Title:
Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization on the Yield and Quality of Rye Biomass
Author(s):
Ciria, P., Barro, R., Maletta, E., Pérez, J., del Val, A., Pérez, P., Carrasco, J.E.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the dosage of N fertilization on the yield and combustion quality of the whole crop (straw + grain) biomass of rye under rain-fed conditions. The plots were conducted in Soria (Spain), a location characterized by a continental mediterranean climate with cold winters. Nitrogen treatments were applied at the end of winter as calcium ammonium nitrate at 0 (no fertilization), 30 and 80 FU ha-1. As expected, N fertilization significantly increased the biomass from 8.7 (no fertilization) to 11.8 t dry matter ha-1 when 80 N FU ha-1 were applied. In general, the N treatment did not affect the quality of the biomass, finding no significant differences for properties such as ash content or heating values. However, 40% higher amounts of Ca and K were found in the biomass obtained from the rye fertilized with the highest rate. The noticeable changes in the aforementioned alkali and alkaline earth metals did not affect the sintering behavior of the ashes obtained from the biomass. Therefore, it can be concluded that the application of 80 N FU ha-1 increases biomass yield, not causing, at the same time, detrimental effects on biofuel quality.
Keywords:
fertilization, yield, chemical composition, annual herbaceous crops
Topic:
Biomass Resources
Subtopic:
Energy crops and energy grasses
Event:
20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
1DV.2.46
Pages:
588 - 595
ISBN:
978-88-89407-54-7
Paper DOI:
10.5071/20thEUBCE2012-1DV.2.46
Price:
FREE
