MISCANTHUS, a revolutionary multi-use crop, is being billed as the grass of the future.
Scientists believe this hardy perennial grass offers farmers and growers an exciting opportunity to diversify for greater profit in trials miscanthus produced a margin of £735 compared with £374 for oats.
More familiar as a flowering ornamental garden plant, miscanthus's non-flowering forms are now recognised as an energy and pulp crop.
The fast-growing grass gives high yields of bamboo-like cane up to three metres and requires little or no pesticide/fertiliser input after establishment.
The oldest known plantation in the UK is still producing the same high-level yield 19 years after establishment.
Farmers now have the opportunity to diversify into this new crop sector, following the introduction of the government's energy crops scheme.
Run by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in partnership with the Forestry Commission, the scheme offers grants towards the costs of establishing miscanthus as an energy crop.
Further information on growing miscanthus can be found by logging onto www.bical.net
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