Latest Miscanthus Stories

Two reports were released this year on the genome of Miscanthus grasses, which are used in gardens, burned for energy and converted into liquid fuels. The first, led by the energy crop organization Ceres, appeared in the journal PLoS ONE; the second, from a team led by researchers at the University of Illinois, is in the journal BMC Genomics. The data, materials, methods and genetic markers used in the latter study are available to the public for further research. Scientists knew that...

Welsh and American researchers have completed the first, most comprehensive high-resolution genetic map of the energy crop miscanthus. The researchers collaborated to create this image and published the results in the current edition of the online journal PLoS One. Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. from Thousand Oaks, California worked hand-in-hand with the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University in Wales. As the IBERS team collected a...

HAYWARD, Calif., March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. (MBI) and BP Biofuels have signed a four-year agreement to conduct a demonstration field trial of Mendel's PowerCane(TM) Miscanthus and evaluate its performance as feedstock for biofuel production at BP Biofuels' demonstration plant at Jennings, Louisiana. "This agreement is an important next step in our long-standing partnership with BP Biofuels," said Don Panter, president, Mendel BioEnergy Seeds, a...

A team of University of Georgia researchers report that they have mapped the genomes of two originator cells of a type of perennial grass said to be a natural candidate for biomass farming -- work that reportedly could lead to improved ethanol and/or bioenergy crops. Genetics and plant biology professor Andrew Paterson and postdoctoral research associate Changsoo Kim identified a set of approximately 600 bits of Miscanthus x giganteus DNA that could potentially serve as diagnostic tools,...

Concerns about the worldwide energy supply and national, environmental and economic security have resulted in a search for alternative energy sources. A new University of Illinois study shows Miscanthus x giganteus (M. x giganteus) is a strong contender in the race to find the next source of ethanol if appropriate growing conditions are identified. M. x giganteus is a bioenergy crop that can be grown to produce ethanol. The study investigated the establishment success, plant growth and dry...

Research into biofuel crops such as switchgrass and Miscanthus has focused mainly on how to grow these crops and convert them into fuels. But many steps lead from the farm to the biorefinery, and each could help or hinder the growth of this new industry. A new computer model developed at the University of Illinois can simplify this transition, researchers say. The model can run millions of simulations, optimizing operations to bring down costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions or achieve...

An article in the current issue of Global Change Biology Bioenergy examines the carbon sequestration potential of Miscanthus plantations on commercial farms. Researchers evaluated Miscanthus plantations in Ireland, where planting has been subsidized by the government. Carbon sequestration is expected to vary among different farming practices and soil characteristics. They found significant soil carbon sequestration under Miscanthus on both former tilled land and former grasslands after...

  Water significant limiting factor in growing crops like switchgrass Energy researchers and environmental advocates are excited about the prospect of gaining more efficient large-scale biofuel production by using large grasses like miscanthus or switchgrass rather than corn. They have investigated yields, land use, economics and more, but one key factor of agriculture has been overlooked: water. "While we are looking for solutions for energy through bioenergy crops, dependence...

Growing perennial grasses on the least productive farmland now used for corn ethanol production in the U.S. would result in higher overall corn yields, more ethanol output per acre and better groundwater quality, researchers report in a new study. The switch would also slash emissions of two potent greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.The study used a computer model of plant growth and soil chemistry to compare the ecological effects of growing corn (Zea mays L.); miscanthus...

An article in the current issue of Global Change Biology Bioenergy finds that natural populations of Miscanthus are promising candidates as second-generation energy sources because they have genetic variation that may increase their stress tolerance.Sustainable, large-scale bioenergy production requires domestication that develops crops capable of producing sufficiently high biomass on marginal and degraded land.Yan and coauthors collected three species of Miscanthus from populations across...