Miscanthus x giganteus has great potential as an alternative energy source

Recent findings from a study carried out by the University of Illinois has shown that Miscanthus x giganteus is a strong contender in the race to find the next source of ethanol. M. x giganteus is a bioenergy crop that can be grown to produce ethanol. The study investigated the establishment success, plant growth and dry biomass yield of the grass. Tom Voigt, lead scientist and associate professor in the U of I Department of Crop Sciences, said the overall goal is to promote biomass yield per acre for ethanol production using the fewest inputs with no environmental damage. Read more ...

Miscanthus promises to be the bioenergy crop of the future

In fields around the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales they are planting crops of Miscanthus. The plots contain hundreds of different types of Miscanthus, but it is not for its aesthetic appeal that Miscanthus is being grown in Wales, rather its promise as a bioenergy crop. Researchers at IBERS have been undertaking a large-scale study of the plant for the last six years in the hope of providing improved varieties for energy production. Dr Elaine Jensen, has been funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to study the plants' flowering times. Read more ...