Giant reed (Arundo donax L.) as a sustainable Energy crop for 2nd generation bio-ethanol production.

The production of new generation biofuels, made from lignocellulosic feedstock, is a fundamental and unavoidable step towards the achievement of the EU GHG emission reduction targets. Significantly less land is required per unit of product with 2nd gen. compared to traditional 1st gen. biofuels. Because massive import of low-density feedstock is not feasible, 2nd gen. biofuels will stimulate and activate EU internal production/recovery of biomass crops for energy, with minimal competition with food/feed production. An agro-industrial project, with an estimated output of 160,000 mT/y cellulosic bioethanol, is in progress at Crescentino (Piedmont – Italy), based on Chemtex cellulosic bioethanol technology Pro.E.SaTM. M&G Group and its subsidiary, Chemtex, have been conducting extensive multidisciplinary research to select and characterize a set of energy crop species. This work, to date, has demonstrated the economic viability of growing these crops for conversion to liquid transportation fuels and developed some of the specific data for designing and planning the supply chain system in a wide set of agronomic conditions and cropping schemes. Arundo donax L. (Adx) will represent the main input feedstock to the process, together with corn stalks and cereal straw, collected from nearby areas. \nAdx has been indicated as one of the most promising lignocellulosic herbaceous energy crop in the Mediterranean area, due to its desirable traits: a geophytes and sinantropic, perennial C3 grass (high photosynthetic rates and little photoinhibition were observed), which showed a strong metal tolerance, making it suitable for ecoremediation purposes. Pure stands of improved strains exhibited a longevity of +10 years, with a high annual yield of biomass (35 t ha-1 DM). Reduced input requirements (tillage, fertilizers, agrochemicals) and favorable harvest logistics increase the energy production efficiency of this sub-cosmopolite species. Some agronomic and ecological aspects of Adx require further evaluation before spreading it on larger areas. A field trial was established to investigate the effect of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization on biomass yield and energy use efficiency in Adx production.