ABSTRACT

Scurlock, J. M. O. (1998). Miscanthus: a review of European experience with a novel energy crop. ORNL/TM-13732. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 26 pp.

Miscanthus is a tall perennial grass which has been evaluated in Europe over the past 5-10 years as a new bioenergy crop. The sustained European interest in miscanthus suggests that this novel energy crop deserves serious investigation as a possible candidate biofuel crop for the United States alongside switchgrass. To date, no agronomic trials or trial results for miscanthus are known from the conterminous United States, so its performance under U.S. conditions is virtually unknown. Speculating from European data, under typical agricultural practices over large areas, an average of about 8t/ha (3t/acre dry weight) may be expected at harvest time. As with most of the new bioenergy crops, there seems to be a steep "learning curve." Establishment costs appear to be fairly high at present (a wide range is reported from different European countries), although these may be expected to fall as improved management techniques are developed.