Plant Soil Environ. Vol. 63, 2017, No. 4: 189–193 doi: 10.17221/156/2017-PSE Influence of fertilization on Miscanthus × giganteus (Greef et Deu) yield and biomass traits in three experiments in Serbia Gordana DRAZIC1,*, Jelena MILOVANOVIC1, Jela IKANOVIC2, Ivana PETRIC1 1Faculty of Applied Ecology, Singidunum University, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia 2Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia *Corresponding author: [email protected] ABSTRACT Drazic G., Milovanovic J., Ikanovic J., Petric I. (2017): Influence of fertilization on Miscanthus × giganteus (Greef et Deu) yield and biomass traits in three experiments in Serbia. Plant Soil Environ., 63: 189–193. Miscanthus × giganteus (Greef et Deu) is an agro-energy crop of the second generation cultivated in purpose to obtain annually renewable bio-fuel produced from the aboveground biomass. Cultivation is preferred on marginal lands to avoid occupation of arable lands. Influence of fertilization and soil type Gleysol, Planosol and Technosol (open pit coal mine overburden) on yield and biomass traits of miscanthus were investigated during five years’ field experiment. Among biometric characteristics: stem height, length and width of leaves, the number of leaves (dry and green) per stem and number of stems per rhizome, only the last one has a strong positive correlation with yield. Fertilization increased yield during fourth and fifth year of development on Gleysol and Technosol. The highest yield on Gleysol was 23.12 t/ha in 2014, on Planosol 10.16 t/ha, and 4.77 t/ha in 2015 on Technosol. The yield of miscanthus, beside fertilization, depends on weather conditions and weeds. Cultivation of miscanthus is possible on marginal soils with minimum application of agricultural measures only in the year of establishment. Gleysol is a type of soil that can be recommended for miscanthus cultivation. Keywords: agro-energy crops; vegetative period; late winter harvest Miscanthus × giganteus (Greef et Deu) is a peren- (EEA, Gelfand et al. 2013, Lord 2015). Miscanthus nial sterile cultivar grass growing as an agro-energy plantations have some advantages for the environ- crop of the second generation, considered to be key ment in comparison to annual crops: tillage only in renewable raw material for industry and energy the year of establishment, efficient water and -nu production (Jeżowski 2008). High-level biomass trients use, resistant to pests and diseases (Cadoux production and a possibility of cultivation on lower et al. 2012). There are many reports on miscanthus quality soil (Heaton et al. 2004) make this crop very yield obtained in Europe and USA, in a wide range suitable as annual renewable raw material for biofuel 5–43 t/ha for 3rd vegetative period in winter harvest, production (Milovanovic et al. 2012). The main but it is cropped mainly at arable soils. Irrigation, challenge is to choose marginal land not suitable fertilization and weed control were used to increase for food production, because of low productivity or yield with responses depending on soil characteris- presence of some substances potentially hazardous tics, geographical area and climate parameters. The for human or animal health, but with characteris- question about the influence of fertilization is still an tics allowing production of energy crops in energy, open debate (Cadoux et al. 2012, Lesur et al. 2013, economy and environmental sustainable manner Dierking et al. 2016, Zapater et al. 2016). Supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Project No. TR 31078. 189 Vol. 63, 2017, No. 4: 189–193 Plant Soil Environ. doi: 10.17221/156/2017-PSE The aim of the research was to determine pos- selected plants within the sample unit. Biomass sibilities for miscanthus cultivation on marginal was measured after the hand harvest in March lands with minimum application of agricultural and calculated as yield in DM t/ha (tones of dry measures and to investigate fertilization influence matter per hectare). on yield and biomass traits. The field experiment was conducted from 2008 in Kozjak and from 2011 in Zasavica and Kolubara. Statistical analyses were performed applying MATERIAL AND METHODS the SPSS version 13.