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

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 has a peculiar behavior working against it that has stymied researchers—at least until now.

The team in MSU’s Department of Plant Biology has revealed why switchgrass stops performing photosynthesis in the middle of the summer—its growing season—limiting how much biofuel it yields.

This knowledge, published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science, is a key piece to overcoming this quirk and getting the most out of switchgrass.