Search

Abstract: The demand for perennial nonfood crops, such as miscanthus, is increasing steadily, as fossil resources are replaced by biomass. However, as the establishment of miscanthus is very expensive, its cultivation area in Europe is still small. The most common propagation method for miscanthus is via rhizomes, the harvesting of which is very labour‐intensive. Seed propagation is promising, but not suitable for sterile genotypes. In this study, a new vegetative propagation method, ‘collar propagation’, was tested in field and controlled environment studies. Collars are built at the junction between rhizome and stem. They can be harvested in a less destructive way than rhizomes by pulling out the stems from winter‐dormant miscanthus plants. One genotype of each of the species M. sacchariflorus, M. × giganteus, M. sinensis in combination with three fragment types (collars, rhizomes, collars + rhizomes) were tested for establishment success and plant performance. The performance (e.g. dry matter yield) of collar‐propagated plants was either better than or not significantly different from rhizome‐propagated plants. Pregrown plantlets transplanted into the field showed no significant differences in establishment success between the fragments within a genotype. When directly planted into the field however, the fragment ‘rhizome+collar’ had a significantly better establishment success than the other two. The winter survival rate of the fragment ‘rhizome+collar’ was 70% for M. sacchariflorus and 75% for M. × giganteus. Emergence success from collar‐derived plants was not affected by harvest date (harvested monthly from November to February). This study showed that miscanthus propagation via collars is feasible and a promising alternative to rhizome propagation, as the multiplication rate of collars is comparable to that of rhizome propagation. Collar propagation is the more suitable method for the tested genotypes of the species M. sachariflorus and M. × giganteus, but not for M. sinensis genotypes, which may be better propagated by seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of livestock farming and use of arable forage crops has led to a decrease in the area of grassland used for animal husbandry. One potentially profitable use of this grassland is the production of biomass for bioenergy. The C4 grass miscanthus ( Miscanthus spp.) is considered an important biomass resource for bioenergy production; however, its cultivation is currently limited by the shortage of suitable agricultural land. The establishment of miscanthus on permanent grassland, at low densities and without destruction of the existing vegetation, could be an interesting option to consider. In this way, the expansion of miscanthus cultivation could be combined with grassland maintenance. Conventional tilling practices in miscanthus establishment (ploughing and herbicide application) on meadows can lead to loss of biodiversity. The aim of this study was to investigate efficient no-till practices for establishment and maintenance of several miscanthus genotypes on permanent grassland in Germany, focusing on the methods to improve establishment success and biomass production potential of miscanthus-supplemented grassland. A field trial was conducted at two sites to assess the effect of genotype, grassland pre-treatment (through temporary suppression of existing vegetation to reduce initial competition) and management (harvest frequencies) on miscanthus establishment and growth in grassland stands. An additional experiment with two miscanthus genotypes was set up to assess the effect of propagation method (rhizomes or pre-grown plantlets) on miscanthus establishment on grassland. Successful miscanthus establishment was achieved with no-till planting and grassland pre-treatment. Overall, miscanthus genotypes with tall, thick shoots performed better on grassland than those with short, thin shoots. Higher establishment rates were achieved through the transplanting of rhizome-derived (pre-grown) plantlets than with direct planting of rhizomes. Cutting the grassland vegetation to a stubble height of 5 cm and spraying herbicide in narrow strips before introducing miscanthus had beneficial effects on its establishment, without significant negative impact on grassland productivity. In the first three years of the study, two biomass harvests per growing season allowed a good total biomass yield from grassland to be achieved without significant impact on miscanthus growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]