QUANTIFYING THE YIELD OF PERENNIAL GRASSES GROWN AS A BIOFUEL FOR ENERGY GENERATION

Combustible biomass fuels may be produced on set-aside land by growing crops that produce a heavy yield of dry matter. Two promising candida te species are Miscanthus and Switchgrass. Establishment of both speci es was slow and weeds may cause problems. Yields were low because of t he short growing period in the first season. Nitrate leaching under Mi scanthus suggested that N levels were too high relative to the crops d evelopment.