Abstract
The sterile hybrid grass Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg) can produce more than 30 t dry matter/ha/year. This biomass has a range of uses, including animal bedding and a source of heating fuel. The grass provides a wide range of other ecosystem services (ES), including shelter for crops and livestock, a refuge for beneficial arthropods, reptiles and earthworms and is an ideal cellulosic feedstock for liquid biofuels such as renewable (drop-in) diesel. In this study, the effects of different strains of the beneficial fungus Trichoderma on above- and below-ground biomass of Mxg were evaluated in glasshouse and field experiments, the latter on a commercial dairy farm over two years. Other ES benefits of Trichoderma measured in this study included enhanced leaf chlorophyll content as well as increased digestibility of the dried material for livestock. This study shows, for the first time for a biofuel feedstock plant, how Trichoderma can enhance productivity of such plants and complements other recent work on the wide-ranging provision of ES by this plant species.
Highlights
PRC at 17 months while permitting the continuing use of pivot irrigators in, for example, intensive dairy production
This study investigates the effects of the application of root endophytic Trichoderma isolates on the growth of a second-generation energy crop (Mxg)
There were no significant differences between PR7 and the untreated control for the number of colony forming units (CFUs) after 5 months (Table 1)
Summary
PRC at 17 months while permitting the continuing use of pivot irrigators in, for example, intensive dairy production. This is because the stems are resilient, bending but not breaking and promptly returning to their original form. Trichoderma colonisation is associated with increased root biomass and depth[15], which may assist soil organic carbon retention. The aim of the current work was to evaluate a mixture of Trichoderma isolates for enhancement of key ES in Mxg in glasshouse pot trials (with commercial potting compost or field-collected soil). Research was extended to a two-year trial site on a commercial dairy farm where Mxg growth rates were compared between three Trichoderma isolate mixtures and a control
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