Title:
Optimisation of Energy Crop Production under Dry Climatic Conditions
Author(s):
Leonhartsberger, C., Bauer, A., Ilic, D., Amon, T.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
Energy crops are still the feedstock of choice for biogas production. Due to climate change and the competition to food and feed production there is need to find site adapted energy crops and varieties that could be grown on sites receiving lower rainfall contents. Therefore the aim of a 4 year lasting project is to determine the optimal variety of the energy crops maize, sorghum, sugar beet and rye for regions with dry climatic conditions. The biomass and specific methane yields of 5 varieties of these crops are investigated each year. In order to investigate the maximum biomass and yearly methane yield per hectare of a double-cropping system, harvesting of the pre-crop (winter-rye) was conducted at the end of flowering stage, milk stage and dough stage. Maize or sorghum was harvested at the end of the vegetation period. After 2-years of investigation results show that the biomass yields of maize, rye and sugar-beet varieties is mainly determined by climatic conditions. Subsequently no significant differences between the varieties have been obtained. Sorghum varieties differed to a greater extend due to type variations. Also the potential for using crop residues such as sugar beet leaves for biogas production could be portrayed. For both double-cropping systems (winter-rye/maize and winter-rye/sorghum) harvesting of the pre-crop at the beginning of May has shown to be the optimum date in terms of total biomass yield.
Keywords:
biogas, climatic conditions, cultivar, energy crops
Topic:
Biomass resources
Subtopic:
Research on energy crops (session 2)
Event:
18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
OE4.3
Pages:
265 - 268
ISBN-13:
978-88-89407-56-1
ISBN-10:
88-89407-56-5
Paper DOI:
10.5071/18thEUBCE2010-OE4.3
Price:
FREE
