Sustainable production of willow for biofuel use

Publication date: 23/06/2019
Extent: 36 pages

Contributions by: M. Weih, P.-A. Hansson, J. A. Ohlsson, M. Sandgren, A. Schnürer and A.-C. Rönnberg- Wästljung, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

Chapter synopsis: Intensively managed plantations of willow (Salix spp.) are gaining interest worldwide, mainly due to their efficient and sustainable land use along with an increasing demand for biofuel resources. Willows have traditionally been used as biofuel in the form of wood chips for direct combustion in heat and power plants, but there is an increasing interest in using willow biomass as raw material for other biofuel supply chains. This chapter provides an overview of the challenges and key issues in the sustainable production and use of willow as feedstock for biofuel production in northern temperate regions, including the issues of feedstock quality for biofuel use, feedstock productivity, cropping security, biodiversity, nutrient uptake and use, carbon accumulation and sequestration, and environmental impact. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area and provides guidance on further reading.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2019.0027.17