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| Producing biomass fuels from energy crops
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 The term energy crops can be used both for biomass crops that simply provide high output of biomass per hectare for low inputs (NPK), and for those that provide specific products that can be converted into other biofuels such as sugar or starch for bioethanol by fermentation , or into vegetable oil for biodiesel by transesterification.
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| Types of energy crops
Biomass energy crops can be divided into short rotation energy crops that are harvested on a cycle of anything from 2 to 20 years, depending on the crop and the system, and herbaceous energy crops that are harvested annually.
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| Short rotation energy crops
Short rotation coppicing (SRC) of willow most commonly, or poplar, typically yields a crop every three years that can be directly chipped during harvesting, or chipped subsequently after a period of drying.
Short rotation forestry (SRF) is closer to conventional forestry, but on a shorter time scale, typically 8-20 years. SRF is less well studied in the UK, but a number of tree species have been proposed.
Further information:
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| Short rotation coppice
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| Short rotation forestry
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| Herbaceous energy crops
Herbaceous energy crops such as the woody, perennial, rhizomatous grasses like miscanthus offer the advantage of an annual harvest, though typically establishment costs are high.
Further information:
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| Herbaceous energy crops
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| Research into energy crops
Biomass energy crops have been the subject of considerable research over recent years in the UK and there is a good body of advice available from Forest Research and Defra on suitable strains, sites, planting, management and harvesting.
See:
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| Yield models for energy coppice of poplar and willow
Forest Research study | |
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|  Growing short rotation coppice
Defra (PDF – 686K) | |
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| Planting and growing miscanthus best practice guidelines
For applicants to Defras energy crops scheme (PDF - 1631K) | |
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|  More information about producing biomass fuels
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