What is switchgrass?

Switchgrass, known in Botany as Panicum Virgatum L., is the perennial tall grass found in North America and Mexico. Its height varies from 5 ft to 12 ft, and the diameter of its stem at ground level is about 20 inches. It can grow in poor-quality soil, with low requirement of fertilisers, and can tolerate hostile conditions, including floods and drought. The grass has main roots that penetrate into the soil, and temporary fine roots, which enable it to conserve the soil in which it grows, and make it nutritionally rich. Hence switchgrass has been grown traditionally for soil conservation and to serve as fodder. Since the 1990s, interest in this plant has increased because it generates a lot of biomass, which can be used for producing fibre, ethanol, electricity, and other chemicals.