> >I wonder about the invasiveness of miscanthus. "Other varieties of Miscanthus have been grown successfully in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. However, the giant Miscanthus being grown by the Illinois researchers has the greatest potential as a fuel source because of its high yields and because it is sterile and cannot become a weed, Heaton said. Miscanthus sacchariflorus and some of the other fertile Miscanthus species can be quite invasive, she said.
At a research station near Hornum, Denmark, giant Miscanthus has been grown for 22 years in Europes longest-running experimental field. The crop has never been invasive and rhizome spread has been no more than 1.5 meters (4.92 feet), said Uffe Jorgensen, senior scientist for the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences." Hybrid Grass Shows Strong Biomass Potential October 12, 2005 http://renewableenergyaccess.com Doctoral student Emily Heaton stands next to a plot of Giant Miscanthus, a hybrid grass that she and her research fellows have shown could become a valuable fuel source. Photo: Kwame Ross Champaign, Illinois [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Ethanol and biodiesel are the biofuel favorites in the US right now but new research is suggesting some new contenders may be on the way. Giant Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), a hybrid grass that can grow 13 feet high, may become a valuable renewable energy as a source of solid fuel, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) say. In addition to being a clean, efficient and renewable fuel source, Miscanthus is easy to grow. Upon reaching maturity, Miscanthus has few needs as it outgrows weeds, requires little water and minimal fertilizer and thrives in untilled fields, Heaton said, where various wildlife species make their homes in the plant's leafy canopy and surrounding undisturbed soil. Stephen P. Long, professor of crop sciences and of plant biology at UIUC recently gave that message to the BA Festival of Science in Ireland, sponsored by the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Here in the states, two of Long's doctoral students, Emily A. Heaton and Frank G. Dohleman, delivered their Miscanthus findings at the 49th annual Agronomy Day, held on the UIUC campus and attended by more than 1,100 visitors from across the Midwest. "Forty percent of U.S. energy is used as electricity," Heaton said. "The easiest way to get electricity is using a solid fuel such as coal." They have found that dry, leafless Miscanthus stems can be used as a solid fuel. The cool-weather-friendly perennial grass grows from an underground stem-like organ called a rhizome. A crop native to Asia and a relative of sugarcane, Miscanthus drops its leaves in the winter, leaving behind tall bamboo-like stems that can be harvested in spring and burned for fuel. Using a computer simulation, Heaton predicted that if just 10 percent of Illinois land mass was devoted to Miscanthus, it could provide 50 percent of Illinois' electricity needs. Using Miscanthus for energy would not necessarily reduce energy costs in the short term, Heaton said, but there would be significant savings in carbon dioxide production. Rhizomatous grasses such as Miscanthus are very clean fuels, said Dohleman, who is studying for his doctorate in plant biology. Nutrients such as nitrogen are transferred to the rhizome to be saved until the next growing season, he said. Burning Miscanthus produces only as much carbon dioxide as it removes from the air as it grows, said Heaton, who is seeking her doctorate in crop sciences. That balance means there is no net effect on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which is not the case with fossil fuels, she said. Miscanthus also is a very efficient fuel, because the energy ratio of input to output is less than 0.2, Heaton said. In contrast, the ratios exceed 0.8 for ethanol and biodiesel from canola, which are other plant-derived energy sources. In addition to being a clean, efficient and renewable fuel source, Miscanthus is easy to grow. Upon reaching maturity, Miscanthus has few needs as it outgrows weeds, requires little water and minimal fertilizer and thrives in untilled fields, Heaton said, where various wildlife species make their homes in the plant's leafy canopy and surrounding undisturbed soil. Long said Illinois researchers have found that Miscanthus grown in the state has greater crop yields than in Europe, where it has been used commercially for years. Last year, Illinois researchers obtained 60 tons per hectare (2.47 acre), Long said at the BA Festival of Science. "It is my hope that Illinois will take the lead in renewable energy and that the state will benefit from that lead." Full-grown plants produce 10-30 tons per acre dry weight each year. Miscanthus yields in lowland areas around the Alps, where the climate is similar to the Midwest, are at least 25 tons per acre dry weight, wrote Heaton and colleagues in a paper published in 2004 in the journal Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change. The Illinois Miscanthus crop began three years ago when Heaton planted 400 Miscanthus rhizomes, which were generated from three rhizomes donated by the Turfgrass Program in the department of natural resources and environmental sciences. Because Miscanthus is sterile, cuttings of Miscanthus rhizomes must be used to create new plants. Now in their third year, the three 33-by-33 feet Miscanthus plots are considered mature. Their 10-foot tall stems are twice as high as switchgrass, a prairie grass native to Illinois. Grown side by side, Miscanthus produces more than twice as much biomass as switchgrass, Heaton said. To investigate how Miscanthus is so productive, Dohleman and others' preliminary results show that Miscanthus has a 27 percent greater rate of photosynthesis at midday compared with switchgrass - also an increasingly popular option for efficient biomass. Other varieties of Miscanthus have been grown successfully in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. However, the