# Presentation: 017597

## Willow Biomass Demonstration Program Developments and 

**Willow Biomass Demonstration Program Developments and **
**Research Progress**

**T.A. Volk, P. Tharakan, L.P Abrahamson**
**State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY**

## Overview

- Demonstration Program Developments
- Harvesting
- Conversion testing
- CRP program
- Research Developments
- Genetic selection trial
- Clone site trials

## Demonstration Program Developments

**Demonstration Program Developments**

## Harvesting

- The first 40 ha (100 acres) of willow biomass crops is scheduled for harvest in the winter of 2000-2001.
- Chip wagon will be equipped with load cells and a GPS unit for continuous measurements of yield across fields.

- Bender harvester being tested in Sweden in the summer of 2001 prior to shipment.

## Co-firing Progress

- Co-firing system operation test completed in the middle of October.
- Co-firing trials with complete set of emissions tests being planned for November.

- NRG Dunkirk power plant on Lake Erie

## Gasification

- Gasification tests with 20+ tons of willow biomass conducted in September 2001 in Burlington, VT.

- McNeil Generating Station & Wood Chip Gasifier of Burlington Electric Department.

## Willow Biomass CRP Program

## Research Developments

**Research Developments**

## Objectives

- Evaluate aboveground biomass production of the clones
- Assess a suite of traits that may effect aboveground biomass production.
-  Identify traits that relate to higher biomass production and group the clones into performance potential classes.

- Three-year old material in the trial at Tully, NY.

## Genetic Selection Trial

- Established in spring 1997 with 31 willow and 7 hybrid poplar clones
- 15,180 plants ha-1 (6,300 plants acre-1)
- Coppiced in fall 1997
- Harvested in 2000
- Companion trial located in Rhinelander, WI

- Establishment year (1997) in Tully, NY.

## Measurements

-  Growth  and development – stool height, stem diameter, number of stems per stool, biomass production, specific leaf area, leaf area index, stem angle.
-  Nutrient characteristics – foliar nitrogen (N), wood N and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE).
-  Wood quality – specific gravity and bark to wood ratio.

## First Rotation Yields

- First rotation biomass production was 3.6 - 11.3 odt/ha/yr.

## Results

- For the willow clones, there were significant but weak to moderate correlations between the different traits and aboveground biomass production.
- _Trait (p < 0.05)_   	_Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient_
- Stem height 			  	 0.54
- Wood nitrogen concentration	-0.46
- Nitrogen use efficiency	   	 0.45
- Bark to wood ratio		  	-0.45
- Number of stems per stool 	 0.44
- Leaf area index 		   	 0.35
- Specific leaf area		  	-0.30
- Foliar nitrogen concentration	 0.19

## Principal Component Analysis

- 		            Correlations  with
- _Traits _		   _PC1_	    _PC2_
- Height		    0.90
- Wood N	                 -0.87
- NUE		    0.83
- Bark-wood ratio     -0.67
- Leaf area index        0.42
- Diameter	    0.42	   -0.83
- Specific leaf area    -0.36
- No. of stems		    0.88
- Stem angle		   -0.58
- Foliar N		 	    0.58
- Specific gravity		    0.56

## Results

- Strong correlation between PC1 and biomass production   (r = .80)
- No significant relationship between PC2 and biomass production.

## Results

- Two separate strategies for high biomass production
- Group 1
- small number of large stems
- low bark to wood ratio
- high LAI
- low SLA
- high NUE

## Results

- Group 2
- large number of small stems
- high wood specific gravity
- high foliar N concentration

## Conclusions

- Several clones produce as much or more above ground biomass as the reference clone
- Two different growth strategies resulting in high biomass production
- Implications for selecting clones for different applications (e.g. NUE) and traits for the breeding program

## Ongoing Work

- Complete clonal characterization and analysis from first rotation.
- Assess potential for early selection and indirect selection  using data collected during the first rotation.
- Continue monitoring of clones during second rotation.
- Examine patterns of resource use efficiency (light, N, water) and relationships with leaf level photosynthesis for select clones during second rotation.