Methods of Increasing Miscanthus Biomass Yield for Biofuel Production

Abstract

The lignocellulosic perennial crop miscanthus, especially Miscanthus × giganteus, is particularly interesting for bioenergy production as it combines high biomass production with low environmental impact. However, there are several varieties that pose a hazard due to susceptibility to disease. This review contains links showing genotype and ecological variability of important characteristics related to yield and biomass composition of miscanthus that may be useful in plant breeding programs to increase bioenergy production. Some clones of Miscanthus × giganteus and Miscanthus sinensis are particularly interesting due to their high biomass production per hectare. Although the compositional requirements for industrial biomass have not been fully defined for the various bioenergy conversion processes, the lignin-rich species Miscanthus × giganteus and Miscanthus sacchariflorus seem to be more suitable for thermochemical conversion processes. At the same time, the species Miscanthus sinensis and some clones of Miscanthus × giganteus with low lignin content are of interest for the biochemical transformation process. The species Miscanthus sacchariflorus is suitable for various bioenergy conversion processes due to its low ash content, so this species is also interesting as a pioneer in breeding programs. Mature miscanthus crops harvested in winter are favored by industrial enterprises to improve efficiency and reduce processing costs. This study can be attributed to other monocotyledonous plants and perennial crops that can be used as feedstock for biofuels.

Bioengineering and Molecular Biology of Miscanthus

“…The breeding of improved Miscanthus for biomass production in order to obtain biofuels may depend on the abundance and ploidy level of wild genetic material of various species [35,51]. Therefore, according to Schaefer et al, the Miscanthus genetic variety and the distribution of interspecific and intraspecific variability in mixed populations were investigated.…”

Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Miscanthus × giganteus Raised in Different Climate Regions in Russia

“…Perennial C4 plants are considered to be an especially promising alternative feedstock because of their higher photosynthetic capacity, high yield and productive utilization of nitrogen and water when compared to C3 plants [ 3 , 7 ]. These peculiarities allow the perennial grasses, particularly Miscanthus , to attain to substantial yields [ 8 ] even if they are raised in marginal and degraded lands [ 7 , 9 , 10 ], thereby exerting a positive habitat-forming impact on them. That said, Miscanthus is reckoned as one of the most promising because it is capable of utilizing the ambient resources more efficiently than the other C4 plants [ 10 ].…”

“…In the present study, we examined Miscanthus × giganteus , a perennial cereal crop with a biomass yield of up to 40 ton/ha annually [ 7 , 10 ] over the span of 18–25 years, having a high potential for the greenhouse gas mitigation through carbon fixation into the soil [ 18 ]. The advantage of Miscanthus × giganteus is that it is able to sequestrate twice more carbon than Miscanthus sinensis [ 19 ].…”

“…There are known studies on the chemical composition of M. saccharif lorus , M. Sinensis and M. Purpurascens raised in the continental climate of West Siberia (Russia) [ 37 ].The relationships between the chemical composition of Miscanthus and species/variety, plantation age, climatic conditions, seasonal variations and harvest time are being examined [ 10 ]. Studies are being performed on the chemical composition subject to the biomass harvesting time: early (fall) and late (spring) [ 7 , 10 , 18 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Wahid et al [ 28 ] observed no changes in the chemical composition of Miscanthus × giganteus , which is more likely due to the fact that it had already achieved an optimum maturity at early harvesting.…”

“…Wahid et al [ 28 ] observed no changes in the chemical composition of Miscanthus × giganteus , which is more likely due to the fact that it had already achieved an optimum maturity at early harvesting. Cellulose was shown to prevail in the spring harvest [ 7 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], which is the best for further processing of Miscanthus . The spring harvesting is also preferable because of a low biomass moisture and more complete transfer of nutrients from leaves and stems to rhizomes for storage and utilization in the next season [ 10 , 18 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], favorably affecting the soil quality [ 38 ].…”