Minerals and Proximate Profiling of Bioenergy Feedstock Miscanthus Giganteus Cultivated Under Three Different Environmental Conditions in Mississippi.

With the recent developments in cellulosic biofuel production on the horizon, sustained supply of feedstock is of a great importance. Among several feedstocks for cellulosic biofuel production, enegry grasses like miscanthus, gammagrass, giant Kinggrass and switchgrass have emerged as potential candidates. The salient features of miscanthus like high yield, perennial growth, propagation by rhizome thereby posing minimal environmental threat, high energy and carbon balance, efficient water use etc, and the fact that miscanthus biomass has been used for over a decade to generate heat and power in Europe, and now a top candidate  as a potential feedstock for cellulosic biofuel and biodiesel production, is attracting the adoption of this crop for cultivation in the U.S. Miscanthus feedstock with low mineral content is best suited for biofuel production from pyrolysis since minerals such as silica, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous severely  affect the production process. In an effort to study the long-term growth and cultivation of miscanthus and the effect of environmental conditions on the composition of biomass, Miscanthus giganteus (Freedom variety) was cultivated at three locations in Mississippi with different soil types and climatic conditions.  Biomass samples and soil samples were collected in spring, summer and fall. Proximate analyses of biomass along with mineral content in the soil and biomass will be discussed. The role of agronomic practices that may improve the quality of the feedstock and reduce mineral content will be discussed.