Growing Miscanthus as an energy crop – food v fuel

Properly planned and managed, an investment in miscanthus production doesn’t need to become a food versus fuel issue says Keith Wilson of International Energy Crops, R&D partner to Masstock (see related article on Masstock energy demo farms). 

“Clearly, it’s wrong to plant 10t/ha wheat land with miscanthus, or any other energy crop.  There are, however, other ways to approach energy crop production.”

Citing the experience of working with a Lincolnshire farmer who currently devotes 10% of his former grain land to miscanthus, he went on to reveal the impressive benefits of concentrating the crop on marginal parts of the farm.  The producer in question plants miscanthus only on those parts of his fields which a crop sprayer operator would call ‘nuisance land’. The remaining 90% of his farm has been kept in cereals.

“As a result, he’s now achieving grain yields which are 7% higher than before he added miscanthus into the mix,” said Mr Wilson. “That’s because he concentrates his time, fertiliser and spraying on his best cereals land, leaving all the troublesome and time-consuming field areas, under trees, etc., to miscanthus.”

While repeating the point that 10t/ha wheat land should always be used for food production, Mr Wilson added: “It’s wrong, however, to waste money growing cereals on poor land with fertiliser where it is; with resistant blackgrass where it is, plus all the inputs needed on light sandy land where, if it doesn’t rain in May, you don’t have a crop to sell.   That isn’t sustainable farming. 

“Real sustainable farming is growing proper crops, wheat, barley, etc., on land which you know will yield consistently, leaving miscanthus and other energy crops to be fitted into the awkward bits.  In short, there’s room for both food and fuel if you treat each requirement properly.”   

Fresh potential

Mr Wilson believes there’s a healthy future in growing miscanthus, despite the crop’s rather less than spectacular recent history.

“The problem with most miscanthus crops is that they contain 40% gaps,” he said.  “They look okay from ground level but, when you get up into the harvester, it’s a different picture. As a result, they rarely hit the 20-tonne-per-hectare yields we’re looking for.”

His solution is simple, however. Treat the crop with a bit more respect.

“We’re overcoming the yield issue by precision planting to establish a plant every 70 centimetres,” he said.  “I know that means investing time and labour in the planting process but the yield benefits are worth it.  A little extra effort to make the sure it’s well planted and established, without all the gaps, is also justified by the fact that a good crop will be as productive in year 20 as it is in year two.  Once you’ve got it right, therefore, the rewards keep flowing.”

For more information see www.energycrops.com