EXPANDING THE FARMING POTENTIAL OF NAPIER GRASS (PENNISETUM PURPUREUM SCHUMACH.) UNDER LOW-FERTILE CONDITIONS

Till  Haegele; Tarawut  Bunnom; Sawitree  Khumhom; Christian  Braeuchler; Pansa  Liplap; Weerachai  Arjharn

Authors

Till Haegele School of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, 111 University Avenue, Muang District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand.
Tarawut Bunnom School of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, 111 University Avenue, Muang District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand.
Sawitree Khumhom School of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, 111 University Avenue, Muang District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand.
Christian Braeuchler Chair of Restoration Ecology, Technical University Munich, E-mil: Ramann-Str 6, 85354 Freising- Weihenstephan, Germany.
Pansa Liplap School of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, 111 University Avenue, Muang District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand.
Weerachai Arjharn School of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, 111 University Avenue, Muang District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand.

Keywords:

Biomass, Napier grass, energy crop, farming system, unfertile soil

Abstract

In the face of growing water scarcity and ever-increasing energy consumption in Thailand, farmers will need to optimize farmland use instead of using it only for seasonal cropping. Climatically tolerant energy crops have the potential for year-round cropping and renewable energy sources are a growing market for the future. Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum SCHUMACH.) is one such stress-tolerant energy crop, showing potential to grow best under less-than-ideal field conditions. In this study, Napier grass crops were grown under low-fertile conditions as found on unused land or during the dry season. For identification, 1 such suitable farming system with growing factors including cutting length, planting method (vertical or horizontal), plant density, and planting date, as well as management practices after planting, e.g. the intercutting regime, was investigated in terms of biomass production. Napier grass was able to thrive under non-irrigated and non-fertilized conditions. The cutting type showed a significant impact on the establishment of seedlings. With an increase in length, stem sections tended to produce more biomass than shorter setts. Matured terminal cuttings established dense canopies with high yields (16.14 Mg dry mass ha-1) in contrast to setts that formed sparse populations. Frequent intercutting intervals caused almost immeasurable, low yields. Furthermore, Napier grass crops produced more biomass during the dry season than in the rainy season. These results could be a new method suitable for cropping Napier grass on unused land.

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