Short Rotation Forestry and Short Rotation Coppice research in Northern Ireland
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Short Rotation Forestry and Short Rotation Coppice research in Northern Ireland Alistair McCracken, Rodrigo Olave, Jim McAdam and Lindsay Easson
description
Short Rotation Forestry and Short Rotation Coppice research in Northern Ireland. Alistair McCracken, Rodrigo Olave, Jim McAdam and Lindsay Easson. Northern Ireland forests Total area 86,600 ha. About 400 ha are harvested each year About 1000 ha of SRC willows have been planted for biomass. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Short Rotation Forestry and Short Rotation Coppice research in Northern Ireland
Short Rotation Forestry and Short Rotation Coppice research in Northern Ireland
Alistair McCracken, Rodrigo Olave, Jim McAdam and Lindsay Easson
Northern Ireland forestsTotal area86,600 ha.
About 400 ha are harvested each year
About 1000 ha of SRC willows have been planted for biomass
Forest Service Private N. Ireland TotalConifer 54,800 10,200 65,000Broadleaf 5,300 16,300 21,600Total 60,100 26,500 86,600
Forest Service Private N. Ireland TotalConifer 54,800 10,200 65,000Broadleaf 5,300 16,300 21,600Total 60,100 26,500 86,600
Opportunities for biomass development in Northern Ireland
Forest Brash
Miscanthus (Elephant Grass)
Short Rotation CoppiceWillows
Short Rotation Forestry
1. Sustainability of trees in woodland and farm ecosystems
The programme aims to demonstrate practices whereby natural resources are managed dynamically and ecologically through the integration of trees into farming.
Silvopasture•Where trees are grown in grazed pasture in a regular or varied pattern•Research started at Loughgall in 1989•Planted wide spaced ( 5x5 m) Ash into ryegrass sward and compared it with open pasture and woodland•Compatible with farming systems
AFBI Research
Silvoarable• The programme also includes a
silvoarable trial with hybrids of poplar and spring barley which aims to assess the potential of the system as a precursor to other land use options.
• Five varieties of poplar trees were planted in 1999 and cereals grown between them until 2009
• No need for tree protection
• Cereal yield was unaffected by the trees
• Now grassed down with top AFBI bred varieties for sheep grazing trial – Tyrella, Dunluce and others
The research also aims to show that Silvopasture/silvoarable as a form of Agroforestry can help address some of the energy issues and offer a sustainable land use option to livestock farmers or foresters
Trials will include taking the wood through to combustion trials.
The low temperatures this winter will have been a serve test for the Paulownia
Once season’s growth in 2010
Range of Paulownia clones on arable sites
Paulownia vs poplar and eucalyptus on a forestry site
3. Tree improvement of broadleaves
Under a collaborative association of landowners, foresters, universities and research institutes (The British and Irish Hardwood Improvement Programme), we are actively attempting to improve the quality and performance of broadleaved species.
Currently a clonal cherry trial throughout Ireland and a sycamore seed orchard at Loughgall.
4. Carbon sequestration in woody crops
NI programme includes a target to reduce GHG emissions by 25% which requires us to able to measure emission reductions/carbon sinks.
Increasing the amount of CO2 removed from the atmosphere by tree growth and tree expansion.
Clonal cherry trial
Forest Brash
• 400 ha of forest are clear felled in Northern Ireland each year
• Of the 40,000 t of branches and tops normally left on the site up to 20,000 t could be recovered for use as a source of biomass
Preliminary conclusions from brash recovery trials conducted by AFBI and the Northern Ireland Forest Service
The brash baler at Hillsborough
2007 produced a yield of over 62
tDM/ha brash from a 25 yr old sitka plantation.
This has an energy value of 340 mWh per hectare equivalent to 4500 litres of heating oil
Short Rotation Coppice WIllow
Why Salix (willow) ?