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA). Independent-samples t-tests (significance set at A field experiment was conducted at three P < 0.05) were used to test differences in the yield locations in the Republic of Serbia. Zasavica and attributes of the aboveground biomass. (44°54'56.90''N, 19°34'10.44''E) is located in Sremska Mitrovica municipality, near Special Nature Reserve Zasavica. The soil is hydromor- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION phic black, Gleysol type, where the corn was the previous crop. This soil was chosen as unsuitable The yields of miscanthus aboveground biomass for food crops cultivation because any application were investigated during at least four years in three of mineral fertilizers and plant protection agents locations: Zasavica (Gleysol), Kolubara (Technosol) could jeopardize sensitive wetland ecosystem. The and Kozjak (Planosol) in order to determine the 2nd location belongs to the Mine basin Kolubara impact of fertilization. Miscanthus yield during (44°28'16.41''N, 20°14'59.62''E), Lazarevac mu- the 1st year after planting is low and usually is not nicipality. The soil is Technosol. There was no taken into account (Lesur et al. 2013). Reported vegetation before this experiment i.e. the lot was results represent annual production of biomass created by deposition of overburden from the coal consisted of stems, leaves and inflorescences. mine in 2010. The 3rd location is village Kozjak During winter nutrients were transferred from the (44°35'07''N, 19°17'02''E) in Loznica municipality aboveground parts back to rhizomes and used in where the soil type is Planosol disrupted by road next vegetative period (Beale and Long 1997), most construction. All locations belong to degraded of the leaves were rip off by the wind and stems lands with low productivity. were dried, yield decreased about 30% but biomass Plant material, rhizomes of Miscanthus × gigan- quality increased (Lewandowski and Heinz 2003). teus (with a length of 10 cm, with 3–6 nodes), was On Gleysol (Figure 1a) maximal yield was ob- manually planted on agro-technically prepared soil served 17 DM t/ha in 2014 and 2015 vegetation (ploughing in the fall of the year before planting seasons and 23.122 DM t/ha with fertilization. In and disking and fertilizer application, 50 kg NPK/ 2012 and 2013 the yields were significantly lower. ha containing 5.14 kg N/ha, 2.42 kg P/ha, 6.23 kg Differences between treatments were not significant K/ha, just before planting), in April with crop in the first two vegetative periods and significant at density of 20 000 rhizomes/ha. Each experimen- P > 0.05 during the 3rd and 4th vegetative periods. tal field was divided into two zones (treatments): On Technosol in Kolubara, the yields were less than A – irrigation three times in 1st growing season, 1.0 t/ha in the beginning of plantations development, fertilizing (100 kg NPK/ha: 10.28 kg N/ha, 4.83 kg but in 2014 and 2015 they reached 4.7 DM t/ha in P/ha and 12.45 kg K/ha) in the middle June of the treatment A with a significant difference to treat- 1st growing season, manual weed removal two times ment B (3.74 DM t/ha and 3.86 DM t/ha). Differences per year during the 1st and 2nd vegetation period; between years are not significant (Figure 1b). B – the same treatment without fertilization. In On Planosol (location Kozjak) the yield in- each zone, three plots (5 m × 5 m) were signed creased during canopy development except in 2012 as sample units. Attributes of the aboveground (Figure 1c) with no significant influence of fertili- biomass development were determined at the end zation. In 2014 and 2015, the yield reached more of September (time of maximum growth). Stem than 10 DM t/ha, with no significant differences height (maximal per plant), length and width of the between treatments and years. 4th leaf, number of leaves per stem and number of In all locations, yield was significantly increased stems per rhizome were defined for 10 randomly after the 2nd and 3rd vegetative period. The high- 190 Plant Soil Environ. Vol. 63, 2017, No. 4: 189–193 doi: 10.17221/156/2017-PSE (a) (b) Zasavica 30 A 6 Kolubara c c B 5 c c d d 20 d d 4 b b 3 Yield (t/ha) Yield a (t/ha) Yield 10 a 2 b 1 a a b 0 0 2012 2013 2014 2015 2012 2013 2014 2015 (c) 12 Kozjak c c c 10 c 8 b b b 6 b b b Yield (t/ha) Yield 4 Figure 1. Influence of treatment (A, B) and year on mis- a a canthus yield (dry matter t/ha) in (a) Zasavica (Gleysol); 2 (b) Kolubara (Technosol) and (c) Kozjak (Planosol). 0 Values with the same letters are not different at the 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 significance level of P < 0.05 est yield in all locations after 2014 is probably the measures and additional fertilization (mineral, result of weather conditions. According to reports 10.28 kg N/ha, 2.42 kg P/ha and 12.45 kg K/ha), of the Republic Hydrometeorological Service of but weeds significantly affected the initial growth Serbia from the nearest meteorological stations and development of miscanthus plants, especially in 2014, the total annual amount of precipitation during the first year. At two locations in Serbia, significantly exceeded the multiannual average and influence of weeds on miscanthus yield has been average annual air temperature with no difference investigated recently (Maksimović et al.