Miscanthus is a member of the grass family Poaceae. We can easily find Poaceae everywhere throughout the world and people know it as grasses. Whenever you see grass whether it is cereal grass, prairie grass, natural grass that grows in the yard, and bamboo then it is the Poaceae family. There are more than 10,000 species of Poaceae which support the world economy because they are able to provide staple food and energy.
Miscanthus itself has various different names throughout the world with its main use as a supplier of biomass energy and all your livestock need in the farm. When we decide to plant it, it means we are also fighting for the soil’s nutrient cycle so that it continues to be fertile and can produce many benefits.
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Miscanthus Variants
There are at least two variants of miscanthus that people often cultivate. First, we have the world’s perennial miscanthus grass that people use to be an ornamental plant. It is miscanthus sinensis which often appears in houses or public places at the end of summer and early autumn. Japanese people call it suzuki.
Many people also use miscanthus sinensis as a material for making paper because it has fibers that are suitable for blending with ink.
Next, we have miscanthus giganteus which grows in many Asian countries. This giant miscanthus grows so prolifically that the nickname ‘perennial grass’ always attach to it. This grass can grow to a height of more than 4 meters or around 13 feet for one planting. People dry this grass until it produces 10 to 40 metric tons of dry weight per hectare per year.
One of the reasons why miscanthus can be a source of biomass is because it can absorb carbon dioxide quickly and can grow in cold weather.
Mischantus as a Source of Biomass
After becoming a source of biomass, miscanthus will be able to turn on electricity, produce ethanol in wet conditions, become fuel for briquettes or pellets in dry conditions, general insulation materials for buildings with a green living concept, and much more.
In fact, there are many other plants besides miscanthus that can be a source of biomass. However, people prefer to plant it because its rhizomes can grow quickly and have high productivity in both warm and wet areas.
Researchers also can breed disease resistance and cold tolerance from this biomass plant. In addition, the lignocellulosic yield is high and the annual biomass yield is much greater than other biomass crops like switchgrass. Giant miscanthus itself is the result of a cross between miscanthus sinensis, mischanthus sacchariflorus, and a tetraploid species which provides renewable biomass energy for a more sustainable life in the future.
Meanwhile, farmers and biomass researchers are quite happy with what miscanthus has provided so far. That giant mischantus can always fulfill its annual biofuel stocks without needing to use new land for new production. So, with the same land after harvest you can still produce ethanol from let say corn seeds.
Miscanthus Uses in Many Countries
People in Europe now like in Spain, England, Hungary, Germany, Italy, and France have started to utilized miscanthus as biomass energy in the form of heating, electricity generation, and bedding. Then China and Japan again underwent various research and commercialization projects for miscanthus, such as the main raw material for ethanol cellulose.
When we see long before modern times like now where many farms use the help of baler wrapper machines with plastic wrapping made from selected premium quality resin by Silopak, Japan has used miscanthus as animal feed and hay.
Likewise, native tribes in the United States have begun planting giant miscanthus for the first time in their gardens because of its tall stems, striking silver flowers, and straight shape. This is the perfect safeguard for their garden.
How to Control Miscanthus Growth
As a perennial grass that can continue to grow even without fertilizer and special treatment that you give it. Its growth is so high that sometimes breeders let their livestock graze in fields full of this Chinese silver grass. It usually happens around June. Grazing will be busy in the miscanthus fields until sheep, horses, and goats will also eat the grass there.
Sometimes people find the planting for the first time is hard enough because they have to keep the land free of weeds until the plants grow well. After a period of 2 years, the new miscanthus field will be completely free of weeds. Meanwhile, controlling the growth of it is by collaborating with entrepreneurs who provide biomass research and making miscanthus bales.
Many companies are specifically looking for miscanthus fields to collaborate in producing biomass. They will usually offer to hold training on how to make simple biomass up to the highest-level biomass in collaboration with the company as the owner of the innovative technology.
Then there are also companies that rent miscanthus land and make offers to get a certain percentage of the harvest. Next, they will process the grass harvest themselves in their factory.
Meanwhile, just like other grass families, you can also process miscanthus as fresh animal feed or dry hay to stock up on food during the winter. You can use lawn mowers, plant rakers and baler wrapper machines to make quality miscanthus bales. Just make sure you get plastic or wrapping net from the best company like Silopak.
Silopak
Silopak has been producing silage film and net wrap since 2011. We have exported all our products to many countries. Our customers have used products under the Silopak brand or brands from many OEMs. Our cooperation with customers in many countries is very profitable.
Many customers tested our silage film plastic and hay wrapping nets which are resistant to various bad weather conditions. Our products can last more than 18 months after the first wrapping day. We find these results satisfactory so they always submit repeat orders and they always choose us over other brands.
So, are you ready to join us in controlling miscanthus production by making quality bales in the near future?