Switchgrass - A Valuable Biomass Crop for Energy

The demand for renewable energies from biomass is growing steadily as policies are enacted to encourage such development and as industry increasingly sees an opportunity to develop bio-energy enterprises. Recent policy changes in the EU, USA and other countries are spurring interest in the cultivation of energy crops such as switchgrass. Switchgrass has gained and early lead in the race to find a biomass feedstock for energy production (and for the almost requisite need for bio-based products from such feedstocks). Switchgrass: A Valuable Biomass Crop for Energy provides a comprehensive guide to the biology, physiology, breeding, culture and conversion of switchgrass as well as highlighting various environmental, economic and social benefits.
Considering this potential energy source, Switchgrass: A Valuable Biomass Crop for Energy brings together chapters from a range of experts in the field, including a foreword from Kenneth P. Vogel, to collect and present the environmental benefits and characteristics of this a crop with the potential to mitigate the risks of global warming by replacing fossil fuels.
Including clear figures and tables to support discussions, Switchgrass: A Valuable Biomass Crop for Energy provides a solid reference for anyone with interest or investment in the development of bioenergy; researchers, policy makers and stakeholders will find this a key resource.

List of contents

Foreword.- Preface.- 1. The Evolution of Switchgrass as an Energy Crop.- 2. Switchgrass Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics.- 3. Crop Physiology.- 4. Crop Management of Switchgrass.- 5. Switchgrass Harvest and Storage.- 6. Environmental Impacts of Switchgrass Management for Bioenergy Production.- 7. Biochemical and Thermochemical Conversion of Switchgrass to Biofuels.- 8. Estimating Region Specific Costs to Produce and Deliver Switchgrass.- Index.

About the author

Andrea Monti is Assistant Professor in Crop Science at the University of Bologna, Italy. He received his PhD in Crop Science from the University of Bologna, Italy, in 2002.
Authors by Chapter:
Foreword. Kenneth P Vogel
Chapter 1.David J. Parrish, Michael D. Casler and Andrea Monti
Chapter 2. Michael D. Casler
Chapter 3. Walter Zegada-Lizarazu, Stan D. Wullschleger, S. Surendran Nair and Andrea Monti
Chapter 4. Matt A. Sanderson, Marty Schmer, Vance Owens, Pat Keyser and Wolter Elbersen
Chapter 5. Rob Mitchell and Marty Schmer
Chapter 6. R. Howard Skinner, Walter Zegada-Lizarazu and John P. Schmidt
Chapter 7. Venkatesh Balan, Sandeep Kumar, Bryan Bals, Shishir Chundawat, Mingjie Jin and Bruce Dale
Chapter 8. Anthony Turhollow and Francis Epplin

Summary

The demand for renewable energies from biomass is growing steadily as  policies are enacted to encourage such development and as industry increasingly sees an opportunity to develop bio-energy enterprises. Recent policy changes in  the EU, USA and other countries are spurring interest in the cultivation of energy crops such as switchgrass.  Switchgrass has gained and early lead in the race to find a biomass feedstock for energy production (and for the almost requisite need for bio-based products from such feedstocks). Switchgrass: A Valuable Biomass Crop for Energy provides a comprehensive guide to the biology, physiology, breeding, culture and conversion of switchgrass as well as highlighting various environmental, economic and social benefits.
Considering this potential energy source, Switchgrass: A Valuable Biomass Crop for Energy brings together chapters from a range of experts in the field, including a foreword from Kenneth P. Vogel, to collect and present the environmental benefits and characteristics of this a crop with the potential to mitigate the risks of global warming by replacing fossil fuels.
Including clear figures and tables to support discussions, Switchgrass: A Valuable Biomass Crop for Energy provides a solid reference for anyone with interest or investment in the development of bioenergy; researchers, policy makers and stakeholders will find this a key resource.
 

Additional text

From the reviews:
“The editor, Andrea Monti, assembled a group of distinguished authors who have not only provided comprehensive documentation of research conducted on switchgrass, but also unique and valuable analyses of this information that have not been published elsewhere. … It is a recommended reference for anyone who has an interest in switchgrass … . it will be recommended reading for my undergraduate students, and required reading for my graduate students.” (David Bransby, BioEnergy Research, Vol. 5, 2012)

Report

From the reviews:
"The editor, Andrea Monti, assembled a group of distinguished authors who have not only provided comprehensive documentation of research conducted on switchgrass, but also unique and valuable analyses of this information that have not been published elsewhere. ... It is a recommended reference for anyone who has an interest in switchgrass ... . it will be recommended reading for my undergraduate students, and required reading for my graduate students." (David Bransby, BioEnergy Research, Vol. 5, 2012)

Product details

• Assisted by: Andre Monti (Editor), Andrea Monti (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.04.2012
• EAN: 9781447129028
• ISBN: 978-1-4471-2902-8
• No. of pages: 210
• Weight: 470 g
• Illustrations: X, 210 p.
• Series: Green Energy and Technology; Green Energy and Technology
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Technology > Heat, energy and power station engineering; Non-fiction book > Nature, technology > Nature and society: general, reference works