Cattail Biomass to Energy

This 2013 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the commercial-scale harvesting of cattail biomass in Manitoba for use as a bioenergy feedstock and a nutrient-management tool. Through trials at Pelly’s Lake and along Highway 1, the study demonstrated that existing agricultural windrowers and balers can effectively harvest cattails, though efficiency is highly dependent on soil moisture and weather. The project successfully recovered phosphorus from the biomass, highlighting the potential for improving water quality in the Lake Winnipeg basin. Key challenges included equipment plugging and the risk of machinery becoming stuck in soft wetland soils. The report concludes that while commercially viable, costs vary by site, and future success depends on optimizing harvest timing and potentially managing wetland water levels.

• The project successfully demonstrated that cattails can be harvested on a large scale using commercially available agricultural equipment, provided that field conditions are suitable. The trials utilized a Westward M155 windrower with a MacDon D60 draper header to cut the plants, followed by the use of square balers for ditch harvests and round balers for wetland harvests.
• Harvest yields varied significantly by site, with wetland areas proving more productive than highway ditches. At Pelly’s Lake wetland, 220 tonnes of dry biomass were harvested (from 575 round bales) over 54.1 hectares, while the Highway 1 ditches yielded 41.41 tonnes of dry biomass (from 189 square bales) over 17.1 hectares.
• Harvesting cattails serves as a tool for nutrient management by removing phosphorus (P) from the environment, which helps reduce algal blooms in Lake Winnipeg. The project recovered 191 kg of P from Pelly’s Lake and 40 kg of P from Highway 1, although these figures were lower than potential peak growth captures due to the late-season harvest timing.
• Several logistical and environmental challenges were identified during the harvesting process. These included equipment becoming mired in soft soil 'low spots', baler plugging caused by the pickup of wet litter and debris, the risk of radiator overheating due to cattail flower head 'fluff', and the presence of hidden foreign objects like driftwood and animal carcasses in wetlands.
• Economic analysis indicates that harvesting costs are influenced by field efficiency and the risk associated with atypical conditions. Estimated costs for wetland harvesting using round bales ranged from $52 to $78 per dry tonne, while ditch harvesting using square bales ranged from $82 to $122 per dry tonne.
• The report recommends optimizing phosphorus capture by harvesting earlier in the growing season and exploring managed wetlands to control water levels, which would maximize growth and facilitate easier access for commercial equipment.

APA

Grosshans, R. E., & Grieger, L. (2013). Cattail Biomass to Energy. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/cattail-biomass-to-energy-commercial-scale-harvesting-solid-fuel.pdf

Chicago

Grosshans, Richard E., and Lorne Grieger. Cattail Biomass to Energy. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/cattail-biomass-to-energy-commercial-scale-harvesting-solid-fuel.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Grosshans |first1=Richard E. |last2=Grieger |first2=Lorne |title=Cattail Biomass to Energy |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/cattail-biomass-to-energy-commercial-scale-harvesting-solid-fuel.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{grosshans2013cattail, author = {Grosshans, Richard E. and Grieger, Lorne}, title = {{Cattail Biomass to Energy}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/cattail-biomass-to-energy-commercial-scale-harvesting-solid-fuel.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }