Growing energy willow in the conditions of Western Polissia

Abstract

The research results of influence of the planting density, fertilization and soil type on the productivity of the energy willow in the conditions of Western Polissia are presented. On average over five years of research in the cultivation of energy willow it was found that the highest yield of dry biomass 102.9 t/ha was obtained on dark gray light loamy soil with a planting density of 20 thousand pcs/ha and fertilizer application at the rate of N60 P200 K200. The lowest yield of dry biomass was at planting density of energy willow of 10 thousand pcs/ha in the variant without fertilizers on dark gray light loamy soil and sod-podzolic cohesive sandy soil – 49.1 and 26.9 t/ha, respectively. The mineral fertilizer application with rate of N60 P100 K100 ensured an increase in the yield of dry biomass by 13.5 and 7.5 t/ha depending on the type of soil. The increase of phosphorus and potash fertilizers rate to 200 kg a.i./ha contributed to an increase in dry mass up to 23.6 and 13.0 t/ha compared to the variant without fertilizers. A similar result was obtained on sod-podzolic cohesive-sandy soil. The lowest indicators were in the variant without fertilizers at the planting density of 10 thousand pcs/ha – 26.9 t/ha, 15 thousand pcs/ha – 30.2 t/ha and 20 thousand рcs/ha – 35.6 t/ha dry biomass. The application of mineral fertilizers with rate of N60P100K100 for all planting densities increased the dry biomass yield to 34.4; 38.5; 45.3 t/ha, respectively. Increase of phosphorus and potash fertilizers rate up to 200 kg a.i./ha against the background of N60 contributed to an increase of energy willow yield up to 39.9 t/ha (with a planting density of 10 thousand pcs/ha), 44.1 t/ha (15 thousand pcs/ha) and 52.3 t/ha (20 thousand pcs/ha) of dry biomass. On average for five years, the application of fertilizer with N60P200K200 rate on dark gray light loamy soil, and at planting density of 20 thousand pcs/ha provided the highest yield of solid biofuel from energy willow of 22.7 t/ha and energy of 363 GJ/ha, while on sod-podzolic cohesive-sandy soil under the same growing conditions the yield of solid biofuel from willow was less by 11.1 t/ha and energy of 178 GJ/ha. Keywords: energy willow, dry biomass, solid biofuels, energy, soil.