Miscanthus
Miscanthus giganteus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Panicoideae
Genus:	Miscanthus Keng

Miscanthus giganteus is a large perennial grass (it can grow up to 13 feet in height) used for energy production. It is currently used commercially in the UK and Europe with a rapidly growing market demand. In addition to providing clean and affordable electricity and heat, Miscanthus is an environmentally friendly crop. Its large root system captures nutrients, and stems provide wildlife cover. As a high yielding, low input perennial, Miscanthus is also excellent for carbon sequestration and soil building. Miscanthus giganteus is a sterile plant established primarily through the planting of rhizomes (shoots) taken from the root ball. Once planted, Miscanthus giganteus requires 2 – 3 years to reach full production potential and has a stand life of about 15 years. Miscanthus giganteus is a C4 plant which has a high photosynthesis efficiency. The normal production cycle of Miscanthus giganteus is a single harvest late in the fall or early spring before new shoots emerge. This allows the nutrients to return to the root system and the plant material to dry to a moisture content of less than 15% prior to harvest. Miscanthus giganteus is harvested using readily available farm equipment.

Contents 1 Comparison to corn ethanol 2 Comparison to timber and other grasses 3 Funding and research 4 Uses 5 External links

[edit] Comparison to corn ethanol

Compared to other ethanol inputs, giant Miscanthus grass produces more mass overall, as well as more ethanol. For example, a typical acre of corn yields around 7.6 tons of input per acre, and 756 gallons of ethanol. Giant Miscanthus is capable of producing up to 20 tons of biomass, and 3,250 gallons of ethanol fuel.

Another major benefits of Miscanthus grass is that it is not a food crop. Corn-based ethanol, which is the version most people are familiar with, is based on creating fuel from a product that could be used to feed people. When market forces change the demand for corn, prices can thereful fluctuate wildly, deeply affecting the ability of many to purchase food. Since Miscanthus grass is not a food crop, changes in deman will not have a direct effect on the price of food.

[edit] Comparison to timber and other grasses

Wood timber is one of the worst sources for ethanol production. At a maximum of four tons per of biomass per acre, and around 520 gallons of ethanol produced, it is a relatively poor performer, compared to Miscanthus's 3,250 gallons. While this may seem like an unfair comparison, Miscanthus even outperforms other grasses, such as switchgrass, which yields around 10 tons of biomass and 1,300 gallons of ethanol fuel.

[edit] Funding and research

Large colleges, such as the University of Illinois, Mississippi State University and University of Georgia have committed several years and large portions of money to studying ethanol production in general. Along the way, some, such as UI and MSU, have dedicated entire programs to researching the benefits of Miscanthus grass as an ethanol feedstock.

[edit] Uses

Research trials being conducted in the United Kingdom, United States and Ireland are making strides towards developing Miscanthus giganteus as a source of biomass for the production of energy either for direct combustion or through cellulosic ethanol or other biofuel production. Miscanthus is grown in Europe mainly for co-firing in coal power generating facilities. In the United States, SunBelt Biofuels founder Phillip Jennings has worked with Mississippi State's Brian Baldwin to develop an a more effective, marketable Miscanthus grass strain. SunBelt has since developed a program to distribute the strain to growers, refiners, and others interested in the plant(dubbed "Freedom" giant Miscanthus, as the company hopes to reduce American dependence on foreign oil).

Some manufacturers are currently exploring the possibility of using Miscanthus grass an input for plastics and other products traditionally constructed from petroleum fuels.

[edit] External links

• Mississippi State University press release announcing the viability of Miscanthus grass as a biofuel feedstock.
• Miscanthus Study at SERC at Mississippi State University
• Miscanthus Study at the University of Illinois
• US Can meet US Biofuel goals using less land - A study showing how Miscanthus can create more ethanol with less space
• SunBelt BioFuels creators of Freedom giant Miscanthus, the first patented, university-backed strain of Miscanthus grass
• International Energy Crops Europe's leading developer and commercial producer of Miscanthus
• Miscanthus
• Miscanthus x giganteus - as an energy crop - Miscanthus Research at the University of Illinois

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