Switchgrass for Biofuel in the Northern Great Plains Switchgrass, a native, perennial, warm-season grass, is a potential renewable bioenergy crop for North Dakota and the Northern Great Plains region. Switchgrass biomass can be burned directly to generate electricity or can be converted into biofuel products. It also has distinct environmental advantages. Soizik Laguette, assistant professor in Earth System Science and Policy (ESSP), will discuss the adoption of switchgrass into traditional cropping systems in the Northern Plains, and its potential economic and environmental benefits at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 10, in Room 210, Clifford Hall Auditorium. Besides switchgrass production for energy purposes, switchgrass may also help control soil erosion, reduce runoff of harmful chemicals to the environment, increase soil organic matter and improve soil quality, and provide valuable wildlife habitat. Economic benefits depend, in part, on finding suitable lands regionally for optimal switchgrass production, and whether switchgrass would be commercially competitive with other crops grown in the Northern Plains. The presentation is part of the Northern Great Plains Center for People and the Environment spring 2008 colloquium series. For more information contact Michael Hill at 777-6071, or hillmj@aero.und.edu.