Affiliation: | a Department of Forestry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, U.S.A. b USDA Forest Service, St Paul, MN 55108, U.S.A. c Energy Forestry Project, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750-07, Uppsala, Sweden |
Abstract: | Two international trials of potential biomass species families and clones planted in 1985 have been analyzed to determine changing patterns in growth, diseases, and insects. In the Swedish trial, with close spacing and short rotations, Salix viminalis clones gave the best average yield of 17.4 Mg/Ha/yr on the first coppice rotation. In the Minnesota, USA trial, with wider spacings and a longer rotation Populus alba hybrid clones gave the best average yields of 5.5 Mg/Ha/yr. The most important disease and insect problems encountered were Septoria musiva stem cankers on some Populus clones; frost die back in some Salix clones; and the leaf blotch miner, Fenusa dohrnii, on most Alnus families. Recommendations for future international cooperation in field trials are presented. |