Biofuels, Bioenergy, and Bioproducts from Sustainable Agricultural and Forest Crops

This issue of BioEnergy Research highlights the Short Rotation Crops International Conference held in Bloomington, Minnesota in August 2008. This is the first special issue of BioEnergy Research, with several additional special issues planned in the next year, focused on the three U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, BioEnergy Science Center, and Joint BioEnergy Institute), and emerging technologies for biodiesel production. The purpose of these special issues is to highlight emerging research efforts in the areas of biomass, biofuels, and bioenergy. The Short Rotation Crops International Conference represented a unique opportunity for communication and interaction between researchers working on herbaceous and woody bioenergy feedstocks, one that we hope will continue to stimulate new interactions and creative solutions for bioenergy and bioproducts. We invite other groups to submit ideas for future special issues to one of the three co-Editors-in-Chief of BioEnergy Research

Biofuels, Bioenergy, and Bioproducts from Sustainable Agricultural and Forest Crops

This issue of BioEnergy Research highlights the Short Rotation Crops International Conference held in Bloomington, Minnesota in August 2008. This is the first special issue of BioEnergy Research, with several additional special issues planned in the next year, focused on the three U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, BioEnergy Science Center, and Joint BioEnergy Institute), and emerging technologies for biodiesel production. The purpose of these special issues is to highlight emerging research efforts in the areas of biomass, biofuels, and bioenergy. The Short Rotation Crops International Conference represented a unique opportunity for communication and interaction between researchers working on herbaceous and woody bioenergy feedstocks, one that we hope will continue to stimulate new interactions and creative solutions for bioenergy and bioproducts. We invite other groups to submit ideas for future special issues to one of the three co-Editors-in-Chief of BioEnergy Research

Next/The Unseen Hand (1975)

Playwrights: Terrence McNally/Sam Shepard Directors: Sue Ann Voroba/Michael Paul O\u27Neill Academic Year: 1975-1976https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/productions_1970s/1112/thumbnail.jp

Phytoremediation of landfill leachate using Populus

Resource managers are challenged with waste disposal and leachate produced from its degradation. Poplar (Populus spp.) trees offer an opportunity for ecological leachate disposal as an irrigation source for managed tree systems. Information about sodium (Na+), chloride (Cl -), and nutrient uptake and distribution into tissues of Populus genotypes irrigated with landfill leachate helps to maximize biomass production and to understand impacts of leachate chemistry on tree health. However, such knowledge about the response of poplar genotypes to landfill leachate irrigation is limited, along with efficient methods for choosing genotypes based on leachate composition.;During initial greenhouse research, poplar clones were irrigated during three cycles of phyto-recurrent selection to test whether genotypes responded differently to leachate and water, and to test whether the methodology had merit as a tool for plant selection during remediation. Fifteen belowground and aboveground traits were evaluated. Of the twenty-five clones tested in cycle 1, the best 12 genotypes were used in cycles 2 and 3. These results detail the extensive variation in clonal responses to leachate irrigation, along with the need and efficacy of using phyto-recurrent selection to choose superior genotypes.;Furthermore, the top eight clones from cycles 1 to 3 were selected and subsequently tested in an in situ landfill study (cycle 4). The trees were irrigated with fertilized well water (control) (N, P, K) or municipal solid waste landfill leachate weekly during 2005 and 2006 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA (45.6°N, 89.4°W). Evaluation during Aug. 2006 consisted of testing for differences in tree height, diameter, volume, and biomass of leaves, stems, branches, and roots, along with total Na, Cl, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Zn, B, Mn, Fe, Cu, Al, and Pb concentration in preplanting and harvest soils, and in leaf, woody (stems + branches), and root tissue. Overall, these results document successful uptake of nutrients without detrimental impact to tree health, which validated the use of landfill leachate as an irrigation and fertilization source for Populus. In addition, these data will serve as a basis for researchers and resource managers making decisions about future leachate remediation projects

Poplar Short Rotation Coppice Plantations under Mediterranean Conditions: The Case of Spain

Developing a circular bioeconomy based on the sustainable use of biological resources, such as biomass, seems to be the best way of responding to the challenges associated with global change. Among the many sources, short rotation forest crops are an essential instrument for obtaining quality biomass with a predictable periodicity and yield, according to the areas of cultivation. This review aims to provide an overview of available knowledge on short rotation coppice Populus spp. plantations under Mediterranean conditions and specifically in Spain, in order to identify not only the status, but also the future prospects, for this type of biomass production. The analysis of available information was conducted by taking into consideration the following aspects: Genetic plant material; plantation design, including densities, rotation lengths and the number of rotations, and mixtures; management activities, including irrigation, fertilization, and weed control; yield prediction; biomass characterization; and finally, an evaluation of the sustainability of the plantation and ecosystem services provided. Despite advances, there is still much to be done if these plantations are to become a commercial reality in some Mediterranean areas. To achieve this aim, different aspects need to be reconsidered, such as irrigation, bearing in mind that water restrictions represent a real threat; the specific adaptation of genetic material to these conditions, in order to obtain a greater efficiency in resource use, as well as a greater resistance to pests and diseases or tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity; rationalizing fertilization; quantifying and valuing the ecosystem services; the advance of more reliable predictive models based on ecophysiology; the specific characterization of biomass for its final use (bioenergy/bioproducts); technological improvements in management and harvesting; and finally, improving the critical aspects detected in environmental, energy, and economic analyses to achieve profitable and sustainable plantations under Mediterranean conditionsThis research was funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Spain) through the framework of the INIA projects RTA2017-00015-CO2, co-financed with funds from FEDERS

