Assessment of the main agro-ecological parameters effects on the cultivation of Miscanthus x giganteus grown on marginal soils in the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of climatic parameters, in particular the the precipitation amount and distribution in the vegetation period, then, the type of soil and fertilization on the yield in the first two years of growing Miscanthus x giganteus as a test crop. The experiment was performed on two types of soil with limited productive capability - Lessivated Cambisol and Stagnosol, on the experimental fields of Institute of Soil Science, Belgrade, in Mladenovac and Varna. It was implemented the planting density of 2 rhizomes m-2. Miscanthus fertilization was performed in the second vegetative season, using different quantities and types of the NPK fertilizers (50 kg ha-1 NPK and 100 kg ha-1 NPK – granular fertilizer; 50 kg ha-1 NPK - water soluble fertilizer). Unfertilized variant was used as a control. Weather conditions during the monitoring of the experiment were characterized by two extremes: floods in the planting year (year 2014) and the long term drought in the second year (year 2015). On Lessivated cambisol, in the variant treated with 50 kg ha-1 of NPK (granular), it was achieved the highest yield of miscanthus, and the lowest - by applying 50 kg ha-1 of NPK (water soluble fertilizer). On Stagnosol, the highest yield was recorded in the variant treated with 50 kg ha-1 of NPK - water soluble fertilizer, and the lowest - by applying 50 kg ha-1 of NPK (granular). The yields of miscanthus on both soil types were not significantly different in relation to control. Concluding, results of the two-year research showed that there were no fertilization and agro-ecological impacts on the yield of miscanthus.