Features Agronomy Seeding/Planting
Equipment soon available for miscanthus production

Dec. 2, 2010 – Growers of the energy crop Miscanthus will shortly have available to them some additional equipment, specifically designed to assist in Miscanthus production.

New Energy Farms, North America’s leading developer of Miscanthus, and Spriggers Choice a Georgia based manufacturer of sprig and rhizome harvesting and planting equipment, have jointly developed equipment for growers to lift and plant Miscanthus rhizomes.

New Energy Farms is pioneering the development of Miscanthus as an energy crop for combustion and liquid bio-fuel uses across North America and the EU. New Energy Farms is encouraging growers to multiply their own crops for commercial planting and has reduced the cost of establishing crops by up to 60%. Miscanthus crops are established by planting rhizomes and New Energy Farms is providing the expertise and equipment for growers to plant their own multiplication crops, lift the rhizomes after one or two seasons, and then plant their own commercial crops. It is effectively like the principle of ‘farm saved seed’ but this is ‘farm saved rhizomes’. Miscanthus is a perennial crop, producing an annual cane harvest for 15 to 20 years. It is therefore only planted once so it has been important to develop equipment to ensure that the lifting process ensures high quality rhizomes and that the planting process produces high levels of establishment. Successful collaboration with Spriggers Choice has resulted in the development of two new machines to lift and plant Miscanthus rhizomes.

Spriggers Choice has been developing and manufacturing sprig and rhizome harvesters and planters for 22 years embodying the knowledge acquired from 26 years of experience in the custom sprig and rhizome harvesting and planting business. Jesse Grimsley, CEO of Sprigger’s Choice also brings to the table years of consulting new turf farms and hay and pasture farms to get up and growing using the method outlined above. This coupled with the practical knowledge within New Energy Farms, gained from many seasons of lifting and planting Miscanthus rhizomes, has resulted in the development of this dedicated equipment. This exclusive agreement ensures that this specialised equipment will be available through New Energy Farms for all its growers who are part of the NEF Affiliate Programs. The lifters and planters will be available very shortly, in time for the 2011 rhizome planting season.

For further information visit:
www.spriggerschoice.com