Understanding germination for improved propagation and field establishment in miscanthus

A PhD is available in collaboration with Ceres Inc. The Bioenergy Crop Company to develop high impact seed-based propagation in the bioenergy crop Miscanthus.

Miscanthus is a perennial crop that has a number of characteristics that make it an excellent sustainable source of bioenergy. Miscanthus grows well in temperate regions but the major block to rapid uptake is the time and expense required to generate rhizome for crop establishment. We have demonstrated useful variation in seed germination in Miscanthus and the potential impact this may have in establishing the crop (Clifton-Brown et al., 2011). This project will extend this work to develop effective seed-based propagation in collaboration with our industrial partner Ceres Inc.

At IBERS we have a dynamic team developing a new crop species, in an area of global significance. The PhD would be part of a multidisciplinary team studying different aspects of bioenergy crop production including next generation genotyping, physiology, yield, crop quality, conversion technologies and biorefining and would be one of several studies focussed on propagation in Miscanthus (website: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/ibers/research/bec/energy_crop_biology/).

The study will focus on several areas of research including 1. Determine variation and heritability of the germination phenotype in Miscanthus: Controlled environment and field studies will establish the factors limiting germination in Miscanthus. 2. Establish a field protocol to improve germination of Miscanthus seed. New approaches to seed-based field establishment will be tested including seed coating. 3. Model the application of new propagation technologies. The impact of seed-based propagation on crop establishment will be determined and models will be used to test the broader impacts of the technologies developed.

Outcomes and Impact: We will improve our knowledge of germination in this crop and develop new propagation technologies allowing low energy, low cost propagation of Miscanthus which will facilitate the rapid uptake and deployment of this crop.