title: Progress on Optimizing Miscanthus Biomass Production for the European Bioeconomy: Results of the EU FP7 Project OPTIMISC.
abstract: This paper describes the complete findings of the EU-funded research project OPTIMISC, which investigated methods to optimize the production and use of miscanthus biomass. Miscanthus bioenergy and bioproduct chains were investigated by trialing 15 diverse germplasm types in a range of climatic and soil environments across central Europe, Ukraine, Russia, and China. The abiotic stress tolerances of a wider panel of 100 germplasm types to drought, salinity, and low temperatures were measured in the laboratory and a field trial in Belgium. A small selection of germplasm types was evaluated for performance in grasslands on marginal sites in Germany and the UK. The growth traits underlying biomass yield and quality were measured to improve regional estimates of feedstock availability. Several potential high-value bioproducts were identified. The combined results provide recommendations to policymakers, growers and industry. The major technical advances in miscanthus production achieved by OPTIMISC include: (1) demonstration that novel hybrids can out-yield the standard commercially grown genotypeMiscanthus x giganteus;(2) characterization of the interactions of physiological growth responses with environmental variation within and between sites; (3) quantification of biomass-quality-relevant traits; (4) abiotic stress tolerances of miscanthus genotypes; (5) selections suitable for production on marginal land; (6) field establishment methods for seeds using plugs; (7) evaluation of harvesting methods; and (8) quantification of energy used in densification (pellet) technologies with a range of hybrids with differences in stem wall properties. End-user needs were addressed by demonstrating the potential of optimizing miscanthus biomass composition for the production of ethanol and biogas as well as for combustion. The costs and life-cycle assessment of seven miscanthus-based value chains, including small- and large-scale heat and power, ethanol, biogas, and insulation material production, revealed GHG-emission- and fossil-energy-saving potentials of up to 30.6 t CO2eqC ha-1y-1and 429 GJ ha-1y-1, respectively. Transport distance was identified as an important cost factor. Negative carbon mitigation costs of -78€ t-1CO2eqC were recorded for local biomass use. The OPTIMISC results demonstrate the potential of miscanthus as a crop for marginal sites and provide information and technologies for the commercial implementation of miscanthus-based value chains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobased Products and Energy Crops, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lewandowski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clifton-Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Breeding, Wageningen University Wageningen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Luisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Trindade
authors.affiliation: Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek, Wageningen UR Plant Breeding Wageningen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerard C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: van der Linden
authors.affiliation: Julius Kühn-Institut Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Kai-Uwe
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.affiliation: ANNA - The Agency for Sustainable Management of Agricultural Landscape Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müller-Sämann
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology, Russian State Agrarian University-Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anisimov
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Breeding, Wageningen University Wageningen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: C-L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Breeding, Wageningen University Wageningen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Oene
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dolstra
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth, UK.
authors.forename: Iain S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Donnison
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth, UK.
authors.forename: Kerrie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Farrar
authors.affiliation: Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fonteyne
authors.affiliation: Blankney Estates Blankney, UK.
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Astley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hastings
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth, UK.
authors.forename: Laurie M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Huxley
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobased Products and Energy Crops, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Yasir
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology, Russian State Agrarian University-Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Nikolay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khokhlov
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobased Products and Energy Crops, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiesel
authors.affiliation: Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lootens
authors.affiliation: Julius Kühn-Institut Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Blankney Estates Blankney, UK.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mos
authors.affiliation: Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muylle
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth, UK.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nunn
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Konya Food and Agriculture University Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mensure
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Özgüven
authors.affiliation: Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Roldán-Ruiz
authors.affiliation: German Agrarian Centre Potash, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schüle
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology, Russian State Agrarian University-Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tarakanov
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Breeding, Wageningen University Wageningen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van der Weijde
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobased Products and Energy Crops, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Dongying Agricultural Institute Dongying, China.
authors.forename: Qingguo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobased Products and Energy Crops, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Olena
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kalinina
keywords: LCA; Miscanthus; bioeconomy; costs; genotypes; marginal land; stress tolerance; value chains