A new war on weeds: UT and R&D partners work to bolster switchgrass as biofuel crop

knoxvillebiz.com
By Larisa Brass
Knoxville News Sentinel
Posted January 10, 2011 at 9:11 p.m.

Switchgrass is pretty good at growing anywhere — on poor soil, in drought conditions, and even in seawater.

But the native grass turned bioenergy crop has a nemesis: weeds. Without exception, the farmers, researchers and businesses working to grow the plant say alien competitors, most notably crab grass, give newborn switchgrass fields a run for their money.

It's one of several issues researchers at the University of Tennessee — in collaboration with Genera Energy and other private companies — are tackling as part of domesticating the native switchgrass plant into a new source of energy and Tennessee cash crop.

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