Conclusive Results of the European Project OPTIMA: Optimization of Perennial Grasses for Biomass Production in the Medit
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Conclusive Results of the European Project OPTIMA: Optimization of Perennial Grasses for Biomass Production in the Mediterranean Area Andrea Monti 1 & Salvatore Luciano Cosentino 2
Published online: 7 October 2015 # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015
The European Project OPTIMA–Optimization of Perennial Grasses for Biomass Production in the Mediterranean Area (GA 289642, coordinated by the University of Catania)–was conceived with the ambitious aim of identifying and optimizing new strategies for the sustainable use of land in marginal Mediterranean areas particularly exposed to climate change. Curiously, although today the term Bmarginal land^ is on everyone’s lips, there is no clear definition for it [1]. Generally speaking, marginal land is considered as a land of lowopportunity cost where it is not worth cultivating food crops; however, the degree of marginality remains vague and complex to estimate as it strongly depends on context and domain. Rabbinge [2], for example, provided an agronomic definition of marginal lands basing on crop growth, Van Orshoven [3] defined marginal land in terms of biophysical constrains, and the FAO [4] proposed an economic perspective of marginal land. An enlightening review article on the definition of marginal land has been submitted during the OPTIMA project by Soldatos and collaborators (under review). Four perennial species, miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus Greef & Deuter ex Hodkinson & Renvoize), giant reed (Arundo donax L.), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), and cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.), formed our reference basis. Other lesser-known endemic species were analyzed and
* Andrea Monti [email protected] Salvatore Luciano Cosentino [email protected] 1
Department of Agricultural Sciences (DIPSA), University of Bologna, Viale Giuseppe Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
2
Dipartimento di Agricolura, Alimentazione e Ambiente (D3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy
evaluated in a less detailed way, but in sufficient depth to understand their production potential in biomass terms. The interdisciplinary setup of the project allowed, on one hand, a more in-depth approach as regards the individual aspects of physiology, biotechnology, genetics, agronomy, conversion processes, and socio-economic and environmental assessments of the aforementioned species, and on the other hand, a systematic analysis designed to identify the true development potential of the entire production chain. The nearly-completed 5-year project involved a considerable effort to harmonize the results in a general and all-inclusive context. This special issue is an attempt to provide an overall picture which summarizes the main results achieved, emphasizing the progress made, the uncertainties, the limits, and the possible development strategies of the above-mentioned species in the Mediterranean area. We thank the BioEnergy Research editorial board for agreeing to our request and for their considerable help in carrying it out. We would like to also thank all the anony
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