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    STUDIA BIOLOGIA - Issue no. 1 / 2013  
         
  Article:   POSTER ABSTRACTS : GROWTH DYNAMICS AND BIOMASS PRODUCTION OF GIANT REED UNDER DIFFERENT WATERING REGIMES.

Authors:  TAREK ALSHAAL, N. ELHAWAT, ÉVA DOMOKOS-SZABOLCSY, JÁNOS KÁTAI, LÁSZLÓ MÁRTON, MIHÁLY CZAKÓ, ANNAMÁRIA GERŐCS, FÁRI MIKLÓS GÁBOR.
 
       
         
  Abstract:  VIEW PDF: POSTER ABSTRACTS

In recent years many national and international initiatives have started in order to identify new sources of renewable energy. This growing interest in renewable energy is driven by two main reasons. Firstly, fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas are limited resources on our planet and if the level of our consumption does not change, the estimated times of depletion of these energy sources will be approximately 50 years for oil, 70 years for natural gas, and 170 years for coal (International Energy Outlook, 2006). Secondly, the combustion of fossil fuels emits large amounts of gas into the atmosphere, increasing the natural greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the main components of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The new policies for sustainable energy production in recent years have endorsed for the use of non-food, perennial grasses for biomass plantation for the next generations of bio-fuels production. To maximize the limit of carbon dioxide emissions (recognized as the main source of the greenhouse effect), in January of 2007, the European Commission has to recommend an obligatory minimum biomass participation in the energy balance of 20% by 2020. So, the generation of biomass for energy production is becoming a real business opportunity for farmers all over the world, even thought the use of grains and other food is giving rise to ethical issues. Tall perennial grasses, such as giant reed (Arundo donax L.), have been evaluated as potential lignocellulosic bioenergy crops. C3 grasses like giant reed have been evaluated for bioenergy use in the region. High dry matter yields of about 30 attrotons/ha−1 have been reported in temperate climates for giant reed. Thus, there is an ever increasing need to achieve greater crop production with less water use and/or more efficient water use. This is important for all crops, but it is especially needed for bioenergy crops to allow for production on marginal lands and to minimize competition with food crops. There is substantial variation in water use efficiency (WUE; g biomass produced kg−1 of water transpired) both within and across crops. The objective of our study is to investigate three different watering regimes (75, 50 and 30 % of saturation percent) on growth dynamics and biomass production of three different ecotypes (S: Hungarian ecotype, B: North-American ecotype, E: Spanish ecotype). The preliminary data for number of new buds, plant height and number of leaves after one month from transplanting showed no big differences among the ecotypes and among treatments indicating that giant reed could consider as drought tolerant plant; not only to stay survive under limited water supply circumstances but also produce significant biomass feedstock for energy and paper purposes. As well as Fv/Fm ratio for ecotypes under different watering regime after one month also showed no big differences among ecotypes. Acknowledgements. This work is partly supported by the TÁMOP- 4.2.2.A-11/1/KONV-2012-0041 project and co-financed by the European Union and the European Social Fund. Additional financial support is also gratefully acknowledged for the MOP Biotech Co Ltd. (Nyíregyháza, Hungary) and Ereky Foundation (Debrecen, Hungary). Additional financial support is also gratefully acknowledged for Balassi Institute, the Hungarian Scholarship Board Office, Budapest, Hungary.
 
         
     
         
         
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