Just what is switchgrass and why is it good for ethanol production?

Question

Any scientist farmers out there know much about switchgrass? How does it grow and why is it so good for making ethanol?

Answer 1

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a warm-season grass and is one of the dominant species of the central North American tallgrass prairie. Switchgrass can be found in remnant prairies, along roadsides, pastures and as an ornamental plant in gardens. Other common names for this grass include tall panic grass, Wobsqua grass, lowland switchgrass, blackbent, tall prairiegrass, wild redtop and thatchgrass.
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Switchgrass is often considered a good candidate for biofuel, especially ethanol fuel, production due to its hardiness against poor soil and climate conditions, rapid growth and low fertilization and herbicide requirements. Switchgrass is also perennial, unlike corn and sugarcane, and has a huge biomass output, the raw plant material used to make biofuel, of 6-10 tons per acre.[2][3] President George W. Bush mentioned this usage in his 2006 State of the Union address.

Switchgrass has the potential to produce the biomass required for production of up to 100 gallons (380 liters) of ethanol per metric ton.[4] This gives switchgrass the potential to produce 1000 gallons of ethanol per acre, compared to 665 gallons for sugarcane and 400 gallons for corn.[5]

The viability of switchgrass as a biofuel is contentious, University of California, Berkeley professor Tad Patzek claims that switchgrass has a negative ethanol fuel energy balance, requiring 45 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced.[6] David Bransby, professor of energy crops at Auburn University, has found that for every unit of energy input, switchgrass yields four units out.[7] In a 2007 lecture Professor Richard Muller, also of the University of California, Berkley, noted that it is the conversion of switchgrass biomass into ethanol which introduces significant inefficiencies. He also noted that The Helios Project at Laurence Berkeley Laboratory is actively trying to engineer metabolic pathways in bacteria to more efficiently convert cellulose to ethanol.

Answer 2

Short answer. It's a weed which grows well in poor soil and with little water. You can grow it on land where you can't grow food crops. It produces ethanol the same as corn, but potentially (need to work on the process) it will be easier to do that.

Answer 3

What Is Switchgrass