Abstract
Phalaris arundinacea is a highly productive perennial grass which inhabits both natural and human-affected wetlands. Along with natural genotypes, there are a number of cultivars bred for fodder production, especially in cool climatic areas. At present P. arundinacea is being investigated as a potential energy crop. Use of seminatural and natural stands of P. arundinacea as an energy resource requires a knowledge of the variation of aboveground biomass production, which forms the agricultural yield. This work gives an overview of long-term investigation of the production of P. arundinacea on various types of natural biotopes. It also presents results of a detailed field experiment assessing the effects of various management (cutting frequency, mulching, fertilizing) on the production of aboveground biomass in a seminatural wetland dominated by P. arundinacea. The results confirm that monodominant stands of P. arundinacea attain a high production in Central Europe. The seasonal maximum of aboveground biomass of natural stands ranged from 4 to 14 metric tonnes dry weight per hectare (t.ha-1) with an average of 9.5 t ha-1. Among the management types, the lowest annual agricultural yield of 4.1 t ha-1 (dry weight) was found in the treatment one cut per year and no fertilization. The maximum yield of 11 t ha-1 was achieved under three cuts per year and fertilization with a double dose of N and single doses of P and K. Two cuts.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | The Role of Natural and Constructed Wetlands in Nutrient Cycling and Retention on the Landscape |
Publisher | Springer International Publishing |
Pages | 1-16 |
Number of pages | 16 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9783319081779 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783319081762 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2015 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015.