<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">In accordance with priorities of sustainable development in Serbia, production and use of biomass is crucial for provision of annually renewable national sources of energy and for environmental quality conservation. Rural development has typically focused on improving agricultural production and promoting market orientation, however, as the examples of other countries in the EU accession process have shown (e.g. Slovakia), such an approach could threaten the survival of rural population. Biomass production is one of the key sectors with significant potential for diversification of rural economy. The results of multiannual research work supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia through national scientific projects and several international initiatives are summarized in this paper. The research activities focus on <italic>Miscanthus</italic> × <italic>giganteus</italic> Greef et Deu. The production potentials of <italic>miscanthus</italic> on fertile and degraded soils were investigated since 2009 in experimental plots established on moderate and extremely degraded lands in Serbia, applying various agrotechnical measures in different ecological conditions. The results show that fertile agricultural land as well as moderate degraded areas provide suitable conditions for <italic>miscanthus</italic> biomass and viable rhizomes production for energy and ecoremediation purposes.</abstract>

Singidunum University Belgrade, Republic of Serbia

Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovak Republic

Potentials For Agro-Energy Crops Production: Example Of Miscanthus Cultivation In Serbia

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The aim of the paper is to compare biomass production of energy plants and selected crops grown on arable land in the south-western Slovakia in 2007–2014, its energy value and the influence of decisive climatic factors on the size of the production. The data on yields of dominant crops grown in the agricultural farm were obtained from the statistical data of the farm. Aboveground biomass of willows and poplars was harvested at the end of the harvest cycle. Aboveground biomass of <italic>Miscanthus sinensis</italic> was harvested in 2010–2014, always in early spring period of the following year. Winter wheat, spring barley and maize grown for silage during the period 2007–2014 provided the lowest yields in 2010 and the highest in 2011 and 2014. The highest energy value was obtained from maize in 2014 (400.66 GJ ha−1). The short rotation coppice poplars of Italian provenance yielded biomass with energy value of 951.68 GJ ha−1 year−1 at the end of the first three-year harvest cycle in 2012. The analysis of variance confirmed that there are highly significant statistical differences in the poplar biomass yield among the varieties and individual experimental years. The fast growing willows of Swedish provenance provided aboveground biomass energy value of 868.88 GJ ha−1 year−1 at the end of the first four-year harvest cycle in 2011. The biomass production of the perennial grass <italic>Miscanthus sinensis</italic>, depending on the growing period, can be expressed by a polynomial trend function. The highest biomass production was obtained in the third growing period (2012). At the end of the fifth growing period (2014), the yield amounted to 28.60 t ha−1 of the dry aboveground biomass. The energy value of the aboveground biomass of <italic>Miscanthus</italic> reached 486.20 GJ ha−1 in 2014. Differences in the biomass yield of the <italic>Miscanthus</italic> genotypes are statistically highly significant in each of the monitored growing periods. The growth and production process of the selected energy species reflect the specificities of soil and climatic conditions of the individual growing periods, as well as the ability of individual species and varieties to provide biomass production in the given conditions. Regression analysis of the produced aboveground biomass of the crops grown in the Kolíňany cadastre has not confirmed a statistical dependence in selected climatic parameterss.</abstract>

Comparison Of Energy Sources Grown On Agricultural Land

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Poplar clones reach a big advantage over other forest tree species in the production of large amounts of above-ground biomass in a relatively short time. To increase the efficiency of production during their short life cycle, it is necessary to optimize age of their felling maturity. It should be carried out in the stands age when its average production is highest. Mathematical models of yield tables were used to derive this production. Above-ground biomass production was expressed in natural units, volume (m3 ha−1) and the capacity of calorific value (GJ ha−1), but also in financial yield (€ ha−1) from the sale of timber assortments including energy chips from smallwood. In terms of financial yield, Robusta stands are mature between 23 and 35 years and I-214 stands between 18 and 32 years. Main financial yield per year, on average 200–1900 € ha−1, is expected from the production of assortments designed for classic industrial processing. Its increase by 50 to 100 € ha−1 is expected to be achieved by supplemental smallwood processing to energy chips. In terms of volume production and capacity of combustion heat, stands are mature about 5–7 years earlier.</abstract>

