OPTIMISC - Developing Miscanthus Production Systems for Marginal Lands
- Publication Type
- Contribution to conference
- Authors
- Lewandowski, I., Kalinina, O., Kiesel, A., Clifton-Brown, J. et al.
- Year of publication
- 2015
- Published in
- European Biomass Conference and Exhibition Proceedings
- Editor
- ETA-Forence Renewable Energies
- ISBN / ISSN / eISSN
- 978-88-89407-516
- DOI
- 10.5071/23rdEUBCE2015-1CP.2.2
- Page (from - to)
- 6-8
- Conference name
- 23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
- Conference location
- Wien
- Conference date
- 01.-04. Juni 2015
- Keywords
- Abiotischer Stress, Biomasseproduktion, greenhouse gas emission, Miscanthus
Land can be characterized marginal either under economic or biophysical limitations. In the EU project OPTIMISC (Optimizing Miscanthus Biomass Production) miscanthus production systems for biophysically marginal production conditions, such as water limitations, chilling temperatures, frost and salinity are developed by screening elite germplasm under controlled conditions and trialling it over a range of sites across central Europe, Ukraine, Russia and China, analysing the key traits that currently limit the potential of Miscanthus. To reduce the risks and costs of growing Miscanthus under marginal site conditions specific establishment methods and harvest and logistic systems were developed. By the application of life cycle assessments (LCA) and cost analyses miscanthus-based value chains with the highest income and area-related GHG saving for different site conditions were identified. Compared to other crops, miscanthus-based value chains can be economically feasible under marginal site conditions because miscanthus benefits from the perennial growth and the availability of stress-tolerant genotypes.