NEW CLONES OF HELIANTHUS TUBEROSUS L. ENLARGE OPTIONS FOR THE SUSTAINABLE INTEGRATION OF BIOENERGY CROPS IN CURRENT CROPPING SYSTEMS OF CENTRAL ITALY

摘要

The inclusion of energy crops in farming systems is an opportunity for growers to increase thernefficiency of agricultural inputs and reduce emissions of potential greenhouse gases, while maintaining profitabilityrnand soil ferility. Among the few species eligible for this purpose, H. tuberosus L. (Ht) may become an alternative torndismissed maize or sugar beet or grape cropping systems. The efficiency of Ht stalk and tuber biomass productionrndepends, among other factors, on plant density and water resources supply. Ht clones expressing new structure forrnplant architecture and phenological phases were selected to explore a range of farm production environments inrnCentral Italy, differing mainly for the air temperature and rainfall patterns. A pilot-study was developed for preparingrna Ht-cropping system for carbohydrate-rich biomass production in rainfed conditions or in farms equipped withrnemergence irrigation facilities. We have identified two Ht clones which are expected that, under a larger experimentalrnfield test, will be suitable for high stalk-biomass and high tuber-biomass production. It is also expected that the twornclones will be a proper alternative to sugar beet for the sustainable production of biomass to be converted in liquidrnbiofuels.