Physiological status and biomass yield of Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby cultivated on two distinct marginal lands in Southern and Northern Poland

• Published in: Industrial crops and products Vol. 167; p. 113502
• Main Authors: Bury, Marek, Rusinowski, Szymon, Sitko, Krzysztof, Krzyżak, Jacek, Kitczak, Teodor, Możdżer, Ewa, Siwek, Hanna, Włodarczyk, Małgorzata, Zieleźnik-Rusinowska, Paulina, Szada-Borzyszkowska, Alicja, Pogrzeba, Marta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.2021
• Subjects: Chlorophyll fluorescence; Drought; Gas exchange; Heavy metals; Chlorophyll fluorescence; Gas exchange; Drought; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 0926-6690; 1872-633X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.113502

•S. hermaphrodita yield better on heavy metal (HM) contaminated land during experiment.•Drought and nutrient depletion were responsible for photosynthesis activity reduction.•Repeated harvest may offer solution for drought prone marginal lands.•Soil texture and fertility impacted S. hermaphrodita photosynthesis more than HMs. Under EU legislation, energy crops must be grown on marginal land. Sida hermaphrodita L. Rusby is one of the promising perennial energy crops. The study aimed to investigate the physiological status of S. hermaphrodita mature plantations growing on two different marginal lands - one contaminated with heavy metals (M) and one nutrient-poor sandy soil (NM). On the second marginal land, two different harvesting practices have been carried out since establishment: one harvest (NM1) and two repeated harvests (NM2) of biomass each year before the experiment. Measurements were made of gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, plant pigment content, canopy architecture, growth parameters, and biomass yield. A higher biomass yield (2-fold) was found on the M site compared with both treatments on the NM site. It could be concluded that soil quality was the main reason for the higher yield at M site. S. hermpaphrodita being a heavy metal excluding plant is a more suitable option for fertile but heavy metal polluted soils than nutrient-poor soils, however, biomass quality should be further investigated.