Title:
Perennial Crops as Alternative Biogas Substrate - Yield Performance and Optimal Harvest Date
Author(s):
Mast, B., Claupein, W., Graeff-Hönninger, S.
Document(s):
Paper
Poster
Abstract:
The demand for biogas substrate has increased significantly in Germany over the past decade, whereas maize is the most popular and utilized crop for this purpose resulting in high maize densities in areas where biogas plants exists. By now, high maize densities caused by biogas production are increasingly criticized due to their potential negative environmental impacts. Therefore, the efforts finding alternative biogas substrates with similar suitability and performance as maize are intensified. The present paper focuses on perennial crops (cup plant (Silphium perfolatium), Szarvasi (Agropyron elongatum), energy dock (Rumex schavnat) and giant knotweed (Falopia sachalinensis var. Igniscum)) as alternative biogas substrate, which may improve the sustainability of the biogas production. A field experiment was carried out in South-West Germany and dry matter yield (DMY) and dry matter content (DMC) were determined on different harvest dates in order to identify the optimal harvest time. It was shown that cup plant reached a similar DMY level as maize, whereas Szarvasi, energy dock and Igniscum provided DMY on a lower level. Furthermore, harvest date had a major impact on DMY and DMC of most of the tested perennial crops.
Keywords:
biogas, maize, perennial energy crops, yield, dry matter
Topic:
Biomass resources
Subtopic:
Energy crops and energy grasses
Event:
21st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
1BV.3.1
Pages:
295 - 298
ISBN:
978-88-89407-53-0
Paper DOI:
10.5071/21stEUBCE2013-1BV.3.1
Price:
FREE
