Growth, yield and mineral content of Miscanthus×giganteus grown as a biofuel for 14 successive harvests

Christian, D. G.; Riche, A. B.; Yates, N. E.

doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2008.02.009

Cited by 327 publications

(283 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Even a relatively modest 1 t C ha −1 yr −1 [8] increase in soil C stocks can improve the GHG footprint of Miscanthus by 314 g CO 2 -eq kWh −1 , assuming electricity generation in a steam-turbine power station averaging 30 % Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12155-016-9772-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. efficiency [9] and an average harvested yield of 10 t ha −1 yr −1 [10,11] (Eq. 3 [7]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon Inputs from Miscanthus Displace Older Soil Organic Carbon Without Inducing Priming

et al. 2016

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The carbon (C) dynamics of a bioenergy system are key to correctly defining its viability as a sustainable alternative to conventional fossil fuel energy sources. Recent studies have quantified the greenhouse gas mitigation potential of these bioenergy crops, often concluding that C sequestration in soils plays a primary role in offsetting emissions through energy generation. Miscanthus is a particularly promising bioenergy crop and research has shown that soil C stocks can increase by more than 2 t C ha −1 yr −1 . In this study, we use a stable isotope ( 13 C) technique to trace the inputs and outputs from soils below a commercial Miscanthus plantation in Lincolnshire, UK, over the first 7 years of growth after conversion from a conventional arable crop. Results suggest that an unchanging total topsoil (0-30 cm) C stock is caused by Miscanthus additions displacing older soil organic matter. Further, using a comparison between bare soil plots (no new Miscanthus inputs) and undisturbed Miscanthus controls, soil respiration was seen to be unaffected through priming by fresh inputs or rhizosphere. The temperature sensitivity of old soil C was also seen to be very similar with and without the presence of live root biomass. Total soil respiration from control plots was dominated by Miscanthus-derived emissions with autotrophic respiration alone accounting for ∼50 % of CO 2 . Although total soil C stocks did not change significantly over time, the Miscanthus-derived soil C accumulated at a rate of 860 kg C ha −1 yr −1 over the top 30 cm. Ultimately, the results from this study indicate that soil C stocks below Miscanthus plantations do not necessarily increase during the first 7 years.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon Inputs from Miscanthus Displace Older Soil Organic Carbon Without Inducing Priming

et al. 2016

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“…The perennial crops tested in our study can be produced not only for solid biofuels but also as raw material for the production of liquid and gas fuels (Christian et al, 2008;Greenhalf et al, 2012;Somerville et al, 2010). Then, some of them can be harvested in two or even three cuts during one growing season instead of waiting for one harvest after they stop growing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermophysical and Chemical Properties of Perennial Energy Crops Depending on Harvest Period

Stolarski¹,

Krzyżaniak²,

Śnieg³

et al. 2014

International Agrophysics

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A b s t r a c t. This paper presents analyses of the thermophysical and chemical properties of eleven perennial crop species harvested in one-year rotation cycles. The crops included four species grown for biomass in the form of straw, five species producing semi-wood biomass, and two species yielding wood biomass. The research comprised three consecutive crop harvests. In each harvesting season, biomass samples for analyses were taken on six dates at one-month intervals. Thermophysical and chemical properties of the biomass were significantly differentiated within the main experimental factors and their interactions. The biomass produced by Virginia mallow had the best quality parameters as solid fuel. In fact, it achieved the lowest water content and the highest lower heating value during all of the analyzed seasons and harvest dates. The biomass of the species yielding straw or semi-wood products attained better quality as solid fuel on later harvest dates. In turn, the quality of willow biomass remained practically unchanged between the harvest dates.K e y w o r d s: biomass, perennial crops, lower heating value, ash content, chemical composition

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“…This is important because whether such crops are established on degraded or fertile soils may control the potential for C sequestration [8]. Also important is the age of the stand, as others have reported an establishment phase as crop yields increase [19] where resident SOC turns over before full replacement by new SOC deriving from the bioenergy crop [16], particularly where the former land use was under perennial grass [18,20,21]. Therefore, a full assessment of the potential for bioenergy crops to sequester significant amounts of C is still far from certain [8,15,22,23] and is reliant on monitoring the dynamics of SOC in well-designed field experiments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species and Genotype Effects of Bioenergy Crops on Root Production, Carbon and Nitrogen in Temperate Agricultural Soil

et al. 2018

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Bioenergy crops have a secondary benefit if they increase soil organic C (SOC) stocks through capture and allocation belowground. The effects of four genotypes of short-rotation coppice willow (Salix spp., 'Terra Nova' and 'Tora') and Miscanthus (M. × giganteus ('Giganteus') and M. sinensis ('Sinensis')) on roots, SOC and total nitrogen (TN) were quantified to test whether below-ground biomass controls SOC and TN dynamics. Soil cores were collected under ('plant') and between plants ('gap') in a field experiment on a temperate agricultural silty clay loam after 4 and 6 years' management. Root density was greater under Miscanthus for plant (up to 15.5 kg m −3 ) compared with gap (up to 2.7 kg m −3 ), whereas willow had lower densities (up to 3.7 kg m −3 ). Over 2 years, SOC increased below 0.2 m depth from 7.1 to 8.5 kg m −3 and was greatest under Sinensis at 0-0.1 m depth (24.8 kg m −3 ). Miscanthus-derived SOC, based on stable isotope analysis, was greater under plant (11.6 kg m −3 ) than gap (3.1 kg m −3 ) for Sinensis. Estimated SOC stock change rates over the 2-year period to 1-m depth were 6.4 for Terra Nova, 7.4 for Tora, 3.1 for Giganteus and 8.8 Mg ha −1 year −1 for Sinensis. Rates of change of TN were much less. That SOC matched root mass down the profile, particularly under Miscanthus, indicated that perennial root systems are an important contributor. Willow and Miscanthus offer both biomass production and C sequestration when planted in arable soil.

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Growth, yield and mineral content of Miscanthus×giganteus grown as a biofuel for 14 successive harvests

Cited by 327 publications

References 18 publications

Carbon Inputs from Miscanthus Displace Older Soil Organic Carbon Without Inducing Priming

Carbon Inputs from Miscanthus Displace Older Soil Organic Carbon Without Inducing Priming

Thermophysical and Chemical Properties of Perennial Energy Crops Depending on Harvest Period

Species and Genotype Effects of Bioenergy Crops on Root Production, Carbon and Nitrogen in Temperate Agricultural Soil

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