Agronomic aspects of switchgrass cultivation and use for energy purposes

Abstrakt

The world's non-renewable energy resources continually decline and therefore there is an urgent need to seek and use any available renewable energy sources. An alternative to conventional fuels can be the usage of plant biomass for energy purposes. This particularly relates to plants with C4 photosynthesis, a large increase in biomass, low habitat requirements, and high resistance to diseases and pests. All these characteristics are met, among others, by switchgrass which in many countries occurs as a common wild plant. In agricultural production, switchgrass does not pose many agronomic problems; moreover, it is a very durable plant that can be used in one stand for even 10 years and can be grown in all soils, even contaminated ones. Effective use of switchgrass for bioethanol, biogas or syngas production provides measurable ecological benefits and in the long term offers a chance to maintain a sustainable national energy balance, given the continuously shrinking non-renewable fuel resources. Due to the multifaceted use of this plant and a number of features important from the point of view of the power generation industry, it is worth having a closer look at the possibility of spreading the cultivation of this species.

Autorzy

artykuł
APPLIED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
Angielski
2018
16
5
5715-5743
otwarte czasopismo
Dozwolony użytek
ostateczna wersja opublikowana
w momencie opublikowania
2018-08-09
15
0,689
7
9