Miscanthus sacchariflorus in Siberia - biological yield parameters and dynamics of biofilic elements

Throughout the world, bioenergy crops are grown to replace fossil resources and reduce greenhouse gas emission. Miscanthus is one of the bioenergetic plants that is widely cultivated in countries with optimal hydrothermal conditions. There is little research on the specifics of Miscanthus spp. cultivation in the continental climate. The aim of the study was a preliminary assessment of the possibility of Miscanthus cultivation in Siberia. The production process of Miscanthus sacchariflorus cv. Soranovsky (The State Register of Breeding Achievements, patent No. 6931 dated 06/06/2013) was assessed under conditions of the Central Forest-Steppe of Novosibirsk Ob (Novosibirsk Province, 54°53'13,5"N, 82°59'36,7"E, agro-gray soil, the experimental base of the Siberian Research Institute of Plant Cultivation and Breeding). During the formation of Miscanthus long-term stands (1-4 years), the aboveground biomass averaged 13 t/ha, the belowground biomass 17 t/ha. These figures are close to the average for this species in the world. The total N, P and K removal with biomass of stems and leaves was 51, 6, and 49 kg/ha, and with stems it was only 23, 3, and 26 kg/ha, respectively. Accumulation of N, P and K in the belowground biomass was 130, 10, and 126 kg/ha, respectively. Therefore, our experiment did not show any depletion of biophilic elements in soil during a four-year growth of miscanthus. Rough estimates have shown the presence of objective prerequisites for the atmospheric carbon sequestration in the fractions of the soil organic matter. During the first year of Miscanthus vegetation, at least 300 kg/ha of carbon accumulated in the mobile fractions of the soil organic matter; an increase in the C/N ratio in the belowground biomass of Miscanthus up to 74 vs. 20 in the initial soil was accompanied by a significant decrease in the mineralization rate of newly incoming plant residues. The parameters of the production process of Miscanthus sacchariflorus cv. Soranovsky on agro-gray soil in the Central Forest-Steppe of Novosibirsk Ob region correspond to the growth characteristics of M . sacchariflorus cultivated in other regions of the world on different soil types. We conclude that cultivation of M. sacchariflorus in Siberia is ecologically and commercially reasonable.