11-11-2021

Biomass:

Switchgrass requests very low input.

Fertilization cost a lot of resources and it’s very impactful on the planet. The harvesting operation is
the principal cause of some major problems.

What’re the main uses of these crops?

- Forage for animals for the high quality of the fibres.

- Livestock beddings are the material that is on the floor and they’re stable
- Growing mushrooms
- Pulp and paper
- Other chemicals from cellulosic biomasses
- Organic insulation you can use this sound isolation(?)

Bioenergy crops:

 Different types of energy

The quality of biomass can be improved. The definition of space between the plants can change the
concentration of Ca and K, especially in leaves.

It’s considered low-cost biomass the switchgrass compared to oil sugar and starch-rich crops. But
yield and quality traits are quite different among switchgrass cultivars.

More biomass means less mineral component. So the lowland ecotype of switchgrass is better than
the north one.

Recently has been inaugurated something in Romania about the production of biofuel starting from
switchgrass. The farmer is not attracted to produce it if there’s no market.

Miscanthus

Within this genre, there’re more than 15 species. Most of them are original from Indonesia.

They use the rhizomes to reproduce themselves. A good quality rhizome increase with mother plant
age, but only up to a certain point.

High radiation use efficiency: this means they have a good conversion of light into biomass.

The Leaf Are Index: area of the leave-in relation to where the plant is growing. Miscanthus thanks to
its adaptability can have a high LAI. Spring to the end of Summer is the harvesting period. This plant
can maintain a high Photosynthetic Rate, either at the end and the beginning.

Stay green: the capacity to keep green photosynthesizing leave up to 10°C.

High water use efficiency (WUE):

 - 150 L kg-1 dry matter; maize typically require 300 L. This is an advantage with lower waste
of water the Miscanthus produce the same biomass.

Establishment: starting from the cutting of the rhizome or plantlets planted in weel structured and
recently cultivated soils after the risk of frost.

Planting:

The past cultivation & rolling (rhizomes cut and spread on the soil by rotation)

Today: we optimize the distribution of the plants on the soil, cause we want to obtain the greatest
quantity of biomass. High-density areas are easy to harvest. \(°_°)/

Weed control: they compete for light and nutrients with the plants, but with an efficient distribution
we could avoid the massive growth of these dangerous weeds. When they grove they suppress the
grove of our plants.

Agronomic management is the dry fertilization of the soil.

You want the lowest moisture content in the grass.