Switchgrass and Miscanthus Growth On Reclaimed Surface Mines In West Virginia.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus) , two warm season perennial grasses, have been investigated as sources of biofuel feedstock due to their high biomass production on marginal soils.  West Virginia contains vast expanses of reclaimed surface mine lands and could potentially benefit from the production of switchgrass and Miscanthus as biofuel feedstocks.  Furthermore, these biomass plants could satisfy Surface Mining Reclamation and Control Act of 1977 (SMCRA) requirements for reclamation bond release to mine operators.  This study examined biomass production of switchgrass stands grown on tthree reclaimed surface mines during the past four years and Miscanthus growth on one site after two years.  The Hampshire Hill mine site, reclaimed 15 years ago using top soil and treated municipal sludge, has consistently shown the highest yields producing 8500, 5600 and 3800 kg ha^-1 for the varieties Cave-in-Rock, Shawnee and Carthage, respectively, after the fourth year.  On the Hobet 21 mine site, where reclamation consisted of placing crushed, unweathered rock material on compacted overburden, yields were 1100, 990 and 730 kg ha^-1 for Cave-in-Rock, Shawnee and Carthage, respectively, during the fourth year.  A second study was established at Alton, a 20-year old reclaimed site, and Kanlow and Bowmaster varieties were drilled into the existing vegetation after herbicide application.  Average yields after the second year were 4,040 kg kg ha^-1 for Kanlow and 2,750 kg ha^-1 for Bowmaster.  Miscanthus (public and private varieties) sprigs were planted at 0.7-m spacings at Alton and yields after the second growing season were 7,500 kg ha^-1 for the public variety and 21,880 kg ha^-1 for the private variety.  Some plots had more than 45,000 kg ha^-1.