Soil quality through the cultivation of perennial bioenergy crops by example of Silphium perfoliatum – an innovative agro-ecosystem in future

Abstract

Bioenergy crops are increasingly cultivated in Europe in the context of the EU initiative to produce 20% of primary energy supply by renewable resources by the year 2020. In the past decade some perennial bioenergy crops such as Silphium perfoliatum have been newly introduced. Until now, little is known about the impact of the cultivation of these new 2G bioenergy crops on soil health and quality. In this context, two on-farm experiments were conducted in W-Germany, Rhineland-Palatinate. In general, after five years of cultivation most of the tested soil properties were significantly increased relative to the cultivation of silage maize, such as carbon storage, microbial biomass, activity and community, aggregate stability, and earthworm and bait-lamina activity. However, as revealed from the variety of the different study sites, it can be further concluded that the local and regional soil properties and climatic conditions may impact soil quality significantly. In sandy soils and under dry growth conditions for example, carbon storage and biological activity was lower compared to silage maize. All in all, it is supposed that introducing Silphium perfoliatum and even other perennial bioenergy crops would make European agriculture as well more green, effective and innovative in future.

DOI: 10.1399/JfK.2016.12.10, https://doi.org/10.1399/JfK.2016.12.10