Volume 83, December 2015, Pages 284–289
Highlights
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- Yield was highest for switchgrass.
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- Crude protein decreased from the early boot to the early seedhead harvest.
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- Single-harvest production is more profitable than dual-purpose biomass production.
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- Single-harvest of switchgrass was the more economically viable bioenergy crop.
Abstract
The objective was to determine the breakeven price for switchgrass (SG) (Panicum virgatum L.), a mix of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) and Indiangrass (BBIG) (Sorghastrum nutans
L. Nash), and a combination of SG and BBIG (SG/BBIG) produced under
three harvest treatments. Two-harvest treatments included a forage
harvest at early boot (EB) and at early seedhead (ESH) plus a biomass
harvest at fall dormancy (FD). The third harvest treatment was a single
biomass harvest at FD. Mixed models were used to determine if there were
differences in yield, crude protein, and nutrient removal for each of
the native warm-season grass (NWSG) treatments at each harvest. The EB
plus FD harvest system would be preferred over the ESH plus FD harvest
system for all NWSG treatments. BBIG was the only NWSG treatment with a
breakeven price for biomass that decreased with an EB harvest. For all
three NWSG treatments, a producer would be better off harvesting once a
year for biomass than twice for forage and biomass. The cost of
harvesting and replacing the nutrients for the forage harvest was
greater than the revenue received from selling the forage.
Keywords
- Andropogon gerardii V.;
- Economics;
- Mixed models;
- Panicum virgatum L.;
- Sorghastrum nutans L. Nash;
- Tennessee
Abbreviations
- BBIG, big bluestem and Indiangrass;
- CP, crude protein;
- EB, early boot;
- ESH, early seedhead;
- FD, fall dormancy;
- NWSG, native warm-season grass;
- SG, switchgrass;
- SG/BBIG, switchgrass/big bluestem and Indiangrass
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