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Miscanthus Bioenergy
Miscanthus (known as E-Grass) is making headlines as an emerging biofuel.
Since the 1990s, environmentalists have studied this tall rhizomatous grass as a potential replacement for fossil fuels. Miscanthus is known historically as an ornamental garden grass, but its hybrid forms are agriculturally valuable.
Miscanthus is energy-efficient and easy to grow. It is comparable to switch grass and maize but requires significantly fewer nutrients and outputs less CO2.
Miscanthus Facts:
- Has an estimated productive life of 15-20 years
- Is a promising crop for energy generation and animal bedding
- Is defined by very high yields and low moisture content at harvest
- Is non-invasive (seeds from hybrids are sterile)
- Has a high water and nitrogen efficiency
- Is robust with a promising growth rate
- Has an ability to photosynthesize at low temperatures; maximizes light energy efficiency
- Produces over 18 gigajoules/tonne of energy from above ground stems and leaves
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Growing and Harvesting Miscanthus: A Summary
Given the appropriate land space and climate, Miscanthus is easy to grow and manage. Crops are planted once in the spring and grow to their tallest height by late-summer. Over the fall months, crops dry and are ready to be harvested mechanically by February or March. Miscanthus growers will find their best yields in their second year of growing and beyond, when plants reach a maximum height of 2.5-3.5 metres
Various climates are suitable for growing Miscanthus. Miscanthus its best at temperatures above 6˚C. This is notably lower than for maize and therefore extends the Miscanthus growing season.
Miscanthus processes water and nitrogen efficiently compared to similar crops. Fertilizer needs are comparatively low, as Miscanthus stores nutrients in its rhizomes. It grows well in a range of soils, and yields higher than 20-25 t/ha are not uncommon after three years. With the exception of the first year almost no pesticides are required.
Miscanthus can be harvested into round or square bales using a mower conditioner and baler or direct chopped using a conventional forage harvester. Moisture content is typically 12-16% at harvesting.
Miscanthus is a CO2 neutral plant: Its CO2 emissions are equal to the amount of CO2 that the plant uses during its growing phase. This estimate accounts for the CO2 used from fossil fuels for transportation of materials.
Miscanthus: Who Benefits
Miscanthus can be used for multiple projects—from powering large-scale coal stations to large-scale electrical plants; Nicomen Nursery encourages Miscanthus use for the greenhouse industry and for larger projects that traditionally use fossil fuels. Miscanthus is also an excellent choice for horse and cow bedding because of its absorbancy and a lack of dust particles.
Farmers can harvest Miscanthus via rhizomes, micro-propagation or bare root plant. Nicomen Nursery sells bare root plants at wholesale prices.
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