Weed Control
To reduce competition for light and moisture, weed control using
a broad-spectrum herbicide is often required during the year of
establishment. Glyphosate can be safely applied when the crop is
dormant during the winter. This is subsequently rarely required
as the crop canopy closes and a ground layer of leaf litter develops.
Herbicides should not be applied once the crop is taller than 1m.
For further information on herbicide applications DEFRA’s
Pesticide Safety Directorate should be consulted.
Fertiliser
Fertiliser is not generally required for miscanthus as the plant
stores nutrients in the rhizomes and leaf litter provides mulch.
A high production level can be achieved without the need for high
nutrient replacement. A harvest of 25 t/ha/yr dry matter will only
require a nitrogen input of 93 kg/ha/yr (Beale and Long, 1997b),
whereas Rutherford and Heath (1992) calculate the replacement nutrient
level for NPK at 50, 21 and 45 kg/ha. If desired, farm slurry or
digested sewage sludge can be used as an effective fertilizer,
under the control of the appropriate local water authority.
Pests and Diseases
To date, miscanthus in the UK has not been significantly affected
by any pests or diseases. Common pests such as rabbits, slugs and
leatherjackets can be controlled by standard methods. The common
rustic moth and ghost moth may occur in small numbers on the crop
but do not affect yield. Diseases that infect miscanthus include
barley yellow dwarf virus that lower yield, and stem basal diseases
that reduce stem strength. These are discussed in more detail in
the Crop Damage section of the website.
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Beale, C.V. & Long, S.P. (1997b) Seasonal dynamics of nutrient
accumulation and partitioning in the perennial C4 grass Miscanthus
x giganteus and Spartina cynosuroides. In: Bullard M.J. et al.
(eds) Biomass and bioenergy crops. Aspects of applied biology,
12: pp 419-428.
Rutherford, L. & Heath, M.C. (eds) (1992) The potential of
Miscanthus as a fuel crop. Energy Technology Support Unit (ETSU)
B1354, Harwell, UK.
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