Interest in biomass crops ranges from cellulosic biofuels to bedding. The
first goal of this project is to provide quick-frozen samples of
Switchgrass, Miscanthus sinensis, alfalfa and hemp to the “Transcript
Profiling for Biomass Improvement” project at U. of T.; the crops are grown
in the field under contrasting management. The second goal is to examine
nutrient cycling in potential biofuel crops. High yields of stems (over 15
t/ha) were obtained from second year stands of Miscanthus sinensis cultivars
and close to 10 t/ha were returned to the soil as litter and stubble. One
Miscanthus variety had stems with less than 20% moisture at harvest time in
fall suggesting it could be stored directly. Yields in 2009 represent best
case since nutrients were not limiting and growing conditions were above
average. Establishment of Miscanthus spp. from root stocks is very
challenging, requiring a lot of labour and very tight co-ordination with the
root-stock supplier; which needs multi-year planning. In other trials,
modest stem yields were observed for hemp and alfalfa. A new trial with
several potential biofuel species and cultivars was planted at Agassiz and a
planting and hardiness trial was established in mountainous central BC
(Chilcotin). Material produced in this project is being saved for use by
other CBioN groups.