Abstract
Like many perennial C4 grasses, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is highly tolerant to abiotic stresses such as drought, temperature extremes, and salinity. For that reason, it is being recommended for biomass production on marginally productive crop land where it would have minimal land use competition with commercial food crops. This chapter discusses phylogeny, growth, yield and chemical composition of switchgrass. It also discusses weed management, fertilizer recommendations, disease and pest management, harvest management and genetic improvements of the crop. Most breeding efforts have focused on increasing biomass yield, the most significant factor limiting economic sustainability of switchgrass as a cellulosic energy crop. Molecular biology tools and methods have been rapidly incorporated into a framework for switchgrass improvement, especially with recent advances in both cost and efficiency of molecular methods.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Cellulosic Energy Cropping Systems |
Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell |
Pages | 75-89 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Volume | 9781119991946 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781118676332 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781119991946 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 7 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Biomass
- Cellulosic energy
- Genetic improvement
- Switchgrass
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemistry