Miscanthus xgiganteus biomass yield and quality in the Virginia Piedmont

Miscanthus xgiganteus holds promise for bioenergy production given its low input requirements and high aboveground biomass productivity. To date, research regarding M. xgiganteus management has focused largely on the fertilization and establishment requirements for successful crops, but limited information is available regarding cultivars suitability for different regions of the United States. Our objective was to evaluate the suitability of available cultivars under a limited input management regime in the Piedmont region of Virginia. Multi-year trials were conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Biomass yields and morphological traits of three M. xgiganteus cultivars ('Freedom', 'Illinois' and 'Nagara') were tested, and structural components of feedstock quality calculated. In 2013, 'Nagara' was the greatest yielding cultivar, followed by 'Illinois', but no differences among cultivars were observed in the following 2 years. 'Nagara', a cultivar with the potential to maximize biomass and ethanol production (i.e., due to its high ash and low lignin contents) at the same time, would be a highly desirable cultivar from both a farmer and an industrial perspective. Water availability for establishment and harvesting phases was 30% to 56% above recommended levels for maximum growth rates (750 to 900 mm). With 30-year average precipitation around 1,150 mm, and soils not suited for annual row crops, the Piedmont region of Virginia has potential for M. xgiganteus high biomass production. Studies replicated at more locations and with the potential inclusion of other high-yielding M. xgiganteus cultivars are warranted to start building a specific body of knowledge about most suitable M. xgiganteus cultivars for the mid-Atlantic USA region.