What is Switchgrass?

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a plant that could be grown as a valuable bioresource especially for biofuel. It is native to North America. It relishes warm temperate climates as a perennial C₄ grass which means it is ideal for carbon fixation. It also has roots that penetrate deeply into soil and prevents their erosion. Switchgrass can be established in marginal lands at low cost by exploiting an extensive root system that would improve soil structure and maintain carbon content within the soil (Liebig et al., 2005).

The plant produces a high biomass yield between 8.7 to 12.9 dry ton/ha, thus making it a suitable feedstock for bioenergy generation (Parrish & Fike, 2007; Bruce, 2016; Wright et al., 2011).

Reference

Bruce, A. I. (2016). Switchgrass extractives have potential as a value-added antimicrobial against plant pathogens and foodborne pathogens (M.S. Thesis). University of Tennessee.

Liebig, M. A., Johnson, H. A., Hanson, J. D., & Frank, A. B. (2005). Soil carbon under
switchgrass stands and cultivated cropland. Biomass and Bioenergy, 28(4), pp. 347–
354. (Article) .