•Native
•Pioneer species
•Ease of propagation:Preformed root initials (adventitious roots)
•Ease of coppicing
•Vigorous juvenile growth
Genotype evaluation
• Swedish Breeding Programme (Lantmännen Agroenergi
AB) • European Breeding Programme (formerly at Long Ashton:
now at Rothamsted Research)• US Breeding Programme (Prof. Larry Smart)
N. Ireland TrialTotal Plot Dry Weight
0
20
40
60
80
Tora
LA
970253
LA
980451
(US
) 99201-0
07
Olo
f
Tord
is
Sven
Resolu
tion
Beagle
(US
) 99202-0
11
Terr
a N
ova
SQ
83
870082 O
RM
LA
970381
(US
) 99207-0
18
Endeavour
77082
LA
970395
Gudru
n
Endura
nce
Nim
rod
870148 U
LV
LA
970608
Torh
ilde
(US
) S
25
(US
) S
X61
(US
) S
V1
(US
) 99239-0
15
77183
(US
) 9980-0
05
(US
) 99217-0
15
(US
) 9871-3
1
(US
) 9879
(US
) 9882-0
34
(US
) 9970-0
36
Sto
tt
(US
) 99113-0
12
(US
) 94001
(US
) S
X64
22 31 33 14 29 38 28 30 20 15 19 18 23 37 16 26 21 32 25 39 36 24 34 27 2 11 1 10 17 7 6 12 5 8 13 35 9 4 3
Genotype
Kg
LSD = 11.24)
US genotypes: European / Swedish genotypes
Rust (Melampsora epitea)
Plant genotype mixtures
• Use at least SIX genotypes• 3 from Sweden and 3 from Europe• Plant in random / short runs
Beneficial effects• Delays onset of rust• Slows build up of disease• Significantly reduces impact of disease• Reduces impact of beetle damage• Helps sustainability following frost• Increases yields
SRC Willow harvesting
• Direct chip
• Whole stem harvesting
• ‘Biobailer’
Using willow as a multi-functional crop
• Bioremediation of effluents and sludges
Food Processor Effluent to SRC Willow
Pictures from Rural Generation Ltd
Carbon savings
• Transport (66,000 km)– 17 t CO2 yr-1 (400 g Km-1)
• Effluent treatment– 3 t CO2 yr-1
• Production of wood chip (10 t ha-1 yr-1)– 180 t CO2 yr-1 (wood chip = 500,000kWh)
• Total C savings approximately 200t yr-1
Renewable Energy Centre AFBI Hillsborough
Performance of fuelsChipped SpruceForest BrashWood PelletsMiscanthus
In terms ofQuality standardsHeat outputFlue gas analysisEfficiencyAsh content and analysis
Farm scale research anaerobic digester at AFBI Hillsborough
Northern Ireland – Biomass for heat1000 hectares of SRC willows (red dots), 10 ha miscanthus400 hectares of forest harvested annually55,000 t of wood pellets manufactured annually
Thanks due to Rural Generation Ltd, Green Energy Ltd and others who supplied information on biomass installations in Northern Ireland
AFBI Hillsborough
Omagh College
Omagh Leisure Centre
Strabane Mills
Brook Hall
Cookstown Leisure Centre
CAFRE Loughry
CAFRE Greenmount
Carvil Housing
Fayne ValleyCo-op
Balcas
IKEA
Waterways Ireland
6 ha of willow plots6 ha of willow plots
Research into Bio-remediation of farm water
Research into Bio-remediation of farm water
Research into biomass drying and storageResearch into biomass drying and storage
Recovery of forest brash for biomass
Recovery of forest brash for biomass
4 ha Miscanthus research site4 ha Miscanthus research site
District heating systemDistrict heating system
Renewable Energy CentreRenewable Energy Centre
Research into Anaerobic digestionof manures
Research into Anaerobic digestionof manures
Dairy parlour with hot water from biomass
heating and solar panels
Dairy parlour with hot water from biomass
heating and solar panels
