Miscanthus

Miscanthus or Elephant Grass as the name suggests is a tall, coarse dense grass that can be grown in the UK over a nine to ten month period. Rhizomes are planted in April or May using a bespoke four row planters that can plant up to 12 hectares per day.

Harvesting of the miscanthus crop occurs in the window of November to January via a conventional mower and big baler, where the expected yield is approximately 20 tonnes per hectare.

What type of soil is required to grow Miscanthus?

Miscanthus will produce high yields on a wide range of soils from sands to high organic matter soils. The crop will tolerate a wide range of pH, but the optimum is between pH 5.5 and 7.5. Because miscanthus canes are normally harvested in February & March soils should be well drained, as water logging may cause difficulty with harvesting machinery. Very stony soils or steeply sloping ground should be avoided as this will cause difficulty when planting and during harvesting.

The best yields of miscanthus will come from deep soils with good moisture reserves.

The growing cycle

Following spring planting the miscanthus rhizome produces new shoots in April. These develop into erect stems that reach up to 2m (6-7ft) in height by late August. These stems are around 10mm diameter and are similar in appearance to bamboo canes.

During July/August the leaves start drying and this dieback accelerates during the autumn. Most of the nutrients in the crops move back into the rhizomes during this dieback period. The leaf fall creates a deep leaf litter under the standing crop in the autumn.

By February just freestanding almost leafless canes remain and these are harvested with conventional agricultural equipment. This growth cycle is repeated the following spring as temperatures increase.

From the second season onwards the crop can be expected to achieve a maximum height of up to 3.6m (12ft).

What type of climate is required for Miscanthus?

Sunshine, temperature and rainfall has a major impact on crop yield. Miscanthus plant growth occurs at 60C. The major limitation to the growing season is late spring frosts that destroy early foliage and therefore reduces the length of the growing season and potential yield.

Typical Yields

In the first year while the crop is becoming established the 1 or 2 odt/ha yield is not worth harvesting. In the second year a yield of 4 to 10 odt/ha can be expected and from the 2nd year the crop is harvested annually.

If you require any more information on miscanthus please contact:

Keith Roberts
CMS UK
Spring Farm Business Centre
Moss Lane
Minshull Vernon
Crewe
Cheshire CW1 4RJ
Tel: 01270 522645