Lignin content and briquette quality of different fibre hemp plant types and energy sunflower

Fibre hemp and energy sunflower are potential energy crops for production of solid biomass as renewable energy. The current study estimated (i) the lignin content of fibre hemp and energy sunflower plants grown on different nitrogen treatments and (ii) the quality of the briquettes made from different plant types of fibre hemp (i.e. monoecious and dioecious), energy sunflower and the combination of fibre hemp and energy sunflower. The monoecious and dioecious fibre hemp cultivars (Chameleon, Finola and Santhica-27, USO-31, respectively) and the energy sunflower cultivar Wielkopolski were grown in the experimental field in 2008-2010 on Stagnic Luvisol soil. The plants were grown on N treatments of N0, mineral nitrogen (100 kg N ha⁻¹), cattle slurry (100 kg N ha⁻¹), sewage sludge (100 kg N ha⁻¹) and vetch (100 kg N ha⁻¹). Calorific values (16.6-17.4 MJ kg⁻¹) of briquettes pressed from different materials did not differ significantly and had relatively low sulphur (<0.05%) and chlorine content (0.03-0.37%). Briquettes with higher compactness were made from the sunflower and the dioecious hemp. Dioecious hemp had significantly higher lignin content. The dioecious hemp needs lower GDD values for maturating, its stems lignin content was higher than of monoecious hemp by harvest time and therefore this plant type is more suitable for briquetting in Nordic climatic conditions. Comparison of the different N treatments indicated that application of sewage sludge decreased the emergence and density of the fibre hemp plants and the lignin content per kg of DM.     

Pre-harvest sprouting tolerance of different winter triticale cultivars in the Baltic Sea area

Abstract

Experiments were carried out to investigate 10 winter triticale cultivars for 1) genetic variability of patterns of resistance to pre-harvest sprouting, and 2) the simultaneity of seed maturation in spikes by determining the developmental stage and by measuring the rate of germination before and after physiological maturity. The cultivars used were Dagro, Fidelio, Lamberto, Lasko, Lupus, Modus, Prego, Tewo, Ulrika and Vision, and were compared by measuring the post-harvest grain falling number and by germination tests on harvested spikes during the grain filling period. Winter rye Vambo and winter wheat Kosack were used as controls. The moisture content of kernels at physiological maturity (PM) was affected by climatic conditions (r=0.38; p<0.05). Germination rate of kernels in spike before PM was influenced by cultivar only up to 17%; mostly it was affected by climatic conditions (coefficient of determination, 54%). Kernel germination rate after PM was dependent on cultivar up to 37%, but was dependent on precipitation amounts in August (coefficient of determination, 60%). The most resistant cultivar to germination during post-physiological maturity period was Modus, followed by Dagro and Prego. Kernels’ germination rate after PM was found to be an appropriate measure for selection of promising triticale cultivars for the climatic conditions, which are specific for the locations studied. The desiccation rate after PM affected significantly the duration of the period from PM up to harvest time (r=?0.50; p<0.01).