Although Miscanthus is recommended as a plant for grain maize production according to previous descriptions, a field trial with this plant has been running in the central Enns Valley under organic cultivation conditions since 2006. Considerable dry matter yields have already been harvested, showing almost the same yield potential as stands in more favorable locations.
To document the further development of the Miscanthus stand in subsequent years, this follow-up project to the already completed WT (World Crop Test) was initiated. The aim is to investigate when peak yield is reached and when dry matter yields begin to decline. Furthermore, the changes in individual plants will be observed when rhizomes die off inside the rootstocks, creating spaces.
Furthermore, a miscanthus trial is to be established in the Upper Austrian Alpine foothills, at the Lambach Stadl-Paura branch of the Department of Organic Agriculture. This will allow for the investigation of two different climatic zones and their influence on miscanthus growth. In this trial, which will take place on a significantly larger area, the harvested material will be used for various purposes and further scientific research.
