The EU bio-based economy requires a steady supply of biomass for a variety of applications, including pharmaceuticals, food, feed, bio-based materials, and bioenergy. In order to reduce competition for land, the yielding potential of energy crops (annual and perennial) must be as high as possible. Several perennial and annual energy crops have been cultivated for biofuel production in Europe over the last two decades. The main advantage of annual energy crops is that their agronomic management can be easily adapted from more traditional cultivation practices because they fit into current (rotation) farming systems. Perennial energy crops, on the other hand, are being specifically developed. The purpose of this paper is to compare some annual and perennial energy crops using the SWOT Analysis to determine the most socioeconomically and environmentally suitable crops for biofuel production in Greece and the Mediterranean region. Our research focuses on three perennial energy crops: Miscanthus (Miscanthus giganteus), Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), and Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and four annual energy crops: Sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), Rapeseed (Brassica napus), and Sorghum (Panicum virgatum) (Sorghum bicolor). The SWOT analysis reveals that the three perennial energy crops under consideration are an excellent alternative choice for marginal lands, especially because they do not require annual installation. They have high biomass yields, low crop costs (cardoon, switchgrass), and a diverse range of end uses. They are especially beneficial to the environment because they require few chemicals (cardoon), have a high energy content, and can be used for soil remediation (miscanthus) and phytoextraction of harmful or polluting substances. Some, however, have a high initial installation cost (miscanthus, switchgrass) and some are potentially invasive species (miscanthus, cardoon), while almost all mature. On the other hand, among the four annual energy crops are some well-known and well-accepted plants (sunflower, rapeseed) as well as some less common ones (kenaf, sorghum as an energy crop). They can be included in existing rotation farming schemes, and the majority of them, like winter cereals, can be grown using techniques that farmers are already familiar with (rapeseed). They present an environmentally friendly alternative crop choice in lands with limited or moderate water availability (sunflower, kenaf), with high yields and a wide range of potential uses, suitable for both small farmer cooperatives and large-scale farming. The best energy crop, whether annual or perennial, will be determined by a variety of socioeconomic and environmental factors.
Author (s) Details
Dr. Annoula Paschalidou
Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace, 193 Pantazidou Street, 68 200, Orestiada, Greece.
Dr. Michael Tsatiris
Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace, 193 Pantazidou Street, 68 200, Orestiada, Greece.
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