Demonstration of On-Farm Production of a Dedicated Energy Crop incorporating Multiple Varieties of Switchgrass Seed Sam Jackson and Nicole Labbé University of Tennessee, Knoxville Feedstock Platform Review

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Project Overview Commercial scale production of improved herbaceous feedstocks Demonstrate to producers the value of improved feedstocks Develop practical understanding of management impacts on feedstock quality

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Start Date: March 10, 2011 (Contract dated 9/28/10) End Date: Feb. 28, 2013 Progress to date: 25% Barriers addressed – Ft-C Crop Genetics – Ft-G Feedstock Quality Monitoring – Ft-M Overall Integration Total project funding –$2,345,290 (DOE Share) –$2,372,597 (Contractor share) Approximately $500,000 invoiced as of January 2011 Timeline Budget Barriers Partners Quad Chart Overview

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Establish varietal trials and plots for demonstration of switchgrass production using multiple varieties of seed. Analyze chemical composition, structural form, and ethanol yield of the varieties sampled. Assess environmental and economic sustainability of the three different varieties of switchgrass. Project Objectives

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee 1) To establish varietal trials and plots for demonstration of switchgrass production. 2) To analyze chemical composition, structural form, and ethanol yield of the varieties sampled. 3) To assess environmental and economic sustainability of the three different varieties of switchgrass. Primary Objectives

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Approach: Work with private farms to establish 1000 acres of improved varieties and 1000 acres of standard switchgrass. Worked through UT Extension and local partners to get farmers to participate. Two Extension Specialists guided planting. Worked with DOE to complete NEPA Approval in late April and began planting in early May Establishment of switchgrass

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Contracts issued in Spring for production (18 farms involved in the demonstration, 11 farms have all three varieties) acres of improved Ceres (1101 and 1102) seed as well as 1000 acres of standard Alamo planted. Weather was an issue for late June plantings due to dry period. Replanted acres in late July Replants due to stand failure (31.1 acres) and management issues (84 acres). Will replant an additional 30.7 acres in spring 2011 due to stand failures. Overall replanting rate will be approximately 15%. Establishment of switchgrass

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Overall Farm Map

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Variety Comparison Study Map

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee 1) To establish varietal trials and plots for demonstration of switchgrass production 2) To analyze chemical composition, structural form, and ethanol yield of the varieties sampled. 3) To assess environmental and economic sustainability of the three different varieties of switchgrass. Primary Objectives

Selected Fields (11) for Variety Trial UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Study Approx. Acres Field ID Selected Fields (acres) AlamoEG 1101EG1102 C C C C C C C C C C C

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee 84 acres: 28 Alamo; 28 EG 1101; 28 EG 1102 Alamo Field C 13

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Sampling Profile Total samples harvested : = 243

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee 1-Biomass 2-Oven-dry and size reduction 3-NIR Spectra 4-FT-IR Spectra 10-Powder XRD 8-ICP-OES6-Extractives 6A-HPLC-MS 6B-HPLC-UV Neutralization Total hydrolysis Filtration Filtrate Residue Sugar (HPLC-RI) Acid-insoluble lignin Soluble Lignin (UV) Elemental composition Total lignin Model development 7-LIBS5-Extraction S/G/H Ratio (9-NBO/HPLC-UV) Ash Content Ash Wet Chemistry Characterization Approach

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Summary of work done/in progress Completed pre-processing of 243 samples (2 mm and 40 mesh) Shipped 243 samples (2mm) on November 19, 2010 to CERES Acquired NIR spectra of all samples for model development Began preparing samples for FTIR and LIBS spectra acquisition and model development Began extraction (24 out of 72 samples completed) for extractives composition analysis Developed methods for analyses of extractives and S-G-H ratio Began ash content determination (51 out of 72 samples completed)

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee 1) To establish varietal trials and plots for demonstration of switchgrass production 2) To analyze chemical composition, structural form, and ethanol yield of the varieties sampled. 3) To assess environmental and economic sustainability of the three different varieties of switchgrass. Primary Objectives

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Environmental & Socioeconomic Data Begun collection of management input data for the evaluation of switchgrass production Tractor usage Fuel usage Timing of management and harvesting practices Other economic indicators Goal is to develop LCA type analysis of the production cycle and to correlate practices to chemical and structural characteristics

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Challenges Fewer number of samples collected due to stand establishment failure and replanting as well as differences in planting dates. Last harvest – Collect samples before harvest.

UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Conduct minor replanting (30.7 acres) Continue management and monitoring of farms Continue sampling (May to Nov. 2011; 7 sampling periods, 840 samples) Continue structural and chemical analysis Plan, develop, and market a large-scale farmer demonstration field day Oct , 2011 – Mark your calendars! Plans for the coming year

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UT Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee Project Timetable

Sampling regime Criteria to consider: -Soil type -Grid size = 5 acres -Switchgrass type = 3 -Acreage = 600 (200 acres/switchgrass type) m 5 acre-Grid x X x X X X X x x