• Energy Research

Giant reed (Arundo Donax L.) and African fodder cane (Saccharum spontaneum ssp. aegypticum) are perennial, non-food and low-input energy crop representing a promising solution to produce renewable energy at low cost, especially in marginal areas - i.e. low profitable areas which are prone to land abandonment. This research investigates the biomass composition and the biochemical methane potential (BMP) yield of these crops and the effect of a hydrothermal pretreatment on the biomass composition and on BMP yield Proceedings of the 28th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 July 2020, Virtual, pp. 494-497

Giant reed (Arundo Donax L.) and African fodder cane (Saccharum spontaneum ssp. aegypticum) are perennial, non-food and low-input energy crop representing a promising solution to produce renewable energy at low cost, especially in marginal areas - i.e. low profitable areas which are prone to land abandonment. This research investigates the biomass composition and the biochemical methane potential (BMP) yield of these crops and the effect of a hydrothermal pretreatment on the biomass composition and on BMP yield Proceedings of the 28th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 July 2020, Virtual, pp. 494-497

Belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family, Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) is one of the most important non-edible industrial oilseed crop due to its high oil content which ranges from 40 to 55%. According to its temperature requirements, Castor is expected to be one of the possible oilseed crop to develop and study in the Mediterranean area in order to enhance the cultivation in degraded and marginal land. Field experiment were conducted at the experimental farm of the University of Catania between the period of April and November 2021. The aim was to study the behavior of four dwarf hybrids in comparison with a local variety of castor bean evaluating which sowing date was the best to cultivate castor for avoiding the low-winter temperature and verify the best period of cultivation. The flowering of the first three sowing dates were recorded around the end of July due to temperature and photoperiodic effect. The seed yield was higher for the dwarf hybrids, while the local variety had higher production for the primary racemes because of the shifting of the sowing dates which reduces the growing season. Proceedings of the 30th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 9-12 May 2022, Online, pp. 116-119

Belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family, Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) is one of the most important non-edible industrial oilseed crop due to its high oil content which ranges from 40 to 55%. According to its temperature requirements, Castor is expected to be one of the possible oilseed crop to develop and study in the Mediterranean area in order to enhance the cultivation in degraded and marginal land. Field experiment were conducted at the experimental farm of the University of Catania between the period of April and November 2021. The aim was to study the behavior of four dwarf hybrids in comparison with a local variety of castor bean evaluating which sowing date was the best to cultivate castor for avoiding the low-winter temperature and verify the best period of cultivation. The flowering of the first three sowing dates were recorded around the end of July due to temperature and photoperiodic effect. The seed yield was higher for the dwarf hybrids, while the local variety had higher production for the primary racemes because of the shifting of the sowing dates which reduces the growing season. Proceedings of the 30th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 9-12 May 2022, Online, pp. 116-119

The Mediterranean climate is a climate change hot spot suffering by increasing drought periods during summer, with low rainfall and high evapotranspiration, which are limiting conditions for plant CO2 assimilation and biomass production, particularly for spring-summer crops. This would be even worst under marginal lands, where climatic, terrain and other limiting factors will further aggravate growing conditions and productivity. The present field experiment investigated the response to irrigation of several lignocellulosic perennial grasses. Plant stem density, stem height, stem weight and leaf area index were evaluated during the growing season with a monthly frequency. Stem density showed the lowest values for A. donax genotypes and the highest for the Miscanthus seed-based hybrids. High stem densities are observed at high irrigation levels. Stem height and weight are inversely correlated to stem density. A. donax genotypes had higher stem height and weight than the other genotypes. Irrigation has a significant positive effect on both measures. Leaf area index varied among genotypes, and irrigation increased this trait. Proceedings of the 29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 26-29 April 2021, Online, pp. 345-351

The Mediterranean climate is a climate change hot spot suffering by increasing drought periods during summer, with low rainfall and high evapotranspiration, which are limiting conditions for plant CO2 assimilation and biomass production, particularly for spring-summer crops. This would be even worst under marginal lands, where climatic, terrain and other limiting factors will further aggravate growing conditions and productivity. The present field experiment investigated the response to irrigation of several lignocellulosic perennial grasses. Plant stem density, stem height, stem weight and leaf area index were evaluated during the growing season with a monthly frequency. Stem density showed the lowest values for A. donax genotypes and the highest for the Miscanthus seed-based hybrids. High stem densities are observed at high irrigation levels. Stem height and weight are inversely correlated to stem density. A. donax genotypes had higher stem height and weight than the other genotypes. Irrigation has a significant positive effect on both measures. Leaf area index varied among genotypes, and irrigation increased this trait. Proceedings of the 29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 26-29 April 2021, Online, pp. 345-351

There are several environmental advantages in the use of perennial crops such as reduction of soil erosion, increased soil organic matter, low fertilizer and agrochemical demands and increased biodiversity. Bioproducts, biofuels and bioenergy appears as an alternative to replace petroleum based products and nowadays, using land to grow crops for bioenergy has become an increasingly important policy objective designed in the RED II (2018/2001/EU). In this context, marginal lands appear as an alternative for industrial crops production without threatening food production. Marginal lands can be understood as generally as unproductivity lands which are exposed to stress conditions such as limitations of nutrients or water, or contamination by hydrocarbons or heavy metals. Therefore, production of biomass in marginal soils is being recommended to lessen land use change ethical issues linked with competition with food crops. Contaminated soils hinder the cultivation of traditional food crops, while industrial crops can provide several ecosystem services. However, understanding the tolerance and the phytoremediation of each species to a single contaminant helps us to better clean up the polluted areas and it can be useful for organizing protocols aimed at the reclamation of these areas, reducing time and reducing management costs providing a renewable source for energy and bioproducts. The species suitable to heavy metals polluted soils can be divided in two group: exclusion and resistance. The mechanisms of exclusion prevent the accumulation of toxic concentrations in sensitive sites within the cell, and thus preventing negative effects. The mechanisms of resistance generally concern the development of proteins that allow the plant to resist to heavy metals, allowing the accumulation of the same contaminant in the aerial parts of plant. The aim of this work was to study the physiological response of plants tolerant to heavy metals, in particular, focused the attention on two non-food lignocellulosic perennial grasses: giant reed (Arundo donax L.) and African fodder cane (Saccharum spontaneum L. ssp. aegyptiacum), in soils contaminated by four heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Zn) with the purpose to observe the physiological response and the mechanisms of resistance in the increasing concentrations of the four soil heavy metals. Proceedings of the 29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 26-29 April 2021, Online, pp. 339-344