Different planting material for establishment of the Miscanthus energy grass plantation

Abstract

Growing energy crops is one of the possibilities of using temporarily, respectively persistent unused agricultural land. In Slovakia, 44% (1,064,625 ha) of secondary and other land of the total land fund can be use also for establishment plantations of energy crops. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of the planting material energy crop Miscanthus on canopied growth and productivity of the growth. Mortality of the individuals and the ability of the individuals to create aboveground organs in the year of the establishment and dynamics biomass production in the following years have been assessed. The growth of fast-growing crop Miscanthus was established on a field experimental basis. Two genotypes: Miscanthus × giganteus (planting materials were rhizomes) and Miscanthus sinensis Tatai (planting materials were in vitro seedlings) have been observed. Relatively high mortality of the individuals (31%) was confirmed in rhizomes plantation. In the first year of cultivation, the growth of the Miscanthus × giganteus created clusters with total average number 26.07 stems per cluster with count yield biomass 11.10 t*ha-1 within the research area. The growth of the Miscanthus sinensis Tatai was full canopied at the end of the growing period in the year of its establishment. Miscanthus sinensis Tatai created average 37.60 stems per cluster with count yield biomass 10.80 t*ha-1. After the fifth vegetation year (2014), the growth reached the average production of 28.60 t*ha-1 of dry biomass. The growth established from rhizomes did not reach the full canopied in year of the establishment of the plantation and there was necessary to complete of the plantation.