Development of giant miscanthus roots as affected by quality of planting material and growing conditions

Abstract

Purpose. To identify the features of the development of giant miscanthus roots as affected by the quality of the planting material (number of buds) and growing conditions.Methods. Research object: giant miscanthus plants (Miscanthus giganteus J.M.Greef & Deuter ex Hodkinson & Renvoize), obtained from planting rhizomes with a different number of buds: 1–3 (control), 4–8, and 9 and more. The rhizomes were hand planted in rows of 70 cm with planting step of 70 cm to a depth of 8–10 cm. In the field experiments, we determined the establishment of rhizomes, the weight of rhizomes to be planted and the number of buds on them.Results. Establishment of miscanthus rhizomes was affected by their quality, i.e. the number of buds, and by the weather conditions during the period of planting and emergence. On average for the last three years, as well as every year, the highest establishment was observed for rhizomes which had 9 and more buds. Growing conditions affected not only the establishment of rhizomes, but also the growth dynamics of the aboveground mass of plants and, accordingly, the root system (rhizomes). In all phases of plant growth, increase in the weight of rhizomes was more intense for the rhizomes which had 9 or more buds. On average for the years of the experiment, the weight of rhizomes at planting was higher by 41.4 g, in the phase of leaf-tube formation by 71.5 g, and at the end of the vegetation by 855.2 g compared to the control. The increase in the wight of rhizomes and the degree of their tillering provided for the formation of a large number of buds, which affected the yield of the planting material. The weight of the miscanthus rhizomes was modified by the soil and climatic conditions. Variability of the rhizomes weight was specifically manifested in the phase of tillering.Conclusions. The establishment of the miscanthus rhizomes was affected by both their quality (number of bud and the conditions of the year during the period of planting and emergence. In all phases of plants growth and development (apart from the phase of complete germination), the increase in the weight of rhizomes was more intense for the rhizomes which had 9 or more buds in comparison with control. In the phase of complete germination, both on the average for the years of the experiment and in every year, no significant increase in the weight of rhizomes affected by growing conditions was found.