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Environmental ProfileWhen the potential for specific energy crops was examined one of the key issues was that energy expended in growing them was produced more efficiently than conventional arable crops. This objective requires that the crops grown for energy have low requirements for fertiliser, pesticide and other agrochemcial inputs, be perennial to reduce mechanical inputs and use natural resources such as water efficiently. Due to the efficient production cycle outlined above Miscanthus produces over 30 times more energy than taken to grow it; this is compared to a factor of less than 10 with conventional arable crops.BICAL is involved in a number of studies to further investigate the environmental profile of Miscanthus. A recent DTI funded project on Miscanthus has concluded the following. ‘In conclusion, because perennial rhizomatous grasses require a single initial planting and related tillage; and because the crops were harvested in March and the land is not disturbed by cultivation every year, the fields were used as over-wintering sites for birds, small mammals and invertebrates suggesting immediate benefits for biodiversity’. A further summary of the environmental profile of Miscanthus is available in the following PDF file. Download BICAL environmental 2005 PDF |
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