Effect of cultivation technology on switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) productivity in marginal lands in Ukraine

Abstract

Growing plants for biofuel production on marginal lands is of major importance in many developing countries. As a biomass source, switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) is a most adaptable plastic crop, forming extensive ground cover and vegetative biomass, providing a very high productivity over a short period of time. This study investigated the effects of cultivation (type of growing conditions and N fertilization rates) on biomass yields and changes in the structure of the switchgrass phytocenosis in different types of cropping systems. The biomass yields in stripe and mixed crops were higher than in single crops in the third year of cultivation. Switchgrass plants in intercrops were characterized by a greater height and number of shoots per unit area compared to mixed crops and monocultures. Biomass yields increased with each year of this research. The maximum biomass yields were attained with 30 kg ha −1 of N fertilization and the minimum yields where there was no fertilization.