New Switchgrass Germplasm Collected in Florida

USDA ARS
By Alfredo Flores
November 25, 2009

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and cooperators have collected 46 new populations of switchgrass in Florida, adding valuable new accessions to the germplasm collection of this potential bioenergy crop.
Switchgrass, a perennial warm season grass used for forage and soil conservation, is now being studied as a biomass crop for ethanol. These new additions to the switchgrass perennial grass collection could provide new genetic resources for biofuel feedstocks.
The research supports the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) priority of developing new sources of bioenergy. ARS is USDA’s principal intramural scientific research agency.

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