SWITCHGRASS

Switchgrass is a native of North America where it occurs naturally from 55º N latitude to deep into Mexico, mostly as a prairie grass. In North America it has long been used for soil conservation and as a fodder crop. Both in America and Europe it can be found as an ornamental plant. The grass is also found in South America and Africa where it is used as a forage crop. Switchgrass is a perennial C4 grass propagated by seed that can be established at low cost and risc and requires very low inputs while giving high biomass yields even on marginal soils. Since the early 1990s the crop has been developed as a model herbaceous energy crop for ethanol and electricity production in the USA and in Canada and it is also being considered as a paper pulp production feedstock... Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.) is a potential biomass crop for energy purposes in Europe. This website will provide you with practical as well as scientific information on switchgrass.