0000000000974485
AUTHOR
G. Bonsangue
Bioagronomic and energy potential of Carthamus tinctorius L. in the Mediterranean area
In recent years, interest in dedicated energy crops, in particular oilseed crops, in the Mediterranean area has risen. This is due both to an increase in energy demand in various sectors and the need to meet the objectives set by the European Union. The agro-energy sector may become an important economic opportunity for farms, especially when considering the use of the whole plant – the oil-rich seeds and the lignocellulosic crop residues. However, in economic terms, further study is needed in the management, quantification and subsequent use of crop residues. This research looks at the productive and energy potential of the seed and crop residues of safflower with the aim of introducing th…
Bio-Agronomic Evaluation of Brassica Carina A. Braun in a Semi-Arid Area of Sicily
The need to reduce fossil fuel consumption for environmental and economic reasons is placing the farming sector in a whole new light with a new set of tasks to face. Concerns arising from climate change and decisions resulting from the Kyòto Protocol have helped reinforce the idea that multifunctional farms can make a real contribution to achieving the targets set for 2012. As a producer of dedicated energy crops – crops used to supply biomass for energy – the farm becomes a supplier of raw materials for fuel production or of energy directly. For economic, social and environmental reasons, agro-energy may be the way forward to encourage multi-functionalism in farming and, therefore, increas…
AN INITIAL STUDY INTO THE ENERGETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SEVERAL VEGETATIVE SPECIES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN MAQUIS
Recent years have seen an ever increasing interest in renewable energy resources. The use of these renewable resources plays a key role in the reduction of greenhouse gases and in guaranteeing a supply of energy for the future. A promising alternative to fossil fuels are lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks; a widely available, versatile source of energy able to substitute fossil fuels in many ways. The continuing growth of the Biomass sector is leading to a flurry of research into new plant species with good calorific properties and combustion persistence. It would seem that a large number of native Mediterranean maquis shrubs, once used by the local populations for heating and cooking, (car…