National Forest Centre – Forest Research Institute, Zvolen, Slovak Republic

Criteria For Felling Maturity Of Poplar Clones Grown For Energy Use

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">“Dry fermentation“ technology may be used for energy recovery of phytomass substrate which has dry matter content from 20 to 60%. In agriculture sector, while only rarely used, it is a very perspective technology at such types of biomass – phytomass which is not recommended to be processed within “wet fermentation” (process is energetically and operationally very costly). For detecting the suitability of <italic>Miscanthus</italic> × <italic>giganteus</italic> phytomass to biogas for production through dry fermentation process, as well as determining the biogas yield, at the Slovak university of Agriculture (SUA) there has been developed an experimental device enabling the pilot plant trials, which is installed at the biogas station within the area of the VPP SPU Ltd. in Kolíňany. A pilot plant experiment of biogas production based on <italic>Miscanthus</italic> × <italic>giganteus</italic> (<italic>Miscanthus sinensis</italic> Anderss.) phytomass within dry fermentation process was carried out at the period from 25 February to 25 March 2013. The monitored production of biogas was based on the substrate mixture of components formed as follows: the biomass from preceding cycle (farmyard manure) and ensilage from <italic>Miscanthus</italic> phytomass. In these experiments the amount of produced biogas, analysis of biogas and the input substrate were materialized by standard methodology. On base of the obtained results, we can formulate the conclusion: the tested substrate mainly consists of <italic>Miscanthus</italic> phytomass and manure was suitable for biogas production technology and anaerobic dry fermentation process. The yield of <italic>Miscanthus</italic> substrate in our experiments was around 117 litres of biogas per 1 kg of dry matter silage. For assurance of the continuity and uniformity in the production of biogas by dry fermentation process, the multiple-fermentation chamber is needed, which must be saturated gradually with dosing interval. This dosing interval is caused by residence time and the number of chambers. For example, at the residence time of 28 days and 4 chambers, the need of the substrate change will be on weekly base in each chamber.</abstract>

National Agricultural and Food Centre, Agroecology research Institute in Michalovce, Slovak Republic

Debreceni Egytelem, Agrártudományi Központ, Karcagi Kutatóinvézet, Hungary

Biogas Production Based On <italic>Miscanthus</italic> × <italic>Giganteus</italic> (<italic>Miscanthus Sinensis</italic> Anderss.) Within Dry Fermentation Process

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The use of biomass as a potential energy source has both advantages and disadvantages. Biomass is a potential source of fuel energy that provides economic and environmental benefits such as less expensive and less energy intensive production, carbon sequestration and soil preservation. However, the main concern associated with biofuels is that land needed for food will be used for biofuel crops. One potential solution is the use of marginal lands which are not suited for food production. Marginal lands generally refer to the areas not only with low production, but also with limitations that make them unsuitable for agricultural practices and ecosystem functions. This can be due to various forms of land degradation such as pollution, surface exploitation of mineral resources, erosion, overexploitation and others. We used remotely sensed data, environmental data and field survey data to identify possible marginal lands in Serbia. All gathered data was transferred to GIS in order to create maps and database of potential marginal lands which could be used for biomass production.</abstract>

Identification Of Marginal Land Suitable For Biofuel Production In Serbia

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 16 (2019): Issue 2 (November 2019)

Volume 16 (2019): Issue 1 (May 2019)

Volume 15 (2018): Issue 2 (November 2018)

Volume 15 (2018): Issue 1 (May 2018)

Volume 14 (2017): Issue 2 (November 2017)

Volume 14 (2017): Issue 1 (May 2017)

Volume 13 (2016): Issue 2 (November 2016)

Volume 13 (2016): Issue 1 (May 2016)

Volume 12 (2015): Issue 2 (November 2015)

Volume 12 (2015): Issue 1 (May 2015)

Volume 11 (2014): Issue 2 (December 2014)

Volume 11 (2014): Issue 1 (August 2014)

Volume 10 (2013): Issue 2 (December 2013)

Volume 10 (2013): Issue 1 (July 2013)

Acta Regionalia et Environmentalica

Journal "Acta regionalia et environmentalica" is a scientific journal of the Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development of the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra.The journal consists of original scientific papers and it is published twice a year.  Why subscribe and read  The journal Acta regionalia et environmentalica is an excellent source of research papers related to the area of regional, rural and environmental studies.  Why submit  The journal Acta regionalia et environmentalica offers unique opportunity for authors to place their papers in a scientific journal of high quality and by this way it provides a platform for knowledge exchange.  Rejection Rate   25%   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 

Acta Regionalia et Environmentalica

Volume 12 (2015): Issue 2 (November 2015)

Potentials For Agro-Energy Crops Production: Example Of Miscanthus Cultivation In Serbia

Comparison Of Energy Sources Grown On Agricultural Land

Criteria For Felling Maturity Of Poplar Clones Grown For Energy Use

Biogas Production Based On Miscanthus × Giganteus (Miscanthus Sinensis Anderss.) Within Dry Fermentation Process

Identification Of Marginal Land Suitable For Biofuel Production In Serbia

Suche

Alle Bände und Hefte dieser Zeitschrift