Switchgrass
Introducing New & Improved Varieties
Speare Seeds is proud to be partnering with REAP Canada on new switchgrass varieties.
Resource Efficient Agricultural Production Canada (REAP-Canada) is an independent, non-profit organization that has been working since 1986 with farmers, scientists, and the private sector to improve the sustainability of farming systems and develop ecological ways of producing food, fibre and fuel from farms both in Canada and abroad.
Over multiple years REAP has been working on breeding improvements to switchgrass. Breeding and seed multiplication have been done in Canada and there are now several new registered varieties to offer.
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a warm season grass native to Eastern North America. Warm season “(C4) grasses such as switchgrass are ideal bioenergy crops because of their moderate to high productivity, stand longevity, high moisture and nutrient use efficiency, low cost of production and adaptability to marginal soils.”
-Switchgrass for bioheat in Canada (Samson 2008)
Switchgrass Applications
• Livestock feeding and bedding
• Mulching applications
• Conservation planting
• Habitat screening
• Biomass production
RC Big Rock crop at Don Nott’s farm, Clinton, ON.
Stay tuned over the next few weeks! We will be highlighting new and improved, registered switchgrass varieties which offer many improvements over previous varieties such as even seed germination and seedling establishment, biomass production, stand height plus lodging resistance, earlier maturity and more.
New & Improved Upland Switchgrass Varieties
Maturity Chart
www.reap-canada.com
Comments