Miscanthus

The Miscanthus variety we grow is Miscanthus giganteus. This is a "woody" perennial crop that grows about 3.5 metres tall annually after growing up. Miscanthus giganteus is a sterile triploid of Miscanthus Sacchariflorus and Miscanthus Sinensis. Because the crop is sterile, it reproduces itself by rhizome division. The hardy crop grows rapidly through its C4 photosynthesis, has low nutrient requirements and no diseases have been detected in the crop.

Moreover, the photosynthesis of Miscanthus seems to be better adapted to lower temperatures than many other C4 crops, making the crop capable of producing a lot of biomass even in our climate. When the crop is fully developed, 12 - 16 tonnes of biomass can be harvested annually with a relatively low moisture content (around 15%) because the Miscanthus will have dried out. The tonnage to be harvested obviously depends on the growing conditions, in which a good start, in particular, is important to achieve a productive planting site!

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Miscanthus

Benefits of Miscanthus

Great sequestration of CO2 as a C4 crop

Miscanthus Giganteus belongs to the main type of C4 crops, which are very efficient in sequestering CO2. In fact, Miscanthus absorbs four times more CO2 than a forest in our climate!

Formation of large amounts of biomass and cellulose

With a yield of about 14 tonnes from the 4th year after planting and a high cellulose content (45% - 52%), Miscanthus is one of the leaders in our climate!

Virtually no pesticides

Weed control is only necessary in the year of planting and the 1st year after planting. For the remaining life span, this is not necessary because of soil cover due to leaf fall and the rapid growth of Miscanthus.

Virtually no fertilisation

The fertilisation requirement of Miscanthus is very limited (from 3rd year after planting, 30 - 60 kg. N/ha annually), this is due to the fact that it is a C4 crop. In addition, this is because Miscanthus dries out where nutrients sink back into the rhizomes. Furthermore, after leaf fall and composting the leaf fall, nutrients are reabsorbed by the Miscanthus.

Non-invasive

Unlike several other perennial crops, Miscanthus does not cause problems upon removal of the crop.

Biodiversity

Due to the length and density of the crop, Miscanthus provides shelter to fauna. Particularly during the winter time when Miscanthus is one of the few crops left on the land. In addition, when growing Miscanthus, there is no need to "stir" the soil during the cultivation period which benefits soil biodiversity.

Soil quality

With the deep rooting and due to the limited operational activities with Miscanthus during the winter period, there is less risk of erosion than when growing traditional field crops. In addition, because virtually no pesticides are applied, there is no risk of leaching.

Multi-annual cultivation

Due to the multi-year cultivation, operational operations are limited, an additional advantage is that costs are low. Among other things, soil preparation and planting costs can be spread over the total crop life of 20 years.

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Miscanthus Yield

The final yield of Miscanthus cultivation is between 12 and 16 tonnes per hectare annually. This difference in yields are caused by plant density, emergence rate, soil type and climate, among other factors. The highest yields can be achieved in lower-lying soils with good water retention capacity. This due to the fact that Miscanthus is a C4 crop: high water availability (water retention capacity and high average rainfall) with high average temperatures have a conducive effect on crop growth!

In the establishment phase, yield increases annually to finally stabilise 3 years after planting. Crop growth in the first year after planting at about 1 - 2 tonnes per ha is not worth harvesting. It is not necessary to harvest the stalks, which may be left in the field until the following harvest season. Although it can also be chosen to chop the Miscanthus but leave it in the field as an organic weed suppressant. From the 2nd year after planting Miscanthus can be harvested annually. The tonnage in the 2nd year after planting is between 6 - 10 tonnes per hectare. From the 3rd year, the harvest is around 12- 16 tonnes per hectare.

Incidentally, there are Miscanthus giganteus fields in Europe that are more than 20 years old and still achieve stable tonnages.

Preconditions

As is the case with other crops, for the successful growth of Miscanthus, the most important factors are sunshine, temperature and rainfall. However, there are a few more prerequisites important to consider for successful planting!

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Growth cycle

Even though Miscanthus is planted for a 20-year period there is an annual growth cycle. From the 3rd year after planting, the Miscanthus usually reaches its full potential for the remaining life span.