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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_03B0_01CD5628.8E588960 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Andy & All, June 29, 2012 Elephant grass is a vague term sometimes meaning 'true' African = Elephant Grass, Miscanthus, Phragmites or another grass. So the Florida = experience likely refers to some other grass.=20 Miscanthus gigentaeus is reputed to not set viable seeds and = accordingly can not spread rapidly. It apparently has been used to = generate electricity in the UK for many years. Fields typically remain = productive for 20 years, so the carbon cost of digging and planting = rhizomes is relatively low per year, and apart from carbon associated = with harvesting and transportation, it is a carbon-neutral source of = energy. It is harvested in spring, well after mineral nutrients have = leached from the culms, so it requires no fertilization and rhizome/root = activity improves soil.=20 Based on experience with two small patches of Phragmites, I would = expect the perimeters of Miscanthus plantings that are adjacent to = woodland to quickly become thickets of 'invasive' native tree species. = But annual mowing should keep these shrubs in mowable condition.=20 The project sounds like a very good idea except for the suggestion = that the proponent will have a monopoly and effectively have control of = the land for the term of an agreement. There must be some key player so = the power plant has an assured sufficient supply but I would prefer to = see production open to anyone and perhaps it will be. Several years ago some company in Pictou County was preparing to use = a perennial grass for fuel and I wrote to them asking if they had = considered Phragmites but received no reply and don't know if their = proposal became a going concern or not. I now see that Miscanthus is far = more productive than Phragmites. Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville =20 =20 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Andy Moir/Christine Callaghan=20 To: NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca=20 Sent: Friday, June 29, 2012 12:01 PM Subject: [NatureNS] elephant grass There have been a couple of articles in the paper lately about a = proposal to grow and burn elephant grass, Miscanthus giganteus, to = generate electricity. The proponent says there is lots of abandon = agricultural land in Nova Scotia that would be suitable for this crop. = They say elephant grass is not an invasive species. However, I read = something about it being very invasive in Florida, taking over = waterways. Maybe it's another grass called elephant grass. Does anyone know about this plant as a crop for harvesting in Nova = Scotia? I'd be curious to see some reputable sources on whether this is = a good plan, or not. Thanks Andy in Freeport No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.2180 / Virus Database: 2437/5092 - Release Date: = 06/25/12 ------=_NextPart_000_03B0_01CD5628.8E588960 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dwindows-1252" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.19258"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi Andy & All, = =20 = June=20 29, 2012</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2> Elephant grass is a vague term = sometimes=20 meaning 'true' African Elephant Grass, Miscanthus, Phragmites or another = grass.=20 So the Florida experience likely refers to some other = grass. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2> Miscanthus gigentaeus is = reputed to=20 not set viable seeds and accordingly can not spread rapidly. It = apparently has=20 been used to generate electricity in the UK for many years. Fields = typically=20 remain productive for 20 years, so the carbon cost of digging and = planting=20 rhizomes is relatively low per year, and apart from carbon associated = with=20 harvesting and transportation, it is a carbon-neutral source of energy. = It is=20 harvested in spring, well after mineral nutrients have leached from the = culms,=20 so it requires no fertilization and rhizome/root activity improves = soil.=20 </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2> Based on experience with two = small patches=20 of Phragmites, I would expect the perimeters of Miscanthus plantings = that are=20 adjacent to woodland to quickly become thickets of 'invasive' native = tree=20 species. But annual mowing should keep these shrubs in mowable = condition.=20 </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2> The project sounds like a very = good idea=20 except for the suggestion that the proponent will have a monopoly and=20 effectively have control of the land for the term of an agreement. There = must be=20 some key player so the power plant has an assured sufficient supply but = I would=20 prefer to see production open to anyone and perhaps it will = be.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2> Several years ago some company in = Pictou=20 County was preparing to use a perennial grass for fuel and I wrote to = them=20 asking if they had considered Phragmites but received no reply and don't = know if=20 their proposal became a going concern or not. I now see that = Miscanthus is=20 far more productive than Phragmites.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2> </FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; = PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20 dir=3Dltr> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A title=3Dslickdog1@gmail.com = href=3D"mailto:slickdog1@gmail.com">Andy=20 Moir/Christine Callaghan</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20 href=3D"mailto:NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca">NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca</A> = </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, June 29, 2012 = 12:01=20 PM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Nat