Renewable Energy, Vol.151, 887-895, 2020
The quality and energy potential of introduced energy crops in northern part of temperate climate zone
Global climate change concomitant necessitates search for alternative and renewable energy generation systems as they reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. In warm climate, the productivity and the profitability of the perennial crops are high while in northern European countries the biomass DM yields are significantly lower. The aim of this study is to identify the potential crops from Artemisia dubia, Miscanthus giganteus, Sida Hermaphrodita for bioenergy, evaluate the biomass quality and energy potential in comparison with the traditional Festuca arundinacea grass, cultivated under the northern EuropeanLithuanian-weather conditions. Crops were grown with the applied 90 or 170 kg ha(-1) of mineral nitrogen fertilizer. The biomass quality varied significantly with the grass species and fertilization rate. The productivity of crops varied between the species and the highest of 21.54 t of DM ha(-1) was obtained from Miscanthus giganteus fertilized with 170 kg N ha(-1). Most of the models available in the literature suggest that these crops are not economically feasible in Northern part of temperate climate zone due to the short vegetation season and very cold winters. However, the results obtained here suggest that under constantly changing climate conditions Miscanthus giganteus, may be promising feedstock for renewable energy. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.