Miscanthus as Bioenergy Crop: Long-term Trial Shows Exceptional Yield

Researchers from the University of Illinois have published the results of the first long-term U.S. field trials of Miscanthus x giganteus, a tall perennial grass used in bioenergy production, showing that its yields are more than twice those of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), a popular perennial bioenergy grass.

The average annual yield of Miscanthus grown in seven Illinois locations over a period of eight to 10 years was 10.5 tons per acre, compared with 4.5 tons per acre for switchgrass grown in side-by-side trials in Illinois, the researchers report. Miscanthus yields in Europe are about half of those reported in the Midwest. The study took into account differences in yield that were the result of annual weather changes (primarily heat and precipitation, both of which increased growth). The Illinois study also confirmed the earlier finding in Europe with regard to the comparable performance of Miscanthus in poor and fertile soils.

The new findings appear in the journal Global Change Biology: Bioenergy.