More about Miscanthus

 

Miscanthus species are woody, perennial, rhizomatous grasses, originating from Asia which have the potential for very high rates of growth. Miscanthus may be familiar to many as a flowering garden ornamental, but it is the sterile, hybrid forms that are of value agriculturally. 

All propagation, maintenance and harvest can be done with conventional high tech greenhouse/nursery and conventional farming services and harvest machinery(sugar cane harvesters). This technique uses "precision planting of "live" plants accomplishing 100% field stands versus the clumps and skips from open furrow populating of rhizome pieces of varying germination. Additionally, precision planting can be done at greater densities which bring on yields faster and provide more even distribution of solar, water, chemicals and fertilizer which will increase the yields to the plants optimum growth potential.

Miscanthus: What is it?

Miscanthus is planted in spring and once planted can remain in the ground for at least fifteen to twenty years. First year growth is insufficient to be economically worth harvesting. New shoots emerge around March each year, growing rapidly in June-July, producing bamboo-like canes. The miscanthus dies back in the autumn/winter, the leaves fall off, providing nutrients for the soil, and the canes are harvested in winter or early spring. 

This growth pattern is repeated every year for the lifetime of the crop, and the annual harvest gives an annual income to the farmer. Miscanthus spreads naturally by means of underground storage organs known as rhizomes. However, their spread is slow and there is little risk of uncontrolled invasion of hedges or fields. These rhizomes can be split and the pieces re-planted to produce new plants. 

Where does it grow?

Credits:
Iowa State University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

From late July the lower leaves start to dry. Crop drying accelerates during autumn, as nutrients move back to the rhizome. Leaves then fall and a deep leaf litter develops. Most remaining foliage dies following the first air frost, and the stems dry to a relatively low moisture content (30 - 50%) during winter. By February, free standing, almost leafless, canes remain and it is these which are harvested mechanically, when their moisture contents have often fallen significantly. This growth cycle is repeated once spring-time temperatures increase again. From the second season onwards the crop can be expected to achieve a maximum height of 2.5 - 3.5 m.