Title:
Adaptability of Safflower to the Cultivation in Heavy Metal Polluted Soil
Author(s):
Ciaramella, B.R., Crapio, E., Scordia, D., Cosentino, S.L., Patanč, C., Testa, G.
Document(s):
Paper
Poster
Abstract:
The European energy policy promotes a gradual substitution of fossil fuels with renewable sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is motivated by increasing oil costs, the need to achieve partial energy independence, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the use of agricultural land to cultivate energy crops has increased the competition between fuel and food. To avoid this problem, the production of energy crops could be carried out in marginal lands that are unproductive due to unfavorable conditions such as for the limitations on nutrients and water availability or for the presence of contaminants as hydrocarbons or heavy metals. For example, in the case of heavy metal contaminated soils, one option could be the use of plants to extract or immobilize contaminants in the soil. This process is called phytoremediation. The possibility to use energy crops coupling a good phytoremediation potential and biomass production for bioenergy purposes highlights the opportunity to enhance these areas reducing the risk of abandonment of these lands due to the soil pollutions. Carthamus tinctoriusL., an oilseed crop belonging to the family Compositae, is an annual herbaceous plant with a deep root system, and the oil extracted from the seeds is an excellent oil for biofuel conversion. In this study, C. tinctorius was tested in soil contaminated with Zinc, Cadmium, Lead and Nickel, to ascertain their effects on yield and the heavy metal content in the different part of the plant.The results highlight that Safflower can tolerate the presence of heavy metals in the soil. Among the heavy metal studied, safflower seems to be more susceptible to the presence of zinc in the soil.
Keywords:
bioenergy, biomass, heavy metals, marginal land, phytoremediation, safflower
Topic:
Sustainable Resources for Decarbonising the Economy
Subtopic:
Innovative biomass production for energy integrated into traditional agri-forestry systems
Event:
30th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
1BV.3.7
Pages:
183 - 186
ISBN:
978-88-89407-22-6
Paper DOI:
10.5071/30thEUBCE2022-1BV.3.7
Price:
FREE
