Irrigated Central Washington
The ability to provide timely irrigation and fertilization to crops in central Washington greatly enhances the opportunities Washington farmers may have to produce biofuel crops, as demonstrated in WSU/USDA-ARS biofuel variety trials in Paterson, Washington over the past few years. The number of biofuel crop types as well as the productivity potentials will be considerably higher and less risky for irrigated producers than dryland producers. However, these crops will need to compete with the high value, high yielding irrigated crops currently being grown.
The existing biofuel variety trial at Paterson, Washington on the Columbia River in southcentral Washington has focused on spring-seeded oilseed crops and switchgrass for the past few seasons. Mustard crops have been produced in the Basin for seed production. Additional trials of biofuel crops have been ongoing at the WSU Prosser Research & Extension Center as well as other sites in the Yakima Valley and lower Columbia Basin. Some trials of fall-seeded oilseed crops have demonstrated significant yield potential with reduced irrigation water demands, but these trials need to be expanded to multiple sites with different soil types and biophysical conditions to determine broad efficacy of the practices.
In addition to oilseeds, the potential to produce high biomass, perennial biofuel grasses (i.e. switchgrass, Arundo donax, etc.) under irrigation is an important opportunity. The perennial grasses could provide an important alternative for irrigated producers who need productive, low-cost alternative crops which can produce high amounts of cellulosic biomass and also store soil carbon by their extensive root systems.
Producing Switchgrass for Biofuel in Washington State
Nutrient and Water Use Efficiency of Oilseed Crops
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