AIR1-CT92-8011-GB Soil Fertility and Cultivation of Energy Crops

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AIR Cluster X - Inputs for Non-Food Crops : Agricultural Residues : Enviromental Aspects

Soil Fertility and Cultivation of Energy Crops Jim Coombs, CPL Scientific Ltd, UK (AIR1-92-8011-GB) in collaboration with Mogens Hedegaard, I Kruger AS, Denmark & Marco de Bertoldi, University of Udine, Italy This AIR Study for DGXII covers the feasibility of growing biomass energy crops with reduced input of synthetic chemical fertilisers by substitiution with organic fertilisers. It assesses the possible benefits which could be a reduced cost of crop production and a decrease in the damage to the environment which might occur as a result of increased inputs of soluble nutrients and associated pest, disease and weed control chemicals, as well as annual removal of large quantities of nutrients in high yielding species. Ref: EUR 16517 EN ISBN: 92-827-7206-3

This report covers the feasibility of growing biomass energy crops with reduced input of synthetic chemical fertilisers by substitution with organic fertilisers. The purpose is to assess the possible benefits which could be a reduced cost of crop production and a decrease in the damage to the environment which might occur as a result of increased inputs of soluble nutrients and associated pest, disease and weed control chemicals as well as annual removal of large quantities of nutrients in high yielding species. The use of waste derived plant nutrients in this way together with disposal to land taken out of food production and used for energy crops could also contribute to solving the increasing problems and costs of organic waste treatment.

It is based on a combination of literature review, discussions with equipment manufacturers and visits to sites where various wastes are treated. These wastes include sewage sludge, manures, municipal solid waste, straw, source sorted domestic waste and selected garden/horticultural waste as well as effluents and by products of the agro food industries ranging from meat and fish processing to sugar and starch processing. The report covers the properties of soil in land which might be used, the nature amount and processing of wastes, the growth of crops (with an emphasis on high yielding energy crops) and the impact of legislation and standards on the feasibility of the concept.

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Contact

• Jim COOMBS / CPL Scientific Publishing Services Ltd CPL Press / UNITED KINGDOM
• Ciarán MANGAN / European Commission - DG Research Quality of Life Programme - Unit B1.2 / BELGIUM
• Office for the Official Publications of the European Communities (OOPEC) / LUXEMBOURG