11-11-2021

Biomass:

Switchgrass requests very low input.

Fertilization cost a lot of resources and it’s very impactful on the planet. The harvesting operation is
the principal cause of some major problems.

What’re the main uses of these crops?

- Forage for animals for the high quality of the fibres.

- Livestock beddings are the material that is on the floor and they’re stable
- Growing mushrooms
- Pulp and paper
- Other chemicals from cellulosic biomasses
- Organic insulation you can use this sound isolation(?)

Bioenergy crops:

 Different types of energy

The quality of biomass can be improved. The definition of space between the plants can change the
concentration of Ca and K, especially in leaves.

It’s considered low-cost biomass the switchgrass compared to oil sugar and starch-rich crops. But
yield and quality traits are quite different among switchgrass cultivars.

More biomass means less mineral component. So the lowland ecotype of switchgrass is better than
the north one.

Recently has been inaugurated something in Romania about the production of biofuel starting from
switchgrass. The farmer is not attracted to produce it if there’s no market.

Miscanthus

Within this genre, there’re more than 15 species. Most of them are original from Indonesia.

They use the rhizomes to reproduce themselves. A good quality rhizome increase with mother plant
age, but only up to a certain point.

High radiation use efficiency: this means they have a good conversion of light into biomass.

The Leaf Are Index: area of the leave-in relation to where the plant is growing. Miscanthus thanks to
its adaptability can have a high LAI. Spring to the end of Summer is the harvesting period. This plant
can maintain a high Photosynthetic Rate, either at the end and the beginning.

Stay green: the capacity to keep green photosynthesizing leave up to 10°C.

High water use efficiency (WUE):

 - 150 L kg-1 dry matter; maize typically require 300 L. This is an advantage with lower waste
of water the Miscanthus produce the same biomass.

Establishment: starting from the cutting of the rhizome or plantlets planted in weel structured and
recently cultivated soils after the risk of frost.

Planting:

The past cultivation & rolling (rhizomes cut and spread on the soil by rotation)

Today: we optimize the distribution of the plants on the soil, cause we want to obtain the greatest
quantity of biomass. High-density areas are easy to harvest. \(°_°)/

Weed control: they compete for light and nutrients with the plants, but with an efficient distribution
we could avoid the massive growth of these dangerous weeds. When they grove they suppress the
grove of our plants.

Agronomic management is the dry fertilization of the soil.

You want the lowest moisture content in the grass.

Low inputs (<CO2 emissions):

Initially Miscanthus cost more than switchgrass.

The use of Miscanthus in China is for cellulose pulp.

12-11-2021

Last part of Miscanthus:

Combustion & Thermochemical

Maximum values of ash content is 5-6.

In the very beginning this biomass was utilized 90% for combustion. But this is no an efficient
process. But this biomass, today, can be use in others way. Nowadays this pre-treatments
technologies are very expensive.

Giant reed (Arundo donax)

Two centres of origin: easter Asia and the other one is nearby the Mediterranean area. Giant reed
was intentional distributed because of the multiple uses of its culms:

- For musical instruments, rayon, paper and pulp, particle boards and a lot of things

It’s an invasive species or no? In U.S., the department of agriculture has label this species as a
transformer species. It’s the capacity to transform the place and become the most dominant species
in the area. But in Europe we don’t have this problem. In fact European Commission has called the
giant reed one of the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly crops.
Do the asexual reproduction, the possibility to find new species or variety is minimal. The population
around the world has develop some characteristics of adapting to the climate zone where you might
find them.

- Photosynthetic pathway
- Photosynthesis > C4

They produce a lot of pillars of stems. They’re so dense that they’re like a wall of plants, it’s
impossible to pass trough. Another thing is the grow rate of the plants: the biomass you accumulate
on time. 0,3-0,7 m week-1. Only bamboo grow faster.

They produce also rhizomes. This rhizomes are a very dense mass, perpendicular to the surface,
about 10cm depth into the soil. The roots are 1m long.

The stem, are the economic component of interest of the plant in term of biomass. They’re empty
inside but with tick walls. They can reach a diameter of 1-4 cm.

Flowering start at the end of summer.

A. Donax can tolerate variable conditions. It’s possible to find this plants nearby shore.

Yield potential:

We obtain more biomass than Miscanthus, at least 10 tons.

“Vegetative reproduction” rhyzomes or reproduction by the stem cutting. But it’s not a
completely development technology.

Fertilization: this species, in contrast with the other require an important fertilization rate but only in
the first year.

Irrigation: irrigation is very costly, and usually is used for high value products. This plant can
consume a large quantity of water. Were tested 3 different level of irrigation.

This plant has a luxury watery use. If there’s irrigation the plant use the extra water not to produce
new biomass but for other process like transpiration. So, at the end, we could use only the rain fed,
irrigation is just a waste of money.

Water Use Efficiency biomass produced/water used