UDC 633.854:581.192:502.17
DOI 10.36461/NP.2025.75.3.017
ASSESSMENT OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ECOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF GIANT MISCANTHUS
V.A. Gushchina, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor;
A.A. Volodkin, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor;
A.S. Lykova, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor;
N.I. Ostroborodova, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor
Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Penza State Agrarian University",
Penza, Russia, tel. (8412) 628-367, e-mail:
Due to its high productivity and positive environmental impact, giant miscanthus is considered a sustainable and cost-efficient crop to replace traditional raw materials in the pulp and paper and bioenergy industries. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of giant miscanthus raw materials of different ages (planted in 2013 and 2017) to assess its potential as a component for use as raw material in bioenergy and the pulp and paper industry. A chemical analysis of raw materials grown on meadow-chernozem soil at the collection site of Penza State Agrarian University revealed a significant dependence of composition on plantation age and the morphological structure of the biomass. The highest cellulose content (54.6%) and lowest ash content (1.88%) were found in the stems of 12-year-old plants. In younger plantations (eighth year of vegetation), the cellulose content decreases (to 48.6%), while the lignin content increases. The presence of leaves has the most negative impact on raw material quality, causing a significant increase in ash content (up to 8.16%) and a decrease in cellulose content. To increase bioeconomy efficiency, the most rational method is to harvest miscanthus stems without leaves, which allows for obtaining more useful product and removing most unnecessary impurities. The study confirms the high potential of miscanthus as a renewable raw material for resource-efficient industries and the development of a green economy.
Keywords: giant miscanthus, cellulose, chemical composition, bioeconomics, lignin, ash content, non-wood raw materials, bioenergy, environmental advantage
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