Impacts of agroecological factors on the biomass production of gigant miscanthus (Miscanthus giganteus)

Abstract

The impact of the soil water content and the mineral fertiliser application on the biomass development of a perennial highly productive grass Miscanthus giganteus was investigated in the experimental field at the location Kozjak, municipality of Loznica. Miscanthus gigantheus is characterised by the nutrient recycle, especially nitrogen, during the vegetative development making the plant environmentally friendly crop. At view point of a bio-rationale soil use, it is very important that crops for the biomass production for renewable bio-fuel grow on soils that are unsuitable for the food production. The omission of watering of such crops decreases pressure to the environment. The soil structure of the experimental field was degraded. The biomass production: number (7-54) and height (32-200 cm) of stems and dry aboveground weight (42-200 g) per a rhizome were registered by a monthly measurement during two initial vegetative periods. The impact of the soil water content was much stronger than the impact of the fertiliser (N:P:K=15:15:15, 50 kg/ha) application. The number of stems per one rhizome was a most suitable parameter for an early determination of the biomass production. Obtained results are in accordance with literature data for long-term investigations in Europe and USA and suggest that the production of miscanthus biomass in the Republic of Serbia is possible at the level of about 10-20 t/DM/year depending on agro-ecological conditions. .

Ispitivan je uticaj vlažnosti zemljišta i ishrane mineralnim NPK hranivima na razvoj biomase višegodišnje visokoproduktivne trave Miscanthus giganteus u uslovima poljskog ogleda na lokaciji Kozjak, opština Loznica. Produkcija biomase (broj preživelih rizoma, broj izdanaka po jednom rizomu, visina useva i suva masa izdanka) određivana je jednom mesečno u toku prva dva vegetaciona perioda. Vlažnost zemljišta ima znatno jači uticaj na prinos u odnosu na ishranu (N:P:K=15:15:15, 50 kg/ha), a najpouzdanije svojstvo biomase u prvoj godini rastenja je broj izdanaka iz jednog rizoma. .