Abstract
Erianthus, a perennial C4 grass related quite close to sugar cane, is receiving increasing attention as a raw material crop for cellulosic bioethanol production because of its high biomass productivity and strong tolerance to environmental stresses. We investigated the development of both the canopy and root system in Erianthus and examined its superior performance, even under poor soil conditions. Leaf area increased with development to make the higher spatial distribution in the second-year, which might worsen the light conditions in the canopy. Our findings indicated that biomass yield to get much total yield during the growth period could be improved by thinning out and reducing the planting density, which will improve the light conditions in the canopy. The root system distribution got larger and deeper every year. The root turnover supplied considerable amounts of carbon into the soil, which might be a countermeasure against global warming. Different harvesting times and pretreatments for drying Erianthus were examined to reduce its water content to less than 15% using less energy. Harvesting Erianthus in March and injury pretreatment followed by air-drying were found to significantly reduce the energy required to effectively dry Erianthus biomass.
