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Comparative Growth, Biomass Production and Fuel Properties Among Different Perennial Plants, Bamboo and Miscanthus

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Abstract

Bamboo and Miscanthus species are perennial low-input plants that are excellent candidates for bioenergy feedstock production. Biological characteristics, dry matter yields and fuel properties of the bamboo and Miscanthus have been studied. Genotype growth characteristics were determined by measurements of plant height, tillering, tuft diameter, and shoot diameter. To date, comparisons of biomass yields of bamboo and Miscanthus have not been previously reported in the literature. Bamboo and Miscanthus species were collected and previous articles describing the productivity of bamboo and Miscanthus were examined. Genotypes differed in plant height, tillering, tuft diameter, and shoot diameter. Nitrogen, temperature, water and plant density have effects on mature stands biomass production, which ranged from 5.9 to 49.5 tonnes/ha/yr for bamboo and 3.2 to 49.0 tonnes/ha/yr for Miscanthus. With such biomass yields, bamboo and Miscanthus should be considered as two very promising plants for biomass production in Zhejiang, China in the near future.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported from the Key Project of Department of Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province (2008C12019), National Natural Science Foundation (31070604) and Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forestry & Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Dong Hu Campus, 88 North Circle Road, Linan, 311300, People’s Republic of China

    Chuntao Hong, Jia Fang, Haipeng Guo & Bingsong Zheng

  2. Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A & F University, Linan, 311300, People’s Republic of China

    Chuntao Hong, Jia Fang, Aiwu Jin, Haipeng Guo, Junxia Ren & Bingsong Zheng

  3. School of Landscape Architecture, Zhejiang A & F University, Linan, 311300, People’s Republic of China

    Jianguo Cai & Junxia Ren

  4. School of Engineering, Zhejiang A & F University, Linan, 311300, People’s Republic of China

    Qianjun Shao

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  1. Chuntao Hong
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  2. Jia Fang
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  3. Aiwu Jin
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  4. Jianguo Cai
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  5. Haipeng Guo
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  6. Junxia Ren
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  7. Qianjun Shao
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  8. Bingsong Zheng
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Correspondence to Bingsong Zheng.

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Chuntao Hong and Jia Fang contributed equally to this work.

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Hong, C., Fang, J., Jin, A. et al. Comparative Growth, Biomass Production and Fuel Properties Among Different Perennial Plants, Bamboo and Miscanthus . Bot. Rev. 77, 197–207 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12229-011-9076-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12229-011-9076-x

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