Title:
Response of the Energy Grass Giant Reed to Three Harvest Strategies: Crop Growth Rate and Dry Matter Yield
Author(s):
Ceotto, E., Castelli, F.
Document(s):
Paper
Poster
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess whether and how three harvest strategies and two N fertilization regimes influence biomass productivity of giant reed. To investigate this question, a field experiments was undertaken in 2015, and it is still on going, in the low Po Valley, Northern Italy. Harvest strategies were: i) H1: double harvest, first time at the end of June + second harvest at the end of September; ii) H2: double harvest, first time at the end of July + second time at the end of September; iii) H3: a single harvest managed at the end of September. Each harvest treatment has received two fertilization regimes, fertilized with 250 kg N ha-1 and no fertilization (N0). The experimental design was a strip plot with four replications. Our main findings are: i) under our environmental conditions total dry matter yield was reduced by double harvests; ii) double harvests are disadvantageous because they shortens the period in which the crop takes advantage of the maximum crop growth rate, although this is partially compensated by higher crop growth rate during the second part of the season; iii) N supply plays a key role not only in improving giant reed productivity, but also in mitigating the detrimental effect of double harvest on dry matter productivity.
Keywords:
fertilization, harvesting, perennial energy crops, production
Topic:
Biomass Resources
Subtopic:
Biomass Crops and Energy Grasses
Event:
25th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
1DV.2.22
Pages:
283 - 285
ISBN:
978-88-89407-17-2
Paper DOI:
10.5071/25thEUBCE2017-1DV.2.22
Price:
FREE
