Switch Grass

[THD]

What do you guys know about switch grass? I'm in KY and wondering about what the average yield is per acre, What is the best way to market it (square or round bales) and where to market it?
And last, if you want to get rid of it can you or is it like Johnson grass or bermuda, you just die and leave it.

 

[kyhayman]

To my knowledge, the present market for switchgrass is nearly zero. It has shown promise as a feedstock for cellulose ethanol but that is several years from being a reality. In the last month some of the first money was released to start construction of pilot plants to see if cellulose ethanol is even a practical reality.

It shares many traits with most other warm season grasses including persistence.

 

[Tim Daulton]

I had heard quiet a bit about it being alot better for ethanol production than corn but it also looks like a low yield grass. Anyway, do you have an idea if any of the pilot plants are going to be in KY?

 

[kyhayman]

Yes, Altec just announced they are building one in Springfield.

The theory is it will be a good feed stock. All the research shows it will be, and the 'table top' plants in the University research depts show it to be viable technology. Its just not ready for large scale application yet.

I'm waiting to see. There have been a lot of 'great theoretical ideas' that never turned out. Oil shale, cellulose ethanol from sawdust, etc. Even ostriches and earthworms. If it does turn out to be viable technology, culture wise its a lot like growing big bluestem or eastern gamma grass. Hard to establish but with adequate water and nitrogen it can be a prolific yeilder.

 

[HAYBOY1]

I have also heard positive things about "miscanthis" if you are looking for ethanol production. 4x more than the amount in corn. Switchgrass, from what I hear is starting to be used for the production of grass pellets for heating, similar to a wood pellet. I just had a guy approach me a couple months ago about growing switchgrass for commercial pellets. The beauty of it is that it is dried naturally lowering production costs considerably.

 

[Dieselrider]

Check into what tires are required for getting on the fields after it is cut. The stalks are like nails pointing right at your tires and will eat regular tires in minutes. You will need steel belted or something like tracks.

 

[Keith in NW MO]

If you are looking for hay plant Bluestem. We square and sell/feed lots of Big and Little Blue. Great hay when put up correctly.

 

[Staner II]

I'm actually considering a small switchgrass field for mid-summer pasture. I have some WSG filter strips and after the 2nd year they really take off...is anybody grazing switchgrass now? If so, I'd certainly be interested in hearing about your experience.

 

[HAYBOY1]

Google Switchgrass....."Test plots of switchgrass at Auburn University have produced up to 15 tons of dry biomass per acre, and five- year yields average 11.5 tons—enough to make 1,150 gallons of ethanol per acre each year"

 

[hayray]

Palatability drops real fast on that stuff if you are planning on trying to get people to buy it for livestock feed, it ends up looking like straw when it is baled. Think you would be better off planting something else.