18 Nov 2009
Land owners considering bioenergy crops have the opportunity to learn first hand from a leading international expert next month. Dr Emily Heaton, Iowa State University, will be sharing her research and experiences at a conference organised by the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 30 in December.
Dr Heaton has led research in the United States comparing the biomass production of Miscanthus and switchgrass, research that indicated Miscanthus could produce 250% more ethanol than corn from the area of land. She previously worked for Ceres -- a plant genetics company in California specialising in biomass crop breeding for fuel.
Her research focuses on best management practices for perennial energy crops, and their potential for ameliorating global climate change through carbon offset and sequestration.
Miscanthus is a tall perennial grass that is sometimes confused with elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and has been called both "elephant grass" and "E-grass". Most of the miscanthus cultivars proposed as a commercial crop are sterile hybrids (Miscanthus x giganteus) which originated in Japan.
The crop is established by planting rhizomes, which are usually collected from "nursery fields" where miscanthus has already been established. The rhizomes can be broken up, collected and planted using equipment such as potato harvesters and planters.
Miscanthus can be harvested every year with a sugar cane harvester and can be grown in a cool climate like that of northern Europe. Like other bioenergy crops, the harvested stems of miscanthus may be used as fuel for production of heat and electric power, or for conversion to other useful products such as ethanol.
Miscanthus has:
- relatively high yields — 8-15 t/ha (3-6 t/acre) dry weight,
- low moisture content (as little as 15-20% if harvested in late winter or spring),
- annual harvests, providing a regular yearly income for the grower,
- good energy balance and output/input ratio compared with some other biomass options, and
- low mineral content, especially with late winter or spring harvest, which improves fuel quality.
For registration details, contact Lesley Caudwell on 07 343 5846 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. See also the IEA Bioenergy Task 30 website: www.shortrotationcrops.org.
Source: Scion media release plus additional copy from http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/papers/miscanthus/miscanthus.html