Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
energy sector rather than food or feed markets, the commercial adoption of willow bioenergy crops
will be led by entrepreneurial pioneers and forward-thinking businesses and must be supported
by government policy. In Sweden, the commercialization of
Salix
has been dominated by Svalöf
Weibull and Lantmännen Agroenergie. In the United Kingdom, the willow enterprise has been
developed by pioneers, including Coppice Resources Ltd., Strawson's Energy, Murray Carter, and
Rural Generation. In North America, the first business engaged in growing willow commercially
for bioenergy was Double A Willow in Fredonia, NY (www.doubleawillow.com). This commercial
nursery has the capacity to produce 30,000,000 cuttings each year and is active in the development
of markets for willow biomass. Projects are developing that will expand the cultivation of willow to
provide renewable fuel for combined heat and power projects. Finally, Agro Énergie is a pioneering
willow nursery in Québec, Canada. One thing that all of these companies have in common is
active and regular engagement with academic and government willow researchers. The two-way
communication between industry and academia is crucial to accelerate the development of this
novel agricultural enterprise.
The formalization and enforcement of regional, national, and global carbon emission restrictions
will drive the expanded use of biomass for energy which will gain further financial advantage as
the cost of fossil fuels continues to rise. The community of experts engaged in willow research and
extension must grow to meet the needs of a burgeoning industry. Areas that critically need attention
include improvements in sustainable land-use conversion, site preparation, and crop establishment;
testing of herbicides and development of cover crop systems for weed management; long-term
breeding for improved yield, pest and disease resistance, and nutrient and water use efficiency;
and harvesting, transport, drying, and storage logistics. As demand for sustainably produced
woody biomass rises, so must the intensity of government and industry support for research and
development of willow bioenergy crops. One critical example of this is the recent commitment by
the U.S. Department of Energy-Joint Genome Initiative to sequence the genome of
S. purpurea
—a
project lead by G. Tuskan (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), L. Smart (Cornell University), and C.
Town (J. Craig Venter Institute). With a database of the DNA sequences of the entire willow genome
in hand, willow breeders and physiologists will command a powerful toolbox that can accelerate
the selection of improved varieties and the study of basic woody plant biology. One final research
tool that is desperately needed to complement these genomic approaches is the ability to efficiently
transform and regenerate willow, which would open new avenues of research into basic aspects of
gene function while also stimulating the rapid production of new varieties with specific genetic trait
improvements (Smart and Cameron 2008). There is tremendous potential for shrub willow crops to
contribute significantly to the expanded utilization of renewable energy, but there is much work to
be done before that vision is realized.
reFerences
Abrahamson LP, Volk TA, Kopp RF, White EH, Ballard JL (2002)
Willow Biomass Producer's Handbook
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SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY
Adegbidi HG, Briggs RD (2003) Nitrogen mineralization of sewage sludge and composted poultry manure
applied to willow in a greenhouse experiment.
Biomass Bioenergy
25:665-673
Adegbidi HG, Briggs RD, Volk TA, White EH, Abrahamson LP (2003) Effect of organic amendments and
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Bioenergy
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Adler A, Verwijst T, Aronsson P (2005) Estimation and relevance of bark proportion in a willow stand.
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Bioenergy
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Anderson HW, Papadopol CS, Zsuffa L (1983) Wood energy plantations in temperate climates.
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Manag
6:281-306
Argus GW (1974) An experimental study of hybridization and pollination in
Salix
(willow).
Can J Bot
52:1613-1619
Argus GW (1997) Infrageneric classification of
Salix
(Salicaceae) in the New World. In:
Systematic Botany
Monographs
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