FellowshipS Seminar 2016

Poster ABSTRACTS
Novel propagation system for Miscanthus
x giganteus
John O’Loughlin 1,2 , Kevin McDonnell 1 and John Finnan 2
1 School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4
2 Teagasc CELUP, Crops Research, Oak Park, Carlow
Miscanthus is a sterile triploid hybrid which is vegetatively propagated from rhizome pieces. The high cost of rhizome
material at €1,900ha has deterred many potential growers. Sugarcane propagation technology was applied to
miscanthus, whereby the stem rather than the rhizome was used as the vegetative material. Preliminary plant material
costs for stem-based propagation techniques are €140ha. Hand planted field experiments were conducted spring 2014
on two sites to examine propagation from stem material harvested in October 2013 and cold stored over winter. The
experiments showed very little germination (5%), but partial emergence in some plots identified that the system could
work under Irish conditions. Planting depth was the only variable throughout the experiment. A prototype planting
machine suitable for commercial up-scaling of a stem propagation system the “ InSteminator” was designed and
successfully used to sow plots in a time of sowing experiment in autumn 2014 and spring 2015. This experiment was
used to investigate whether stem pieces could be harvested and planted in the ground to eliminate the expense of cold
storage. Greatest establishment was observed from plant material harvested in September and sown in September.
Emergence dates, plant counts and plant heights were recorded throughout the growing season as well as a destructive
biomass harvest. The highest yielding treatment was September stem harvest and September planting, producing
224% more biomass (kg DM/ha) than the next best treatment (October harvested and October sown) at Knockbeg,
Co. Laois and 615% more biomass than the October treatment in Oak-Park, Co. Carlow. Spring sown treatments of
stems harvested in September and stored at 2 ̊C, - 2 ̊C and stems harvested in spring were shown to have negligible
establishment. Miscanthus can be successfully propagated from stem cuttings under Irish conditions.
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