giant Miscanthus being grown by the Illinois researchers has the greatest potential as a fuel source because of its high yields and because it is sterile and cannot become a weed, Heaton said. "Miscanthus sacchariflorus and some of the other fertile Miscanthus species can be quite invasive," she said. The next step, Long said, is to demonstrate how Miscanthus goes from a plant to a power source. Existing U.S. power plants could be modified to use Miscanthus for fuel as in Europe, he said. Long is collaborating with researchers at the Institute of Genomic Biology to study whether Miscanthus could be converted to alcohol, which can also be used as fuel. For further Information Univ. of Ill at Urbana-Champaign http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/05/0927miscanthus.html Hybrid grass may prove to be valuable fuel source Molly McElroy, News Bureau 217-333-5802; [EMAIL PROTECTED] 9/27/05 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Giant Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), a hybrid grass that can grow 13 feet high, may be a valuable renewable fuel source for the future, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign say. Stephen P. Long, a professor of crop sciences and of plant biology, recently took that message to Dublin, Ireland, where the British Association for the Advancement of Science sponsored the annual BA Festival of Science Sept. 3-10. Closer to home, two of Longs doctoral students, Emily A. Heaton and Frank G. Dohleman, delivered their Miscanthus findings at the 49th annual Agronomy Day, held on campus Aug. 18 and attended by more than 1,100 visitors from across the Midwest. Forty percent of U.S. energy is used as electricity, Heaton said. The easiest way to get electricity is using a solid fuel such as coal. Dry, leafless Miscanthus stems can be used as a solid fuel. The cool-weather-friendly perennial grass, sometimes referred to as elephant grass or E-grass, grows from an underground stem-like organ called a rhizome. Miscanthus, a crop native to Asia and a relative of sugarcane, drops its slender leaves in the winter, leaving behind tall bamboo-like stems that can be harvested in early spring and burned for fuel. Rhizomatous grasses such as Miscanthus are very clean fuels, said Dohleman, who is studying for a doctorate in plant biology. Nutrients such as nitrogen are transferred to the rhizome to be saved until the next growing season, he said. Burning Miscanthus produces only as much carbon dioxide as it removes from the air as it grows, said Heaton, who is seeking a doctorate in crop sciences. That balance means there is no net effect on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which is not the case with fossil fuels, she said. Miscanthus also is a very efficient fuel, because the energy ratio of input to output is less than 0.2, Heaton said. In contrast, the ratios exceed 0.8 for ethanol and biodiesel from canola, which are other plant-derived energy sources. Besides being a clean, efficient and renewable fuel source, Miscanthus also is remarkably easy to grow. Upon reaching maturity, Miscanthus has few needs as it outgrows weeds, requires little water and minimal fertilizer and thrives in untilled fields, Heaton said. In untilled fields, various wildlife species make their homes in the plants leafy canopy and in the surrounding undisturbed soil. Illinois researchers have found that Miscanthus grown in the state has greater crop yields than in Europe, where it has been used commercially for years, Long said. Full-grown plants produce 10-30 tons per acre dry weight each year. Miscanthus yields in lowland areas around the Alps, where the climate is similar to the Midwest, are at least 25 tons per acre dry weight, wrote Heaton and colleagues in a paper published in 2004 in the journal Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change. Last year, Illinois researchers obtained 60 tons per hectare (2.47 acre), Long said at the BA Festival of Science. Using a computer simulator, Heaton predicted that if just 10 percent of Illinois land mass was devoted to Miscanthus, it could provide 50 percent of Illinois electricity needs. Using Miscanthus for energy would not necessarily reduce energy costs in the short term, Heaton said, but there would be significant savings in carbon dioxide production. The Illinois Miscanthus crop began three years ago when Heaton planted 400 Miscanthus rhizomes, which were generated from three rhizomes donated by the Turfgrass Program in the department of natural resources and environmental sciences. Because Miscanthus is sterile, cuttings of Miscanthus rhizomes must be used to create new plants. Now in their third year, the three 33-by-33 feet Miscanthus plots at the intersection of South First Street and Airport Road in Savoy, Ill., are considered mature. Their 10-foot tall stems are twice as high as switchgrass, a prairie grass native to Illinois. Grown side by side, Miscanthus produces more than twice as much biomass as switchgrass, Heaton said. To investigate how Miscanthus is so productive, Dohleman and others take measurements of photosynthesis throughout the day. He measures the intensity of the sun and then places a leaf in a chamber, allowing him to measure the rate of photosynthesis depending upon ambient sunlight. Preliminary results show that Miscanthus has a 27 percent greater rate of photosynthesis at midday compared with switchgrass. Nine different fields across the state are being used to help estimate Miscanthus productivity, Heaton said. Plots in Champaign and Christian counties each have more than 2 acres of Miscanthus, and DeKalb, Pike, Pope, Wayne, Fayette and Mason counties have smaller plots. Plots in Champaign County have shown the greatest yearly yields, according to Longs 2004 progress report to the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research, which funded the experiments. It is my hope that Illinois will take the lead in renewable energy and that the state will benefit from that lead, Long said. Other varieties of Miscanthus have been grown successfully