.00 24.00 9.00
Pro-rated establishment costs 43.00 13.00
Land rent 60.00 60.00 22.00
Total costs 135.00 174.00 57.00
Avg. yield was 4.2 tons/ac/year Source Perin
and Vogel. 2006. Univ. Nebraska and USDA-ARS.
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Penn State Research

• Switchgrass yield, nutritive value, soil carbon
  changes under grazing/clipping USDA, Sanderson
• NE marginal croplands survey - USDA,
  Adler/Sanderson
• Grassland mgt practices harvest time and
  frequency USDA, Adler/Sanderson
• Life cycle assessment greenhouse gas emissions-
  USDA, Adler/Sanderson
• Suitability for nutrient stability in coal mine
  reclamation PSU, Stehouwer
• Weed management at establishment PSU/USDA,
  Curran/Adler
• Switchgrass use in mushroom compost PSU
  Mushroom Test Demonstration Facility

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Useful Websites

• www.attra.org/attra-pub/switchgrass.html
• www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1710.pdf
• www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/AG200.pdf
• www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1999/v4-282
  .html

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Questions?