Giant Miscanthus Production on Maryland Eastern Shore’s Marginal Land: Grassroots Efforts to Restore Profitable Agriculture
ISSN 2158-9429
Volume 18, Issue 1 - June 2025
Editor: Linda Chalker-Scott
Abstract
Giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus) is a perennial warm-season grass that has been identified as a viable biomass crop with the potential to thrive on marginal lands. Marginal land on the Eastern Shore of Maryland is herein defined as lands experiencing saltwater intrusion, waterlogging, and severe deer pressure. In this field-scale study, we evaluated the establishment, biomass yield, and environmental stress tolerance of giant miscanthus on a 10-acre site in Dorchester County.
Crop establishment was successful indicating that miscanthus can survive marginal conditions and produce moderate yields of 2.8 tons per acre in the first year, with increases in the second year to 4.8 tons per acre only a 20% yield penalty compared to giant miscanthus grown on prime land on the Eastern Shore. Giant miscanthus demonstrated significant resistance to deer damage and was able to tolerate moderate soil salinity. However, higher sodium levels were correlated with lower plot yield. Giant Miscanthus also demonstrated resilience to intermittent waterlogging. The only areas of the field where miscanthus did not grow were areas with continuous waterlogging throughout the growing season and winter months. The study was limited by a two-year observation period and site heterogeneity.
Outreach efforts, including a field day, workshops, and webinars, have successfully engaged the local farming community, raising awareness about the potential of this crop. Despite this, giant miscanthus shows promise as a profitable, sustainable alternative for marginal lands in the Mid-Atlantic coastal regions facing climate and other environmental induced stressors.
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