The practice and economics of hybrid poplar biomass production for biofuels and bioproducts in the Pacific Northwest
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The practice and economics of hybrid poplar biomass production for biofuels and bioproducts in the Pacific Northwest Brian J. Stanton 1 & Andrew Bourque 1 & Mark Coleman 2 & Mark Eisenbies 3 & Rachel M. Emerson 4 & Jesus Espinoza 1 & Carlos Gantz 1 & Austin Himes 5 & Andrew Rodstrom 6 & Rich Shuren 1 & Rick Stonex 1 & Timothy Volk 3 & Jose Zerpa 7 Received: 24 February 2020 / Accepted: 12 July 2020 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Hybrid poplar demonstration-scale farms were managed in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California to establish management practices, yields, harvesting methods, and the economics of biomass production. Yield during the 2-year establishment cycle averaged 3.5 dry Mg ha−1 year−1 increasing to 11.6 Mg ha−1 year−1 in the ensuing 3-year coppice cycle. Populus deltoides (Bartram ex Marsh.) × P. maximowiczii (Henry) varieties preformed best in Oregon during the coppice cycle with the best variety producing 18.1 Mg ha−1 year−1, while P. ×generosa (Henry) varieties maximized yields in Washington at 22.1 Mg ha−1 year−1. P. ×canadensis (Moench) varieties excelled in Idaho and California with upper yields of 13.6 Mg ha−1 year−1 and 12.9 Mg ha−1 year−1, respectively. Stands were cut with a single-pass harvester 2 years after planting and a second time after 3 years of coppice growth; material capacity, limited by poor ground conditions, varied between 21.7 to 31.3 green Mg h−1. Chemical composition averaged 1.87% inorganics, 7.74% extractives, 26.90% lignin, 38.07% glucan, 13.66% xylan, 1.61% galactan, 1.14% arabinan, and 2.76% mannan. Production costs (USD) projected over a 20-year rotation of six coppice cycles were $71.81 Mg−1 in Washington, $89.91 Mg−1 in Oregon, $98.76 Mg−1 in Idaho, and $179.07 Mg−1 in California. Land rental, establishment, crop care, harvest, transportation, and land restoration, respectively, accounted for 23%, 5%, 19%, 30%, 17%, and 6% of total feedstock cost. Farms were successfully restored to conditions existing before poplar conversion. In the absence of fertilization, increases in soil pH and decreases in nitrate-nitrogen, zinc, iron, and organic matter were consistently noted but could not be associated with poplar production alone. Keywords Populus . Hybrid poplar . Biomass production . Feedstock economics . Single-pass harvesting . Wood chemistry
Introduction The establishment of a biorefining industry in the Pacific Northwest of the USA is a strategy for complying with the regional mandates of the Federal Energy Independence and
* Brian J. Stanton [email protected] 1
GreenWood Resources, Portland, OR, USA
2
University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
3
College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, USA
4
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID, USA
5
Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
6
Nichino America, Inc., Hermiston, OR, USA
7
GreenWood Resources, Bogota, Colombia
Security Act of 2007 [1]. The region’s sizable population depends on ocean
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