Parametric study on geographic factors for Napier grass plantation in Thailand

According to Thailand´s Renewable and Alternative Energy Development Plan for 25 percent in 10 years (AEDP 2012-2021), Napier grass plays an important role as a renewable energy resource for future power generation of the country (up to 3,000 MW by 2021). To achieve this target, a large amount of Napier grass yield is required and so does the enormous area of the plantation. This research aims to study the influence of geographic factors on the dry matter yield of the Napier Grass plantation and to identify most influencing factors that should be taken into consideration for locating a suitable plantation site. The study was done based on the 55 sets of data collected at different 8 pilot plantation sites throughout Thailand using multiple regression analysis. At the 95 % confidence level, pH, soil drainage, and precipitation were found to be the most three important factors on the Napier grass yield, respectively.