Interpreting genotype-by-environment interaction for biomass production in hybrid poplars under short-rotation coppice in Mediterranean environments

Understanding genotype × environment interaction (GEI) is crucial to optimize the deployment of clonal material to field conditions in short‐rotation coppice poplar plantations. Hybrid poplars are grown for biomass production under a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions, but their adaptive performance in Mediterranean areas remains poorly characterized. In this work, site regression (SREG) and factorial regression mixed models are combined to gain insight into the nature and causes underlying GEI for biomass production of hybrid poplar clones. SREG addresses the issue of clonal recommendation in multi‐environment trials through a biplot representation that visually identifies superior genotypes. Factorial regression, alternatively, involves a description of clonal reaction to the environment in terms of physical variables that directly affect productivity. Initially, SREG aided in identifying cross‐over interactions that often involved hybrids of different taxonomic background. Factorial regression then selected latitude, mean temperature of the vegetative period (MTVP) and soil sand content as main site factors responsible for differential clonal adaptation. Genotypic responses depended strongly on taxonomic background: P. deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh. × P. nigra L. clones showed an overall positive sensitivity to increased MTVP and negative sensitivity to increased sand content, whereas the opposite occurred for P. trichocarpa Torr. & Gray × P. deltoides clones; the three‐cross hybrid [(P. deltoides × P. trichocarpa) × P. nigra] often displayed an intermediate performance. This information can contribute toward the identification and biological understanding of adaptive characteristics relevant for poplar breeding in Mediterranean conditions and facilitate clonal recommendation at eco‐regional level.This research was funded by MINECO (Spain) throughout the project RTA2008-00025-C02-01 and RTA2011-00006-00-00. We also acknowledge the collaboration of project AGL2009-11006. We would like to thank the public company SOMACYL for hosting one of the experimental plots. We are also grateful to Juan Pablo de la Iglesia and Ana Parras for their technical support throughout the experiment

Evaluation of the sensitivity and production of flowers in tagetes erecta l. Exposed to high doses of sodium from irrigation with landfill leachates

Purpose Reuse of landfill leachate is an effective alternative for their nutrients to mitigate decrease in freshwater. On the other hand, the growth of vegetation in the final disposal areas provides many benefits such as improving the visual impact, controlling of hydric erosion, etc. The purpose of this work was to evaluate landfill leachate as irrigation water and source of nutrients for growth of Tagetes erecta L., an ornamental plant with phytoremediation capacities. Method Vegetal growth, physiological responses and mineral elements uptake of the ornamental plant Tagetes erecta L. were studied with different levels of landfill leachate irrigation. The landfill leachate was provided by the municipal waste treatment. Experimental period covered 34 days of daily watering between the beginning and end of the flowering stage. Three different irrigation treatments were used: T1: 10% leachate; T2: 25% leachate; T3: 50% leachate. Hoagland’s solution served as the control treatment. Results The irrigation treatment with a dose of 50% leachate causes a clear deterioration in the plant and its flowers. In lower doses, the plant responds favorably to both the production of flowers and the main features of them. Also, the water-use efficiency (WUE) is diminished in those plants irrigated with the major dose of leachate. Conclusion Maintaining controlled doses, landfill leachates can be used as an alternative source of water and nutrients. Irrigation with leachates of these characteristics should be done in dosages not higher than 25% to avoid possible damage of Tagetes erecta L. growth.Fil: Abrile, Mariana Guadalupe. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química; ArgentinaFil: Fiasconaro, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química; ArgentinaFil: Gervasio, Susana Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química; ArgentinaFil: Antolín Bellver, Maria del Carmen. Universidad de Navarra; EspañaFil: Lovato, Maria Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química; Argentin

Growth and Development of Short Rotation Woody Crops for Rural and Urban Applications

Integrating biomass production of short rotation woody crops (SRWCs), with their use in environmental applications to produce income, sequester carbon, and clean the environment, provides an opportunity to enhance livelihoods and increase ecosystem services in rural and urban communities. This book consists of 20 papers from the special issue on the Growth and Development of SRWCs for Rural and Urban Applications highlighting four genera (Phalaris L., Populus L., Robinia L., Salix L.) from 13 countries. In addition to the development and management of a Salix cultivar database, rural and urban applications represented in the book included: a) forest buffers, b) forest health screening, c) phytoremediation, d) short rotation coppice, e) volume production, and f) wastewater reuse