in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. However, the giant Miscanthus being grown by the Illinois researchers has the greatest potential as a fuel source because of its high yields and because it is sterile and cannot become a weed, Heaton said. Miscanthus sacchariflorus and some of the other fertile Miscanthus species can be quite invasive, she said. At a research station near Hornum, Denmark, giant Miscanthus has been grown for 22 years in Europes longest-running experimental field. The crop has never been invasive and rhizome spread has been no more than 1.5 meters (4.92 feet), said Uffe Jorgensen, senior scientist for the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences. The next step, Long said, is to demonstrate how Miscanthus goes from a plant to a power source. Existing U.S. power plants could be modified to use Miscanthus for fuel as in Europe, he said. Long collaborates with researchers at the Institute of Genomic Biology to study whether Miscanthus could be converted to alcohol, which could be used as fuel. > Keith Addison wrote: > > Hello Doug > > >Presumably they could be used for celulose to alcohol processes. > > More like biomass energy I think, and Fischer-Tropsch fuel: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/msg09335.html > Re: [biofuel] VW presents new synthetic fuel strategy > > >I wonder about the invasiveness of miscanthus. > > You might find something at these databases, though I think > invasiveness is often a synonym for bad management: > > NewCrop SearchEngine at the Center for New Crops & Plant Products at > Purdue University -- Search for "oil". Results: "The following pages > containing 'oil' were found -- hits 1-20 of 200". Results are > hyperlinked to detailed factsheets. > http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/SearchEngine.html > > Plants For A Future -- Database Search -- See "Search by Use - Select > any of the following uses. Or select none and use the plant criteria > below." Select "Other Use" - oil. Results: "Other Use: Oil (460)". > Results are hyperlinked to detailed factsheets. > http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/D_search.html > > >Thanks to Lawrence F. London on the permaculture list. > > His website: > http://www.ibiblio.org/london/ > EcoLandTech > > Best > > Keith > > >Doug Woodard > >St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada > > > >---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > ><http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4220790.stm> > > > >Last Updated: Wednesday, 7 September 2005, 00:49 GMT 01:49 UK > >Tall grasses set to power Europe > >By Jonathan Amos > >BBC News science reporter, Dublin > > > >Miscanthus, University of Illinois > >Miscanthus: High output for small input > >The fields of Europe could soon take on a shimmering silver colour as > >farmers grow giant grasses to try to mitigate the effects of global warming. > > > >The latest studies suggest one form of elephant grass would make a > >productive "energy crop" to be burnt in power stations to generate > >electricity. > > > >Scientists told a Dublin conference the 4m-high Miscanthus needs little > >fertiliser to produce very high yields. > > > >A breeding programme would improve its economics still further, they said. > > > >"There's no reason why in 10 years' time this shouldn't be widely > >exploited," commented Professor Mike Jones, an Irish expert on plants > >and climate. > > > >"If we grew Miscanthus on 10% of suitable land in [the 15-member] > >Europe, then we could generate 9% of the gross electricity production," > >he told the British Association's Festival of Science. > > > >Hectares and barrels > > > >Burning biomass is broadly neutral in terms of its emissions of carbon > >dioxide, the major gas thought responsible for warming the planet. > > > >"As the plant grows it is drawing carbon dioxide out of the air," > >explained Professor Steve Long, from the University of Illinois. "When > >you burn it, you put that carbon dioxide back, so the net effect on > >atmospheric CO2 is zero. > > > >"Whereas, if you take coal out of the ground and burn it, you are adding > >a net gain of carbon to the atmosphere." > > > >Professor Long has been cultivating a hybrid of two Miscanthus species > >on plots in his home state. The project has managed to achieve yields of > >60 tonnes of dry material per hectare. > > > >This is a considerable improvement on the trials that have been > >conducted in Europe, where a typical yield is some 12 tonnes per hectare. > > > >But even this lower production provides an energy content equivalent to > >about 36 barrels of crude oil. And with a barrel currently priced around > >$60, such a yield would have a potential value of about $2,160 per hectare. > > > >Growing interest > > > >"Biomass crops have always been viewed as something that can only make a > >tiny contribution to mitigating rising carbon dioxide," said Professor Long. > > > >"The point we want to make is that it could actually make a major > >contribution and it doesn't require big technological breakthroughs to > >do that." > > > >Farmers are increasingly being drawn to the idea. One of its attractions > >is that harvesting takes place at times of the year when machinery in > >not being used on food crops. > > > >Added Professor Jones: "This is definitely being taken seriously in the > >UK, where the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is now > >funding a major breeding programme." > > > >One farmers' cooperative also plans to cultivate 10,000 hectares for > >burning over the next three years. > > > >LINKS TO MORE SCIENCE/NATURE STORIES > > > >SEE ALSO: > >Climate food crisis 'to deepen' > >05 Sep 05 | Science/Nature > >Asian peat fires add to warming > >03 Sep 05 | Science/Nature > >UK 'lagging on biomass potential' > >11 May 04 | Science/Nature > > > >RELATED INTERNET LINKS: > >BA Festival of Science > >BA Festival of Science Webcasts > >Trinity College Dublin > >Science for a Successful Ireland > >The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
