WILLOW PRODUCTIVITY ON A COMMERCIAL PLANTATION IN TRIENNIAL HARVEST CYCLE

M. Śnieg, St. Szczukowski, M. J., J. Tworkowski, M. Krzyżaniak, Stolarski

Abstract: Biomass is a renewable energy source which is easily available around the world. Lignocellulosic biomass is now increasingly often used in developed countries. It is also an important feedstock in the chemical industry. It is used to produce high quality industrial products: polymers, bioethanol from hemicellulose, activated carbon and vanillin etc. Willow (Salix spp.) can be successfully used as feedstock in an integrated multi-product biorefnery. The objective of this study was to determine the productivity of new varieties and clones of short rotation willow coppice on a commercial plantation, with its product intended for an integrated multi-product biorefinery. A willow plantation of the area of 10.5 ha was established on April 2010 at the Educational and Research Station in Łężany, belonging to the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (north-eastern Poland). Among the studied cultivars, UWM 043 showed the highest survival rate (15 278 plants ha-1). Significantly, the lowest number of plants (7 833 plants ha-1) survived in the case of clone UWM 155. The highest plants were developed by clone UWM 006 and the lowest by Tur variety. The yield of dry matter ranged from 2.79 to 14.23 Mg ha-1 yr-1 d.m. for clones UWM 155 and UWM 006 respectively. The average calorific value of the willow yield was 369.86 GJ ha-1. Considering the highest biomass yield, the highest calorific value was achieved for the UWM 006 clone. It may be concluded that the clones UWM 006 and UWM 043 should be recommended for cultivation with a view to supplying large amounts of lignocellulosic biomass for integrated biorefinery.

Keywords: biometric features; calorific value of the yield; lignocellulosic biomass; new varieties and clones; willow; yield

Date published: 2017-08-17