A significant amount of research was devoted to switchgrass variety testing and management for biomass production with the ultimate goal of utilizing switchgrass as an energy source for ethanol production. This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through a subcontract with Oak Ridge National Laboratory managed by Martin-Marietta Energy Systems. Switchgrass biomass research is continuing at several locations in Texas and in Arkansas and Louisiana under co-project leaders Drs. William Ocumpaugh and Mark Hussey. Studies at Stephenville include variety evaluations, nitrogen and phosphorus rates under three different row spacings, and a 20-acre planting to evaluate economics of biomass production on a field scale.
Methods being studied include cropping systems, soil amendments, and waste water treatment.
The objective of a current study is to relate soil test phosphorus to concentration of phosphorus in the runoff water from waste application sites. Yields and Nutrient Fate Click photos to enlarge Publications Click photos to enlarge 1. Sanderson, Matt A. and Ronald M. Jones. Forage Yields, Nutrient Uptake, Soil Chemical Changes, and Nitrogen Volatilization from Bermudagrass Treated with Dairy Manure. Sanderson, M.A., P. Voigt, and R.M. Jones.