Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Switchgrass was evaluated over multiple years for biomass and tiller production when grown on lowland and upland soils. Switchgrass cultivars were charactarized as lowland or upland tpes based on performance at various sites. Switchgrass was established on reclaimed mine land and evaluated under different management schemes. Management, weather, and site information were used to interpret data. Forages were used in winter grazing systems to evaluate plant survival under severe conditions of snow, temperature fluctations, and trampling. Information was disseminated to producers through field days and popular articles. Informaiton was disseminated to the scientific community and fellow researchers through scientific articles, reports and presentations at professional meetings. PARTICIPANTS: John Balasko headed this project for multiple years. Others who have contributed are Jeff Skousen, William Bryan, and Thomas Griggs. Farm workers and graduate students have been valuable additions and made significant contributions. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The evaluation and characterization of switchgrass cultivars will enable users to select superior cultivars to help meet their needs. Information on management will serve as a template for best management practices in production and conservation of soil resources. Data on biomass can be interpreted to determine if biomass has potential in providing a new energy source. Survival data have application in both management and allocation of resources.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Forages species have been used in a winter grazing study to measure plant servival under adverse conditions. Animal performance and ground cover have been a part of the evaluation. Switch grass varieties have been seeded on reclaimed mine land and evaluated under different management regimes as potential sources of biomass for fuel production. PARTICIPANTS: Tom Griggs made decisions on how to proceed when major snow fall covered the area for an extended time period during the winter grazing. Consultation came from other investigators (Bryan, Felton and Krouse). Switchgrass plots were managed and data collected by Travis Keene with assistance from other graduate students and workers in the counties where plots were established. TARGET AUDIENCES: Livestock producers in Appalachian area. Land owners with some reclaimed areas on their owned or leased land. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Animals were removed from trial due to snow cover. A substitute ration was fed to retain weight goal.
Impacts
In 2010 winter snow cover was unusually high and animals had to be removed from plots and fed supplemental feed. As snow melted in late winter the ground became saturated with moisture and trampling of stand resulted in loss of significant vegetative cover. Atypical year made impacts questionable.Overseeding had to be done to reestablish stand. Switchgrass stands established well. Yields varied significantly based on management. Some potential appears to exist to produce economical yields of switchgrass on reclaimed land. More time is need to determine long term survival and feasibility.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The PI retired without filing a report. The project may be completed by a new faculty member. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The PI retired without filing a report. The project may be completed by a new faculty member.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The PI retired without filing a report. The project will be completed by a new faculty member. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The PI retired without filing a report. The project will be completed by a new faculty member.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
A categorization of switchgrass cultivars complete with morphology, relative maturity, and area of adaptation has been prepared. Data from a 10-year multistate study designed to determine the effects of nitrogen fertilizer rates and cutting schedules were summarized, published, and distributed to interested stakeholders.
Impacts
Knowledge of optimum fertilization, harvesting and cultivar selection strategies allows maximum production of biomass for use as animal feed or biofuel.
Publications
- Fike, J.H., D.J. Parrish, D.D. Wolf, J.A. Balasko, J.T. Green, Jr., M. Rasnake, and J.H. Reynolds. 2006. Long-term yield potential of switchgrass-for biofuel systems. Biomass and Bioenergy 30:198-206. Fike, J.H., D.J. Parrish, D.D. Wolf, J.A. Balasko, J.T. Green, Jr., M. Rasnake, and J.H. Reynolds. 2006. Switchgrass production for the upper southeastern USA: Influence of cultivar and cutting frequency on biomass yields. Biomass and Bioenergy 30:207-213
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
Switchgrass cultivars have been categorized as either lowland or upland ecotypes based upon their morphology, relative maturity, and area of adaptation. Data from a 10-year multi-state-study designed to examine the effects of nitrogen fertilizer rates and cutting schedules on two lowland cultivars (Alamo and Kanlow) and two upland cultivars (Cave-in-Rock and Shelter) were summarized and published as two journal articles. Across eight sites the lowland cultivars yielded more than the upland cultivars (15.8 vs. 12.6 Mg per hectare). In plots near Morgantown, West Virginia, highest biomass yields were obtained when lowland cultivars were cut once per year after the first killing frost. Upland cultivars yielded 10 percent more when cut twice rather than once per year. Stand counts were greatest when a low N rate was used (50 kg per hectare in spring for the one-cut management or 50 kg per hectare in spring and 50 kg per hectare after the first cut for the two-cut
management). Stands thinned when they were cut once per year and fertilized with 100 kilograms of N per hectare. When lowland cultivars vs. upland cultivars were cut twice per year, a smaller percentage of the total seasonal yield was harvested in the first cutting, and the total seasonal yield of lowland cultivars was reduced, primarily because lowland cultivars mature later than upland cultivars. Lowland plots cut once per year averaged 20 percent more biomass than plots cut twice per year. Excellent stand persistence and high biomass yields (16 Mg per hectare) were obtained when lowland cultivars received 50 kg of N per hectare in spring and were cut once per year in late October or early November after frost.
