In addition to switchgrass and miscanthus, two other species, reed canarygrass and alfalfa, have also been studied considerably for biofuel crops. Reed canarygrass is a C3 grass commonly used for hay and grazing in temperate agricultural ecosystems, and can yield 8-10 Mg/ha in the Midwest of USA and northern Europe [6, 12]. Similar to switchgrass, reed canarygrass is difficult to establish and normally has a low yield in the seeding year [6].

Alfalfa, one of the oldest forage crops in the world, has traditionally been used as high quality forage. However, alfalfa may also have some values for biofuel feedstock [13]. In an alfalfa biomass energy production system, the forage could be fractionated into stems and leaves. The stems could be processed to generate electricity or biofuel (ethanol), and the leaves could be sold as a supplemental protein feed for livestock. Currently, researchers in Minnesota are conducting experiments to select dual-use alfalfa varieties and developing management systems [13