Switchgrass is harvested using conventional haying equipment. An annual cutting in fall or winter suffices for biomass production since its value is based on total tonnage, not nutritional quality.

In other parts of the country, many farmers already grow switchgrass, either as forage for livestock or as a ground cover, to control erosion. Cultivating switchgrass as an energy crop instead would require only minor changes in how it's managed and when it's harvested. Switchgrass can be cut and baled with conventional mowers and balers. And it's a hardy, adaptable perennial, so once it's established in a field, it can be harvested as a cash crop, either annually or semiannually, for 10 years or more before replanting is needed.

Annual cultivation of many agricultural crops depletes the soil's organic matter, steadily reducing fertility. But switchgrass adds organic matter—the plants extend nearly as far below ground as above. And with its network of stems and roots, switchgrass holds onto soil even in winter to prevent erosion.

Resources:
Developing Switchgrass as a Bioenergy Crop, Biofuels Systems Division of the U.S. Department of Energy, under contract No. DE-ACO5-96OR22464 with Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp.