Search Results for 'switchgrass'

South Dakota State University researchers demonstrate switchgrass-based biodegradable film

South Dakota State University researchers demonstrate switchgrass-based biodegradable film

January 8, 2024 |

In South Dakota, new study from researchers at South Dakota State University has demonstrated how a transparent and strong biodegradable film can be derived from switchgrass (Pancium virgatum), a perennial prairie tallgrass native to North America. In the United States, switchgrass grows abundantly and in a variety of different climates, making it a valuable resource […]

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Michigan State University researchers better understand switchgrass’s “summer vacation”

Michigan State University researchers better understand switchgrass’s “summer vacation”

January 26, 2023 |

In Michigan, Michigan State University researchers have solved a puzzle that could help switchgrass realize its full potential as a low-cost, sustainable biofuel crop and curb our dependence on fossil fuels. Among switchgrass’s attractive features are that it’s perennial, low maintenance and native to many states in the eastern U.S., including Michigan. But it also […]

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Mississippi State University researchers develop switchgrass varieties ready for deployment

Mississippi State University researchers develop switchgrass varieties ready for deployment

July 28, 2022 |

In Mississippi, Mississippi State scientists have developed switchgrass varieties that are waking up the industry with exceptional germination rates and are ready for commercial use in the Deep South. The university is working with the Upton, Kentucky-based Roundstone Native Seed Co. to deliver the “Robusto,” “Espresso,” and “Tusca” switchgrass varieties, developed by scientists in MSU’s […]

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Researchers switchgrass can be adapted to expand its habitat range

Researchers switchgrass can be adapted to expand its habitat range

April 13, 2022 |

In Texas, a collaborative team led by researchers at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology (HudsonAlpha), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility, has discovered that the candidate bioenergy feedstock switchgrass has adapted to expand its habitat range. […]

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Michigan State researchers show how switchgrass can mitigate climate change effects

Michigan State researchers show how switchgrass can mitigate climate change effects

March 21, 2022 |

In Michigan, newly published Michigan State University research details how switchgrass can mitigate effects of climate change when grown on marginal land — agricultural land of little value. For farmers, it may also provide economic returns in these otherwise unproductive spaces. Lignocellulosic biofuels, which are made from plant biomass, are one of the only current […]

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ORNL researchers add gene into switchgrass allowing it to interact with beneficial fungus

ORNL researchers add gene into switchgrass allowing it to interact with beneficial fungus

December 15, 2021 |

In Tennessee, an Oak Ridge National Laboratory team has successfully introduced a poplar gene into switchgrass, an important biofuel source, that allows switchgrass to interact with a beneficial fungus, ultimately boosting the grass’ growth and viability in changing environments. Scientists observed the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor as it enveloped the plant’s roots. This behavior, not […]

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ORNL researchers introduce poplar gene into switchgrass to allow for fungus interaction

ORNL researchers introduce poplar gene into switchgrass to allow for fungus interaction

October 5, 2021 |

In Tennessee, an Oak Ridge National Laboratory team has successfully introduced a poplar gene into switchgrass, an important biofuel source, that allows switchgrass to interact with a beneficial fungus, ultimately boosting the grass’s growth and viability in changing environments.  Scientists observed the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor as it enveloped the plant’s roots. This behavior, not […]

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Switching to switchgrass: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Next-Gen Feedstocks in Midwest

Switching to switchgrass: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Next-Gen Feedstocks in Midwest

May 18, 2021 |

Bioenergy switchgrass feedstock – can it be the next-generation feedstock we’ve been looking for in the Midwest? University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is looking at perennial bioenergy feedstock production on marginal croplands across geographic locations in the Midwest. What did they find? What had the highest-yield? How did on-farm field scale production on marginal land […]

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PNNL researchers find soil better captures carbon with switchgrass than corn

PNNL researchers find soil better captures carbon with switchgrass than corn

March 11, 2021 |

In Washington state, most of the carbon contained in soil is in the form of organic matter. The composition of this matter is determined by plants, microbes, and soil. However, scientists do not fully understand how variation in plant inputs, the structure of microbial communities, and the physical and chemical attributes of soil interact to […]

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Researchers make progress sequencing switchgrass genome

Researchers make progress sequencing switchgrass genome

January 28, 2021 |

In Texas, researchers at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology (HudsonAlpha), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility located at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), has produced a high-quality reference sequence of the complex switchgrass genome using […]

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