What is Miscanthus?

Miscanthus is a perennial grass, research in the UK and Europe investigated the criteria for the ideal energy crop for combustion to generate heat and electricity. The criteria for the ideal energy crop are high dry matter yield, perennial growth, and efficient use of nitrogen, water, other resources, and pest and disease resistance. Miscanthus satisfies these criteria, and the result is a crop that is both profitable and environmentally friendly.

Miscanthus is a perennial grass, which satisfies the criteria for the ideal energy crop it is both profitable and environmentally friendly, and suitable for production across large areas of the EU. In the UK Miscanthus is recognised and supported by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

Significant areas of Miscanthus are required to supply biomass into the renewable energy market. Established once, the crop yields for over 10 years, without replanting.

The Crop

The form used for industrial cropping is a fast growing clone called Miscanthus x giganteus. After establishment, stems emerge from an underground rhizome complex annually in March/April, reaching maximum height (3m or higher) towards the end of August, cooler temperatures in Autumn trigger senescence and translocation of reserves down below ground. The crop is left in the field over winter, during this phase leaf material falls to the ground recycling nutrients and providing mulch that suppresses weed growth in the spring. By Early spring (February to April) the cane is ready for harvest, using conventional or dedicated farming equipment.

When the potential for specific energy crops was examined one of the key issues was that energy expended in growing them was produced more efficiently than conventional arable crops. This objective requires that the crops grown for energy have low requirements for fertiliser, pesticide and other agrochemcial inputs, be perennial to reduce mechanical inputs and use natural resources such as water efficiently. Due to the efficient production cycle outlined above Miscanthus produces over 30 times more energy than taken to grow it; this is compared to a factor of less than 10 with conventional arable crops.

Farm Fuels are already growing Miscanthus on our farm in Jersey with the first crop due for harvesting early spring 2008.

^{photos courtesy of 'Bical'}