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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),

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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

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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.

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Switchgrass objective Assess yield potential and quality parameters of switchgrass grown in different environments using standard agricultural practices

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Stand frequency determination in South Dakota

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Switchgrass response to N at four locations in 2009 Switchgrass root biomass to 100 cm 1.73 Mg ha -1

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Average height of switchgrass at harvest at four locations

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Nebraska switchgrass yield (2006-09)

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Fertilizer application Bristol, SD 5 June 2009 (70 ft boom)

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Switchgrass harvest Ithaca, NY 22 October 2009 Bristol, SD 28 October 2009

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Switchgrass baling and sampling Bristol, SD 28 October 2009 Ithaca, NY 22 October 2009

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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

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Virginia Summer 2008 Bristol, SD 8 October 2009 Stand establishment

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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

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2010 Plans Alabama will be replanting trial All other sites will apply treatments and harvest biomass May add another trial in IL

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Switchgrass response to N at four locations in 2009 Switchgrass root biomass to 39 inches 0.77 Tons acre -1

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