Impact of Different Fertilization Regimes on the Biomass Production of Perennial Grass Miscanthus × Giganteus in Slovakia

Abstract

Miscanthus energy grass, being one of the renewable energy sources, has suitable soil-climatic conditions for growth in the regions of Slovakia. The lifespan of a Miscanthus plantation is 15-20 years. In the specific conditions of southwestern Slovakia, the plantation productivity was studied under the application of NPK fertilizer after one third of the plantation's lifespan. The measurement interval was 14 days throughout the growing period of the monitored years (2016)(2017)(2018). Morphometric and selected ecophysiological and production parameters were analysed under three fertilization variants (Ccontrol, V1variant with the application of 50 g NPK per individual and V2variant with the application of 100 g NPK per individual). Variant V2 had the highest values of the studied parameters in all monitored years and out of all fertilization variants. The statistical significance of differences in growth indicators between the years of cultivation and total biomass production between variants and years was confirmed. Dynamics of stomatal density per mm 2 were determined by microrelief method in three randomly selected clumps of Miscanthus × giganteus in control and in each variant of fertilization in 2016. There are significant differences in the density stomatal density and width between the control and variants of fertilization in 2016.