Animal Health

Animal Feed

Tillage

Agri- Chemical

Seed

Fertiliser

Bio-Fert

Miscanthus

Establishment Grant

The Bio-Energy Scheme (BES) has been temporarily suspended by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and in common with all other schemes is under review.

Quinns Contracts

The main features of Quinns contracts are outlined below but all new contracts are dependent on the reintroduction of the BES.

Quinns will supply and plant Miscanthus rhizomes under the Bio-Energy Scheme and the grower is free to opt in or out of a purchase contract for the cane produced by that area. Alternatively, Quinns uniquely are offering a contract to forward purchase all the cane from the contracted area for a period of 7 years. This contract effectively means that the grower will have the cost of supplying and planting the Miscanthus immediately offset by the proceeds of this forward purchase. Quinns will also pay a supplementary amount of €100 per acre index linked over this 7 year period. (A copy of this contract is also on this webpage).

2010 Contract for Growers of Miscanthus
2010 Contract Letter of Undertaking

EU Schemes

Areas planted under Miscanthus still qualify for all payments under the Single Farm Payment in the same way as any other eligible area. There are no supplementary annual Energy Crop payments available now as they have been discontinued.

Bioenergy Scheme and REPS

The area planted with biomass crops shall be eligible for REPS payment subject to the following conditions:

• The maximum area allowed is 10 hectares
• Must not be grown on habitats identified under Measure 4 or Natura 2000/NHA sites
• The uncultivated margin must extend to 4 meters

Where an applicant exceeds 10 hectares they are ineligible to participate in REPS 4 and there will be recoupment of any monies already paid.

An applicant who planted biomass prior to the date of Circular 13/2010 was allowed to plant a maximum area of 10 hectares or 25% of the REPS contract area whichever was the greater. In these cases there will be no REPS payment on any area which was planted in excess of 10ha or 25% of the REPS contract.

Life Cycle

To establish the crop in year one, the rhizomes are planted in the spring, usually in April and over the first summer the shoots emerge. In this first year the crop will grow to about 5 or 6 foot high. It will typically look patchy as the shoots emerge unevenly unlike cereals or maize. It will grow till the temperatures drop in October and over the winter the leaves will fall to the ground. This leaf litter is very important as a means of recycling nutrients and providing mulch that suppresses weed growth.

In March the following year it is advised to top the crop with a flailed mower before the shoots appear above the ground. The crop will grow rapidly to reach its maximum height in late September of about 10-12 foot. Again the cool temperatures trigger senescence and translocation of nutrients to the ground.

By March the next year the crop is dry and ready for harvest. Dry matter is high (usually 17-20% moisture). The crop can be harvested by way of forage harvester similar to maize or by mower conditioner followed by baling.

Yields per acre increase yearly to reach a maximum in year 5 which is maintained for many years. There are crops in the UK which are over 20 years old and still maintaining yield. We are confident that yields in Ireland will be high due to our mild climate and high organic matter soils. A yield of 20 t/ha should be achievable but a range of between 15t/ha to a potential 25t/ha could be achieved on good sites.

Below: Harvesting Rhizomes from Quinns Nursery crop at Stradbally 2010

Agronomy

Soils

Miscanthus can be grown on a wide variety of soils but the old adage of the better the land the better the crop still applies. It prefers moisture retentive soils rather than light drought prone soils. It likes heat and therefore exposed locations at high altitudes are not preferred. Sunny locations are also preferred to increase light penetration into the crop. It likes high organic matter soils but will not grow well on reclaimed bog with low ph. As the planting machines do not have a spring loaded planting mechanism, they are not suited to sites with hidden boulders or surface bedrock.

Inputs

The ground should be treated with glyphosate prior to ploughing in autumn.

The rhizomes are planted into a fine seedbed as for maize. It is desirable to have a 6 inch tilth by way of a power harrow immediately prior to planting. It is planted in 1 metre wide rows to achieve about 1 plant per square metre established. After planting the crop should be ring rolled and then treated with pre-emergent herbicide typically atrazine and stomp.

Some herbicide may be required later in the season or in its second season as the un-established crop may not be able to compete with emerging weeds.

A complete agronomic service is included and a guarantee of the crop is given provided the recommendations given are adhered to. The crop is vulnerable to rabbit damage for a number of weeks after planting so fencing or a grass margin could be used to minimize damage. Wireworms and leatherjackets are also a potential threat in crops following grass. Generally, these threats are only real in its first year while it is establishing itself.

Once established, Miscanthus will provide an annual crop for many years. It does not require annual cultivation. If a harvest is missed for whatever reason, the entire crop can be harvested the following year with only a small (18-20%) drop in overall yield over the two years. This loss is offset by the reduced harvesting costs over the two year period.

Below: Harvesting Miscanthus in chipped form to supply Edenderry Power Station 2010

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

Apart from replacing fossil fuels when combusted as a fuel, Miscanthus, has an extremely high energy ratio (the potential energy from the crop to energy required to produce the crop). This arises chiefly because no inputs in the form of annual cultivation, fertilizer or herbicides are required.  Table 1. gives the energy ratios of some crops grown for energy.

Table 1.

Miscanthus when growing takes in CO2 (Carbon dioxide ) from the atmosphere and when the cane is eventually combusted, this CO2 returns to the atmosphere making it CO2 neutral.

However below the ground its organs such as roots and rhizomes also play an important part in the positive energy balance of the crop. These organs act as a carbon sink to lock up atmospheric carbon dioxide. After 4 years, a crop of Miscanthus will have 15-20tonnes of below ground biomass which amounts to 7.2-9.2 tonnes of carbon per hectare. This stays and builds in the ground as there are no annual cultivations to release this carbon unlike conventional arable crops such as wheat and barley.

SUMMARY

Miscanthus

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