English: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum, Alamo variety) grown at the University of Alabama's test plot close to Auburn, Alabama, USA. – Switchgrass is one of the most promising energy crops in the southern United States of America (USA). Once switchgrass blanketed the prairies, protecting the soil, cleansing the wetlands, and providing shelter and food to wildlife. Now that gasification is being developed to turn feedstocks like switchgrass into electricity, farmers have the option to plant these hardy grasses to restore eroded land and gain flexibility in crop planning and rotation.