Journal of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences ISSN:2233-8322(Print) 2508-870X(Online) 농업생명환경연구

Silver grass (Miscanthus × giganteus) has traditionally been used as a feedstock and for ornamental and medicinal purposes. Recently, however, the biomass uses of silver grass have also been highlighted. This grass comprises 40% cellulose, 25% hemicellulose, and 21% lignin, the cellulose component of which can be converted into glucose, as a source of biofuel, whereas the lignin can be used as a resource for UV protectant film development. Given these utilities, silver grass is considered to have high value as a biomass plant. Consequently, it is desirable to develop efficient methods for the cultivation of this grass. Some studies have reported that weed control is necessary during the initial 2 years of silver grass cultivation; however, none of these studies have been conducted in a Korean cultivation environment. In this study, we accordingly evaluated the efficacy of four herbicides commonly used in Korea for weed control during silver grass cultivation. We found that herbicide treatments have beneficial effects on the growth of silver grass, notably with respect to branching. On the basis of our findings, we conclude that to maximize the final biomass yield, a high level of weed control is essential during the initial 2 years of silver grass cultivation.