Simulating switchgrass aboveground biomass and production costs in eastern Canada with the Integrated Farm System Model

Abstract

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a herbaceous perennial grass that can be used as bedding for livestock, planted in buffer strips, and used as biofuel, but it is still not widely grown in eastern Canada. The objectives of this study were to verify the performance of the Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM) in simulating switchgrass growth and to estimate its yield potential and production costs in eastern Canada. The performance of IFSM was assessed with dry matter (DM) yield of switchgrass (‘Cave-in-Rock’) measured over three growing seasons (2015–2017) in southern Quebec, Canada. The model performed reasonably well, with normalized root mean square errors of 19.5% for calibration and 27.9% for validation. Simulation results of potential yield and economic management over the long term (1986–2015) for five switchgrass production sites in eastern Canada indicated that average DM yields in Quebec City and Fredericton (9.6 and 9.7 t ha−1, respectively) were significantly lower than average DM yields in Saint-Hubert, Ottawa, and London (10.8, 10.4, and 11.0 t ha−1, respectively). Average annual production costs per tonne of DM for the spring harvest were higher at low-yield sites (CAD$66.67 and $64.50 for Fredericton and Quebec City, respectively) than at high-yield sites ($60.10, $62.82, and $60.08 for Saint-Hubert, Ottawa, and London, respectively). The IFSM-estimated production costs were within the range of the calculated values reported in other agro-economic analyses conducted in Ontario and Quebec.

Use, calibration and verification of agroecological models for boreal environments: A review

“…A study on switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) in southern Quebec was carried out by Duchemin et al (2019) where biomass production was predicted reasonably well despite not being designed to work with this type of grass. A larger study in Canada (Thivierge et al, 2017) used the IFSM model in conjunction with climate models (CanESM2, CanRCM4 and HadGEM2) to project the impacts of climate change on agronomic and environmental performance.…”

Microwave absorber utilization to improve grinding and particle surface structure characteristics of torrefied switchgrass particles for bioenergy applications

“…The focus is on agricultural crop residues such as switchgrass, camelina straw, oat straw, barley straw, wheat straw, and canola straw. Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) is a herbaceous perennial grass that originated in the prairies of central North America and is predominantly grown in eastern Canada, especially Ontario and Quebec [ 7 ]. Switchgrass is a dedicated energy crop for bioenergy applications, bio-fibre, livestock bedding, valuable soil protection cover crops, and wildlife habitats.…”