CO-4 grass, melia dubia, can generate substantial power

Released by Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU) during 2008, CO4 exhibits phenomenal biomass yield,” says Dr. G. Kumaravelu, senior Scientific Adviser for Biomass and Bioenergy programme of an international Chennai based business conglomerate called Archean group and former member, State Planning Commission. This grass can be grown in most soil types, except in heavy clay, highly alkaline and water logged areas. The slips for growing this grass are being produced by the Agricultural/Veterinary University and interested farmers. “To verify its utility for power production, 5 to 6 months old, mature grass crop was harvested and weighed. The yellow mature stem, with more fibre and lignin content yielded around 200 dry metric tonnes per hectare. An sppropriate practice package has been arrived at, within a year, by our trials using biofertilizers, nutrients, biochar and chemical fertilizers with drip irrigation to ensure sustained high yield. About 2,000 acres of grass cultivation can supply raw material to run one 10 MW biomass electric power mill, continuously, all through the year without break,” says Dr. Kumaravelu. Archean — a multinational company — is going to grow this grass along with another fast growing tree, Melia Dubia, as intercrop in several hundred acres in different parts of Tamil Nadu. “I had demonstrated last year, that about 100 metric tonnes per hectare of biomass could be harvested from one year drip irrigated melia dubia plantations. That again is a comparable world record for tree species.This woody biomass also releases energy of over 4000 Kcal / Kg. Together, both these highest biomass yielders could be used to generate substantial power for our State,” he explains. The State Government, accepting the innovation in principle, announced in the Assembly, that they would help in setting up a 10 MW power. Source: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/article3408600.ece