- The Agronomy of Switchgrass for Biomass

An intimate association with grasses has been important to human evolution (Cerling et al. 2011) and a key part of the subsequent rise of civilizations. Grasses historically have been a primary contributor to the human food supply-both directly, namely as sources of grains, and indirectly, as forages for livestock and wildlife. Grasses also have served an important and historical role in human transportation in as much they were the primary “fuel” for horses and the other beasts of burden used to move people and goods. This role changed substantially with the discovery of fossil fuels and the development of internal combustion engines.