Burton C. English1, Don Tyler2, Clark Garland1, Ken Goddard1, Roland Roberts1, Larry Steckel1, and Dan Mooney1. (1) Agricultural Economics, University of Tennessee, 2621 Morgan Circle, Knoxville, TN 37996-4518, (2) Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, 605 Airways Blvd, Jackson, TN 38301
The primary dedicated energy crop that the University of Tennessee is working on is switchgrass. The goals in this project include a demonstration of switchgrass production within the state of Tennessee under a variety of conditions and topography through on-farm demonstrations, establishment of an information and education bio-feedstock program available to producers as they determine whether to adopt a new cropping regime, and an evaluation of agronomic, logistic, energy conversion, and farming system issues associated with commercialization of a biomass energy industry.The project, initiated in 2003, has 32.5 acres of switchgrass at Milan, TN., and 92 acres of switchgrass planted and managed by 5 producers. The land at Milan contains several experiments. Switchgrass is planted on different soils and landscape positions. Within the fields, randomized replicated experiments are established on each situation to look at varying management for the widely different environments. The management variables include fertility levels and seeding rates along with different varieties of switchgrass. Once the Milan fields were successfully established, individuals in both Extension and research combined to develop a pilot program. Land was bid into the program by farmers and 92 acres were planted to switchgrass in 2004 following guidelines developed by UT researchers and based on the literature and experience in establishing switchgrass the prior year. This paper reports the findings from this project after four years of harvest data, the development of Extension experience, and the likely impact that this project will have on the establishment of a 1/10 scale bio-refinery.
