Establishing Miscanthus sinensis from seed using conventional sowing methods

An experiment was conducted to test the feasibility of establishing Miscanthus sinensis in a field from seed using conventional sowing methods. Natural and pelleted seed, was sown by drilling or broadcasting in replicated plots on a silty clay loam. Drilling the seed was more successful than broadcasting and unpelleted seed produced more plants than pelleted seed, probably because of better moisture transfer in the dry conditions that occurred after sowing. Whilst the techniques were successful in terms of established plant population the methods require further evaluation and refinement before they can be regarded as alternatives to current commercial methods. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.