Short-Rotation Woody-Crops Program: annual progress report for 1982
This report describes the activities and accomplishments in the Short Rotation Woody Crops Program (SRWCP) for the year ending Sepgember 30, 1982. The SRWCP is an integrated program of research devoted to a single objective, improving the productivity and economic efficiency of short-rotation intensive culture (SRIC) of hardwood trees and shrubs for energy. The program consists of research projects at 27 institutions and corporations. The SRWCP supports research in three major areas - stand establishment and management, species screening and genetic selection, and economic studies. After five years of research, some conclusions can be drawn about the SRIC concept. (1) Fertilizers and weed control are generally mandatory for ensuring the success of short-rotation woody crops, whereas irrigation is usually not cost effective. (2) Improved stand establishment techniques can assure successful survival (75%) in 95 to 100% of plantations where species type is adapted to site conditions. Mass propagation of hardwoods by tissue culture has been demonstrated for a few species. (3) Intensive management cannot entirely overcome the drawbacks of poor site quality. (4) Results indicate that the average productivity of short-rotation stands can be doubled by selecting appropriate varieties and species. (5) Costs of planting and harvesting must be factored into decisions regarding spacing and harvest cycle. (6) The economics of SRIC are significantly affected by (a) productivity levels, (b) costs of harvesting and transport, (c) risk of crop failure, (d) lack of a developed distribution market for biomass fuels, and (e) competition for markets (alternative fuels) and for land (fiber and food crops).
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5873674
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL-5973; ON: DE83016400
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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550400 -- Genetics
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BIOMASS PLANTATIONS
CLONING
CONTROL
CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES
ECONOMICS
FERTILIZERS
GENETIC CONTROL
GROWTH
MANAGEMENT
PEST CONTROL
PLANT BREEDING
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
PRODUCTIVITY
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SHORT ROTATION CULTIVATION
SHRUBS
TREES
VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION