Switch Grass: Sustainable Alternative Source Of Energy And Fuel 

Switch grass has been accepted as having a high energy efficiency for ethanol production in numerous studies.

Switch grass (Panicum virgatum), which adapts well to gardens, is native to North America. It can be found in pastures, along roadsides in many areas, and even in brackish marshes. In the garden, this species of grass provides nearly year-round interest and remains upright throughout the winter. It is planted to conserve soil and prevent erosion. It is used as hay or forage, but not for all other livestock.

Research has shown that switch grass can also be used for the production of biofuel. Switch grass grows best in full sun and moist soil, but it adapts to a wide range of soils and weather conditions.

Switch grass has almost no insect pest attack, no disease problem, and rarely needs fertilisers. Some common cultivars of switchgrass are Blue Tower, Cloud Nine, Dallas Blues, North Wind, Prairie Fire, Prairie Sky, Prairie, and Shenandoah. David Bransby stated that “switch is cheap to grow and provides a high yield that can make a lot of Ethanol for a low cost”.

Ethanol is most often used as a motor fuel, mainly as a biofuel for gasoline. Switch grass shows potential as a sustainable harbaecous crop, which is a renewable source of energy and fuel.

The last several decades have witnessed a rapid increase in the use of fossil fuels as urbanisation and industrialization have increased their use, and as the major energy resource, fossil fuels have contributed. But as fossil fuels are being depleted, there is an urgent need to introduce other feasible ways by which the modern requirements of mankind can be fulfilled. Switchgrass is an attractive substitute for energy and fuel, as well as being more friendly to nature.

Switch grass has been accepted as having a high energy efficiency for ethanol production in numerous studies. A Research programme primarily  focused on developing switch grass as a source of biomass energy feedstock was introduced by the U.S. Department of Energy in 1922.

A technique for regenerating switchgrass plants by using tissue culture has been proven so successful that new populations of regeneration plants have been established in the field.

Performance trials held at three regional cultivar testing centres in Virginia, Alabama, and Texas have shown that ‘Alamo’ switchgrass has a higher biomass yield and broader adaptability than other cultivars that were tested. According to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Switch grass yields more than 540 percent more energy than the energy needed to produce and convert it into ethanol, which Makes the grass weed (switch grass) superior to corn ethanol.

By collecting data from 10 farm sites in Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota in which farmers grew switch grass in fields ranging from 7 to 23 acres over five years.

Marty Schemer, a researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and colleagues found out that on average, switchgrass-produced biomass equals 320 gallons of ethanol per acre, which is 60 percent more than the average yield equivalent area for corn.

The results also showed that average greenhouse gas emissions from the cellulosic ethanol derived from switch grass were 94 percent lower than those from gasoline, which is more feasible for environmental conditions.

This clearly shows that switch grass is not only energy efficient, but it can also be used in renewable biofuels to limit our reliance on fossil fuels and enhance rural economies. With a growing demand for clean energy, China is promoting research on bioethanol, with a particular emphasis on developing non-food feedstocks by using switch grass.

According to the results, the high yield and environmental benefits of switchgrass make it an attractive feedstock for biofuel production in the United States.

The profitable production of switchgrass for biofuel only depends on the price of oil, as well as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). With the increasing cost of energy over the last year, many homeowners are interested in finding alternative energy sources for home and other purposes.

Agricultural fibre is a potential source of energy that can be pelletized through conventional breeding by using switch grass. As a pasture forage, switchgrass is palatable in the vegetative stage but is often grassed out of mixtures as it is not tolerant of close and continuous grazing. Switchgrass can produce reasonable hay yields under a one-cut-per-year system. 

The tables show the productivity in years:

Switch grass yields at clay and sandy sites over four years

With sustainable, renewable methods of producing energy and retaining carbon in the soil, farmers across the country can help mitigate climate change and protect their land from degeneration. Thus, we can use Switch grass as sustainable Source of energy and fuel, as it is more friendly to the environment.