SE Iowa:
I know a fella nearby who averaged 5 tons/acre on 70 acres. I saw the plot and the crop was 6 feet high in August.
I have not yet planted it, so I cannot testify to what yields are possible, but there have been many studies done in the USA, so it should be no problem getting data for your area. The southern states seem to have the highest yields.
On the question of whether wood has chlorine, yes it does. The grasses have more, but they can be managed to the same levels.
I am not an authority here (or anywhere else) on switchgrass, due to not having grown it. The information I have passed on here has been gleaned from research on the Internet and a few meetings with experienced growers. REAP Canada has been one of the more prolific contributors to the Intenet knowledgebase on switchgrass. The Dept. Of Energy in the USA has also been prolific on biofuels in general.
I know a fella nearby who averaged 5 tons/acre on 70 acres. I saw the plot and the crop was 6 feet high in August.
I have not yet planted it, so I cannot testify to what yields are possible, but there have been many studies done in the USA, so it should be no problem getting data for your area. The southern states seem to have the highest yields.
On the question of whether wood has chlorine, yes it does. The grasses have more, but they can be managed to the same levels.
I am not an authority here (or anywhere else) on switchgrass, due to not having grown it. The information I have passed on here has been gleaned from research on the Internet and a few meetings with experienced growers. REAP Canada has been one of the more prolific contributors to the Intenet knowledgebase on switchgrass. The Dept. Of Energy in the USA has also been prolific on biofuels in general.
