Biochar reduces C-mineralization, resulting in greater C-sequestration compared with other BW amendments, and the magnitude of this effect initially increases and then decreases and stabilizes over time, possibly due to the presence of recalcitrant-C in biochar.

Collecting soil samples from experimental plots grown with transgenic switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) with altered lignin.

The abundance of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) was analysed in diverse genotypes of green-cut Miscanthus with a view to replacing maize as the preferred substrate for anaerobic digestion. The maximum yield of NSC was 5-fold lower than maize but there was wide diversity in this trait to target for breeding.

User-friendly and reliable models are needed to accurately estimate water use, biomass production, and the generated energy of short-rotation coppice plantations under different environmental conditions. This study focuses on water use and biomass production of poplars in bioenergy plantations and shows that the agricultural model AquaCrop can be used as a complement for the more complex process-based forest models that have been used so far. AquaCrop can reliably simulate evapotranspiration (calibrated with eddy covariance data) and potential yield of a poplar short-rotation coppice plantation. It can also detect yield gaps caused by the management or by environmental problems.