Artemisia Dubia Wall. – A Novel Energy Crop for Temperate Climate Zone in Europe

Abstract

In most northern countries the increased interest in the use of agricultural biomass for any energy purpose and novel crops with as high as possible yield of appropriate quality are required for sustainable cultivation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the productivity, chemical composition, drying parameters at Artemisia dubia Wall, in the temperate climate conditions. A. dubia was investigated on an Endocalcari-Epihypogleyic Cambisol. Three treatments (not fertilized, fertilized with mineral nitrogen fertilizers Nto and Ni») were replicated four times. Biomass yield, chemical composition and drying parameters were evaluated. Nitrogen fertilizers slightly increased plant height, but significant effect was not observed. The highest yield of A. dubia biomass was produced in the swards with mineral nitrogen fertilization at: a rate of 170 kg N ha."1 and had a significant influence on N content in A.duhia biomass. The values of important elements for combustion properties such as carbon and sulphur in the biomass varied little with or without N-lerfilizers. The moisture content of the biomass obtained at harvest time could be decreased to a safe moisture content by using ventilation. More studies and analyses on A.duhia are needed to ascertain the fertilization effect on biomass yield, biomass quality and biomass properties for combustion.