Conceptual design for switchgrass production simulation in a biomass supply chain using GLADIS 2.0

Abstract

Switchgrass (Panicium vigratum) has been heavily evaluated as a model crop for producing cellulosic biomass. The lengthy productive lifetime of stands and longevity in non-ideal conditions makes it an ideal option for sustainable biomass production. Several studies have been evaluated the economic feasibility of growing switchgrass as a bioenergy crop, however these models lack the specificity needed for individual producers to evaluate possible biomass production strategies with an easy to use decision tool. The expansion of Oklahoma State's Geospatial Logistics and Agricultural Decision Integration System (GLADIS) meets this need by identifying and mapping crop production parameters and existing agricultural economic and engineering models into a module based simulation framework. In order to successfully utilize module based simulation of crop production, an overarching module mapping was created which will be the base simulation framework that users can work with in the GLADIS platform. A model was also created, from several existing farm machinery cost estimation models, that will allow producers the ability to evaluate the specific machinery combinations needed to complete each field process.