Assessment of the Potential Crop Yield for Bio-Energy Production Using the SWAT Model.

Global energy demand is growing rapidly and about 88% of this demand is met at present time by fossil fuels, we have faced the problems of global warming and climate change with fossil fuels. In order to minimize these problems, substantial research and development has been focused on the use of crop-based or cellulosic crop-based biomass as an alternative to fossil fuels. Bio-energy production from agricultural biomass is of growing importance as it offers considerable environmental benefits. In order to meet the increasing demand for bioenergy and to determine the optimal location and capacity of facility for bioenergy production, it is important to quantify the potential biomass yield for bio-energy production. The objective of this study was to assess the potential crop yield for bioenergy production from agricultural biomass using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model.

  This study was conducted in the Yazoo River Basin in northwestern Mississippi. The SWAT simulated long-term crop yields from the watershed were compared with available county-level crop yield data obtained from the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Survey. The model was calibrated and validated using monthly measured stream flow data from the U. S. Geological Survey gage stations. Model calibration and validation performances will be evaluated using coefficient of determination (R²), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), root mean square error (RMSE), and Percent bias (PBIAS). In this study, several bio-energy crops including corn, soybean, switchgrass, Johnson grass will be examined. This result of this study will evaluate the effect of climate and land use change on the potential biomass yield, identify potential biomass feedstock yield areas in the watershed, and determine the best location of bio-fuel facility for bio-energy production using economic model.