Use of wood ash for fertilizing the plantation of fast-growing woody plants-basket willow (Salix viminalis L.)

Energetic utilization of wood biomass obtained from fast-growing woody plants nowadays records more important capability. The article discusses the issue of research using wood ash as solid waste from the boiler while burning biomass and the intensification of short-rotation coppice basket willow - common osier (Salix viminalis L.) for energy use as a renewable energy source. Purpose of the article is to show the importance of basket willow (Salix viminalis L.) as short-rotation coppice with the emphasis of its production and remedial effects

Identifying drought tolerant short rotation coppice willows

Short rotation coppice (SRC) willows are of interest as they provide a source of renewable carbon for bioenergy and biofuels. One of the major challenges facing future supply of willow biomass is sustaining sufficient yields in drought challenged environments, with research in this area limited to date. The effects of drought responses on Salix germplasm were studied in two pot experiments in a rain out shelter at Rothamsted Research using a split plot design. In both experiments, plants were subjected to two water treatments, drought stressed or well-watered. A temporary water stress was imposed by applying two cycles of drought within a growing season. Experiment 1 aimed to screen 56 diverse Salix genotypes, including subsets of existing genetic mapping populations, to identify potentially informative germplasm for further study in a more focused second pot experiment. Experiment 2 contained 36 genotypes from two willow full-sibling genetic mapping populations, F and K8. Assessing the potential of mapping population progeny to segregate for drought traits of interest is an important aim of the study as it offers a potential route to the development of markers for drought tolerance trait selections within the Rothamsted Research willow breeding programme.Phenotypic and final harvest yield measurements were taken on all plants. Primary results reveal; that pot experiments were effective in producing a useful response to drought stress, that genotypic diversity for drought tolerance exists in Salix, an early drought coinciding with the exponential growth phase has a more negative effect on yield than a drought that occurs later in the growing season, and that top and middle leaf lengths may potentially offer the breeder a high throughput method of assessing the impact of drought on germplas

A COMPARATIVE ANALYZE OF WILLOW SHORT ROTATION COPPICE BIOMASS IN DIFFERENT SITES FROM THE WEST OF ROMANIA

Willows are trees and shrubs species important for their wood and wood products but also for their role in environmental protection. In the context of energy crises, woody biomass for short rotation coppice could be one of important energy resource. Willows hybrids RO-892, RO-1077 and RO–1082 developed by National Institute for Research and Development in Forestrywere used to establish short rotation coppice on different sites, even marginal areas like saline soil or ash pods. Biometric characteristics, diameter at 1.0 m, and the maximum height of each shoot, and also the number of shoots per stool were evaluated and the biomass potential was estimated. The research highlighted the capacity of willow to grow on difficult site conditions like saline soil or ash pods. The yield production was significantly lower than on agricultural land but th

Combining short rotation willow coppice with free-range chickens - experiences from experiments on farm level in the Netherlands

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Combining of biomass production for energy with agroforestry - experience from short rotation coppice with poultry breeding

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How do agroforest trees affect the supply of regulating ecosystem services?

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Visions for organic bioenergy production in Denmark

There is a large potential for organic bioenergy production, which can be combined with the present food production and the provision of multiple other goods and services required by society; i.e. a cleaner aquatic environment, or nature values in cultural landscapes. This paper presents six scenarios for bioenergy production from organic farming in Denmark, with a total energy production potential of around 6.7 PJ/yr. This potential is compared to the present energy use of around 2.5 PJ/yr, and the po-tentials for energy savings equalling 0.1-0.5 PJ/yr

The potential for utilising disturbed and contaminated sites for the production of willow short rotation coppice forestry

The utilisation of disturbed and contaminated sites for the production of willow (Salix) short rotation coppice forestry is an area of opportunity that has not been fully addressed. The significant areas of contaminated and disturbed sites in the UK that require remediation represent an opportunity for exploring alternative low cost remediation strategies. Conventional approaches to site remediation have involved costly engineered solutions, solutions which clearly cannot be afforded on all contaminated and disturbed sites. As an alternative to hard engineered solutions this thesis considers the potential to utilise these areas for the production of willow short rotation coppice forestry. The planting of these sites with willow provides a potential income stream through the sale of the biomass produced. In addition willow short rotation coppice forestry provides many additional benefits to these sites such as their ability to absorb heavy metals, provide fast site enhancement and stabilisation, act as a carbon sink and as a potential route for the recycling of organic matter. Current knowledge and experience of willow short rotation coppice forestry has been gained from its production on agricultural land. As part of this research a field trial was established on a capped former steelworks site to quantify the ability of contaminated and disturbed sites to successfully establish and promote the growth of willow. The silvicultural practices employed to grow willow Short Rotation Coppice were considered to assess their impact upon the survival and biomass produced at the end of each growing season, and specifically to consider whether adopting different management techniques were beneficial in growth conditions associated with disturbed and contaminated sites. The silvicultural practices considered in this field trial were the addition of fertiliser, the use of herbicide, rotation length before coppicing (1, 2 or 3 Years) and planting density (0.5 m and 1.0 m). In addition a further 18 clones were screened to consider their ability to establish and survive in such harsh growing mediums. Results have indicated considerable variability within the field trial, which may be indicative of the heterogeneity of the growing medium. The main silvicultural practice in the field trial that influenced survival and growth was weed control. All other silvicultural practices used were considered to have less influence on the survival and growth of the willow. Yields obtained from willow short rotation coppice forestry grown on disturbed and contaminated sites fail to compare with those grown on the higher grades of agricultural land. On contaminated and disturbed sites however, survival rather than biomass yield is viewed as the key issue to ensure that ground cover is established. Work undertaken by the Water Research Council to assess the potential of a rapid screening technique for willow establishment and survival on metal contaminated sites is replicated and expanded to other clones of willow and heavy metals. The results obtained from this quick and simple leaf disc screening trial would in the first instance seem to indicate that the leaf damage suffered by leaf discs obtained from differing clones of willow to be consistently more pronounced amongst individual cultivars. Limitations are imposed upon this quick screening test by the lack of available information to allow comparison of these screening trials with information for willows established in growing mediums of a similar metal contamination. To fully appreciate the value of growing willow on disturbed and contaminated sites it is considered that the economic equation should be readdressed and that the value of additional opportunities/ benefits are included if the true value of utilising these sites for its production is to be demonstrated. Studies to identify the non-marketable benefits for woodlands and energy crops grown in Sweden are used to give an indication of the true economic value of growing willow SRC on disturbed and contaminated sites, and are used to provide an insight into the economic value that can be attributed to the social and environmental benefits of willow production

Public opinion on energy crops in the landscape: considerations for the expansion of renewable energy from biomass

Public attitudes were assessed towards two dedicated biomass crops – Miscanthus and Short Rotation Coppice (SRC), particularly regarding their visual impacts in the landscape. Results are based on responses to photographic and computer-generated images as the crops are still relatively scarce in the landscape. A questionnaire survey indicated little public concern about potential landscape aesthetics but more concern about attendant built infrastructure. Focus group meetings and interviews indicated support for biomass end uses that bring direct benefits to local communities. Questions arise as to how well the imagery used was able to portray the true nature of these tall, dense, perennial plants but based on the responses obtained and given the caveat that there was limited personal experience of the crops, it appears unlikely that wide-scale planting of biomass crops will give rise to substantial public concern in relation to their visual impact in the landscape