Impacts
Results from this multi-state cooperative research project designed to evaluate how switchgrass ecotypes and cultivars respond to management factors affecting their biomass production have provided useful information for developing management schemes that produce optimum biomass yields at different locations in the upper southeastern states of the US.
Publications
- Fike, J.H., D.J. Parrish, D.D. Wolf, J.A. Balasko, J.T. Green, Jr., M. Rasnake, and J.H. Reynolds. 2006. Switchgrass production for the upper southeastern USA: Influence of cultivar and cutting frequency on biomass yields. Biomass and Bioenergy 30:207-213.
- Fike, J.H., D.J. Parrish, D.D. Wolf, J.A. Balasko, J.T. Green, Jr., M. Rasnake, and J.H. Reynolds. 2006. Long-term yield potential of switchgrass-for biofuel systems. Biomass and Bioenergy 30:198-206.
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
West Virginia data from a long-term switchgrass biomass study that included an evaluation of lowland and upland cultivars under different cutting managements and nitrogen fertility schedules were combined with those from Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee and incorporated into two journal articles. The articles were accepted for publication (15 October 2005) in the refereed journal Biomass and Bioenergy. They are available online and will appear in hardcopy in 2006.
Impacts
Results from this multi-state cooperative study to evaluate how switchgrass cultivars and management factors interact to affect the production of biomass should provide a source of useful information for selecting cultivars and developing management schemes for different locals in the transition zone of the U.S should the production of switchgrass for biofuel become an economical option.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Data from West Virginia field studies designed to evaluate biomass production of lowland and upland cultivars of switchgrass under different cutting and nitrogen managements were combined with those from seven other locations in four states in the upper Southeast transition zone, summarized, and submitted to Agronomy Journal in two publications. Included in the studies were the lowland cultivars Cave-in-Rock (CIR) and Shelter and the upland cultivars Alamo and Kanlow. Highest biomass yields in West Virginia were obtained when upland cultivars were fertilized with 100 kg/ha of N in April and harvested once in November. Biomass yields of the two upland cultivars, Alamo and Kanlow, cut once per season were not significantly different and averaged 17.5 and 18.0 Mg/ha, respectively, over a 3-year period. Biomass yields of the two lowland cultivars, CIR and Shelter, were significantly lower and averaged 10.8 and 10.3 Mg/ha, respectively. In West Virginia, biomass yields of
the early maturing upland cultivars increased (15.3 and 13.6 vs. 10.8 and 10.3 Mg/ha) when cut twice per growing season, in mid-June and early November, and those of the later maturing lowland cultivars decreased (16.3 and 16.4 vs. 17.5 and 18.0 Mg/ha). For all plots cut twice per growing season N fertilizer was applied at the rate of 50 kg/ha in April and 50 kg/ha after the first cutting in June. Fuel quality of the biomass produced under different cutting managements was not investigated. In the first 5 years of this 10-year study, the combination of 100 kg/ha of N in April and one cut per season reduced the stand density of all cultivars; therefore, N fertilization rate was reduced after a transition period to 50 kg/ha for the one-cut per season management. Biomass yield data were collected for another 3-year period. During this period of study, the mean yields of the lowland cultivars were again higher than those of the upland cultivars; however, yields of Kanlow were higher than
those of Alamo and the yields of CIR were higher than those of Shelter. In West Virginia mean biomass yields and mean stand ratings (0 to 10 scale) of all of the cultivars were higher than those for the first 3-year period of the study. Switchgrass cultivars managed for biomass production in West Virginia maintained their perenniality during the 10-year study.
Impacts
Results from this multi-state cooperative study to evaluate how switchgrass cultivars and management factors interact to affect the production of biomass should provide a source of useful information for selecting cultivars and developing management schemes for different locals in the transition zone of the U.S should the production of switchgrass for biofuel become an economical option.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Cultivars of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) were evaluated for biomass production in a cooperative project involving eight locations in five states. In West Virginia, upland (Cave-in-Rock and Shelter) and lowland (Alamo and Kanlow) cultivars were evaluated for 4 years under one- or two-cut managements. Data from West Virginia were combined with those from other sites and analyzed. A publication was prepared and submitted to Agronomy Journal. Across all sites, years, and cutting managements, upland ecotypes yielded 12.6 Mg per ha vs. 15.8 Mg per ha for lowland ecotypes. Lowland ecotypes were less sensitive to cutting management, but upland ecotypes yielded about 36% more biomass with two harvests than with one (14.5 vs. 10.7 Mg per ha, respectively). Tiller densities were higher for Alamo (lowland ecotype) than for Cave-in-Rock (upland ecotype) and higher for two-cut than one-cut management. In the upper Southeast, increased cutting frequency would be of no
advantage with lowland ecotypes. An additional harvest may be of benefit for biomass systems based on upland cultivars but will be dependent upon production costs and feedstock quality. Progeny from a diallel cross of eight elite tall fescue clones continue to be maintained and evaluated for disease, yield, and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentration. Data were summarized according to the progeny originating from each clone. The primary purpose of these studies is to study interactions among dry-matter yield, seed yield, and nonstructural carbohydrate in tall fescue forage.
Impacts
Evaluation and development of forage cultivars for forage and industrial uses will increase agricultural production efficiency.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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