Regional Feedstock Partnership: 2009 Switchgrass Report Vance
Owens South Dakota State University San Antonio, TX 23-24 February
2010 Field trial PIs: D. Bransby (AL), E. Heaton (IA), R. Farris
(OK), R. Mitchell (NE), D. Viands (NY), J. Fike (VA),
Slide 2
Overall Objective Establish and perform replicated field trials
of diverse herbaceous biomass feedstocks at different locations for
assessing potential expansion of these feedstocks as a bioenergy
resource
Slide 3
Herbaceous crops information SpeciesRelative plot sizeSpecies
leadInstitution SwitchgrassLargeVance OwensSDSU MiscanthusSmallTom
VoigtUniv. of Ill. SorghumSmallBill RooneyTexas A&M
EnergycaneSmallBrian BaldwinMiss. State Univ. CRP
mixturesLargeDoKyoung LeeUniv. of Ill.
Slide 4
Switchgrass objective Assess yield potential and quality
parameters of switchgrass grown in different environments using
standard agricultural practices
Slide 5
Switchgrass field trial locations and PIs Alabama David Bransby
New York Don Viands Oklahoma Rodney Farris South Dakota Vance Owens
(sustainability site Tom Schumacher, Shannon Osborne, Dave Clay,
Chang Oh Hong) Virginia John Fike Iowa Emily Heaton (added in 2009)
Nebraska Rob Mitchell (added in 2009) Group met in Brookings, SD in
September 2009
Slide 6
Switchgrass Trial Information LocationCultivarPlanting DateArea
(ha) AlabamaAlamo15 May 20087.3 OklahomaBlackwell2 Sep 20087.3 New
YorkCave-In-Rock29 May 20084.9 South DakotaSunburst17 May 20089.7
VirginiaAlamo1 July 20086.0 IowaCave-In-Rock8 May 20097.3
NebraskaShawnee5 May 200622.7
Slide 7
Experimental Design Field scale (0.4 to 0.8 ha experimental
units) Four replicates across landscape Nitrogen (0, 56, 112 kg ha
-1 ) applied in 2009 to all sites established in 2008 Locally
adapted cultivar at each location Planting at Ames, IA 8 May
2009
Slide 8
Data collection Initial soil characteristics utilizing minimum
soil data set Total organic carbon; soil pH; Total N; Bulk density;
Soil- test P and K Yield using standard equipment Subsamples from
plots for chemical characterization (samples are being stored at
INL at this point) Other
Slide 9
2009 N application and switchgrass harvest dates Location N
application date Harvest dateArea (ha) AlabamaNA TBD Oklahoma16
June13 Nov.7.3 New York20 May22 Oct.4.9 South Dakota5 June28
Oct.9.7 Virginia13 May10 Jan. 20106.0 IowaEarly MayNA7.3
Slide 10
Switchgrass establishment based on frequency method of Vogel
and Masters (2001) Spring of year after establishment in NY, OK,
SD, VA and year of establishment in IA
Slide 11
Stand frequency determination in South Dakota
Slide 12
Switchgrass response to N at four locations in 2009 Switchgrass
root biomass to 100 cm 1.73 Mg ha -1
Slide 13
Average height of switchgrass at harvest at four locations
Slide 14
Nebraska switchgrass yield (2006-09)
Slide 15
Fertilizer application Bristol, SD 5 June 2009 (70 ft
boom)
Slide 16
Switchgrass harvest Ithaca, NY 22 October 2009 Bristol, SD 28
October 2009
Slide 17
Switchgrass baling and sampling Bristol, SD 28 October 2009
Ithaca, NY 22 October 2009
Slide 18
Challenges thus far Establishment Alabama to replant, Oklahoma
planted twice Weeds South Dakota and Virginia thin stands (stand
frequency less than 30% year after planting Weather/field
conditions Economics
Slide 19
Virginia Summer 2008 Bristol, SD 8 October 2009 Stand
establishment
Slide 20
Weather/field conditions Bristol, SD 28 October 2009 My version
of the cinnamon role Bristol, SD One of wettest Octobers on record
One of warmest Novembers on record N
Slide 21
2010 Plans Alabama will be replanting trial All other sites
will apply treatments and harvest biomass May add another trial in
IL
Slide 22
Slide 23
Switchgrass response to N at four locations in 2009 Switchgrass
root biomass to 39 inches 0.77 Tons acre -1