Switchgrass Biomass Harvest

Fall brings harvest time for the GLBRC bioenergy crop trials at the UW-Madison Arlington Agricultural Research Station. Researchers harvest the standing biomass from the nine different model bioenergy cropping systems, including switchgrass, corn, miscanthus, and prairie. During the winter, the crop will be dried and weighed to compare the crop yields and potential energy production. The results of this research will be combined with data on biodiversity, soils, emissions and economics to evaluate and improve the sustainability of the cropping systems.