Paper details

Title:

N-Loss Enhanced by Removal of Crop Residues from Cotton, Maize and Tomato Fields for Biofuel Production

Author(s):

Bartzialis, D., Archontoulis, S.V., Tziamali, P., Danalatos, N.G.

Document(s):

Abstract:

Crop residues normally comprise an important source of biomass. An important issue is whether and to what extent the use of crop residues is sustainable with respect to the nutrient removal from the field. Another important issue comprises the moisture content of the crop residues for further industrial processing. On the other hand, in central Greece there are some 400.000 ha (irrigated cropland) with important cash crops like cotton, maize, and industrial tomato that produce considerable amounts of crop residues. In this work an effort is made to quantify (i) the amount of biomass, (ii) the nitrogen content (g N per m2 ground area), and (iii) the moisture content (% of dry matter) of cotton, maize and industrial tomato crop residues, for later use in bioenergy sector. Three field experiments were conducted in the Thessaly Plain, central Greece in 2010 (experiments are being continued in 2011). Each experiment refers to one of the following crops: cotton (Exp1), maize (Exp2) and industry tomato (Exp3). Within an experiment, a combination of six different types and levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization was applied (including control plots). Preliminary results showed that from cotton, maize and industrial tomato cultivations, some 7900, 6500 and 3800 kg dry matter/ha, respectively can be used for bioenergy production; after the harvest of the main product per crop (seeds or fruits). Taking into account the corresponding nitrogen concentration values (g N kg dm-1) per plant component (e.g. stems, cobs, etc) we calculated that the amount of N-removed from the field was: 100 kg N/ha for cotton, 50 kg N/ha for tomato and 40 kg N/ha for the maize (average values across N­treatments). This paper presents relevant agronomic information to be considered in future bioenergy production schemes including use of crop residues.

Keywords:

maize, biomass production, Greece, N-loss, crop residues, cotton, tomato

Topic:

Biomass Resources

Subtopic:

Biomass residues and by-products

Event:

19th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Session:

VP1.2.13

Pages:

443 - 447

ISBN-13:

978-88-89407-55-4

ISBN-10:

88-89407-55-7

Paper DOI:

10.5071/19thEUBCE2011-VP1.2.13

Price:

FREE