Volume 22(2), 34- 39, 2018 JOURNAL of Horticulture, Forestry and Biotechnology www.journal-hfb.usab-tm.ro

Researches concerning the potential of biomass accumulation in cup ( perfoliatum L.)

Noemi Jucsor1, Sumalan R.1*

1Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania” From Timisoara Faculty of Horticulture and Forestry; Department of Plant Physiology

Corresponding autor:Radu Sumalan *[email protected]

Abstract Biomass is one of the main renewable sources in energy Key words systems. Recent biomass production is based on intensively grown traditional crops, especially maize. An alternative crop of corn is cup plant- Silphium plant weight, ecological, perfoliatum L., which has high potential of biomass accumulation, a reduced energy, alternative crop care requirement compared to annual crops and ecological advantages over compared to other traditional crops such as corn, sorghum or elephant grass. The Silphium crop produces a considerable amount of biomass and was considered to be easy to cultivate and has versatile uses - like an ornamental plant, honey and fodder, as well as medicinal herbs, recovery or energy. The best results were obtained when the seeds were sown and fattened in greenhouses and transplanted as young with three or four true leaves in the field in April or May. In the first year, the crop should settle in the soil and the plants should only build a rosette of leaves before the winter.

Plant biomass is an important factor in the Recent biomass production is based on functional study of plant biology and growth analysis intensively-grown traditional crops, especially maize. and is the basis for calculating net primary production However, large-scale cultivation of corn and the tight and growth rate [20] [26]. Depending on the structure rotation of crops affect soil functions. Diversification and composition of vegetation, there are several of agroecosystems using perennial energy crops is a techniques for measuring plant biomass [28].Plant promising strategy to counteract negative cultures used as biomass can help restore degraded soil developments in recent biomass production [3][21]. through bioremediation. These rotational crops are An alternative crop of corn is that of Silphium perfect for restoring the ecological functions of perfoliatum L., which has high yields of biomass, has a abandoned land, increasing organic soil content, thus reduced need for care compared to annual crops and increasing the retention of water and carbon in the soil ecological advantages over traditional crops such as [25]. maize [4]. Besides its competitive properties in biogas In the study of an individual plant biomass, production, this plant is considered to have a high measuring dry weight is one of the acceptable ecological value due to low soil work and minimal use measurements. This method is typically used to of herbicides [24]. estimate the yield of a plant, but it is also a precise A high productivity of air measure of plant biomass. Biomass is one of the main biomass was mentioned in various studies by renewable sources in energy systems.[14] Compared to Medvedev and Smetannikova (1981) which mention fossil fuel, the use of biofuel on the basis of herbs the amount of green mass of Silphium perfoliatum, significantly reduces the greenhouse effect; the CO2 cultivated in Kirghistan on irrigated land, of 234 t / ha emission is approximately zero, because the amount of and in the Moscow region, Russia on non-irrigated land CO2 that is released is used to produce organic of 70 t/ha; material during photosynthesis. At present, much attention is paid to identifying suitable plant Morphologycal description that can deliver high energy and replace fossil fuels [9][16]. Silphium perfoliatum L. is a plant of the genus High yield biomass crops and easily Silphium, native to , member of the degradable crops are particularly suited for anaerobic family [13]. digestion and give a high methane yield. Crops that can Approximately 8-14 pairs of opposite leaves be stored for long periods of time with minimal losses are formed at intervals of 10-15 cm along the stem. and are also conducive to biogas production [2]. They can reach 30 cm in length and 20 cm in width. Because their petiole is wide, each leaf appears

34 triangular. Due to the very short and rigid hair, their in early autumn [5]. The first results show that surface has a hard touch. Each base is merged, forming Silphium has a very high yield, similar to maize a cup that the stem seems to pierce. Therefore, the [6][22]. A great advantage of this crop is that after the alternate colloquial name: the cup. In the first year, the first year there is no need for weed control and other plant grows in a large rosette, with a diameter of up to additional pesticides. Other benefits are the absence of 70 cm, which almost completely covers the soil [8]. an annual work involving the storage of CO2 in the soil After the winter, when the roots are well established and the long flowering period of Silphie, which is used and the rosette has 12-15 alternate leaves, a single by bees to collect pollen and nectar (bee bread) to flowering stem develops from the top of each large survive and reproduce. . This strain at maturity is 1-3 cm wide, 2-4 m high, and wears up to 17 leaves. After the first frost, Genetic studies the stems of flowering die.Tulpina ends in a single flower [23]. The plant cup has a rooted system of roots, It is necessary to identify the local populations so it is able to use all the soil fertilizers. Silphium crops or clones that: 1) are adapted and provide are recommended in high soil erosion areas [12]. environmental benefits to marginal crops, 2) produce Between the end of July and September, Silphium large amounts of biomass in herbaceous and produces a cascade of flowers, each 6-8 cm wide, herbaceous plants bioenergy systems 3) habitat growth starting with one, which will be exceeded first by two biodiversity. Recently, the cup plant has been identified then by 4 and then by another 8 flower heads. Each as promising for all these three economic and flower looks superficial as sunflower, with a central ecological objectives in Europe [10] [11] as in the disc and two rows of rays of rays. But, like the major fields in the northern US [5]. distinctive feature of all silks, these discs are atypical Albrecht and Goldstein (1997) have in the fact that, although they are structural, they seem established that genetic variations exist between the bisexual, only the stamens are fertile [19]. Seeds are natural populations of the Midwest Cup plant for the produced by cross fertilization with pollinators, insects. production and quality of feed. The popular Each flower produces 20-30 seeds. Seeds are brown populations of and were superior to achene that features a wing used for spreading by the a population in Russia (originally unknown in North wind. Each seed has a length of 9-15 mm, a width of 6- America) for crude yield and protein. In the second 9 mm, strongly flattened, with a maximum thickness of experiment, the three populations mentioned above and 1 mm; 1,000 seeds weigh about 23 g [7]. 25 natural populations have been evaluated for three years in three locations. There were Uses significant differences among populations for feed yield and quality, and populations are similar in The silphium crop produces a considerable locations[27]. amount of biomass and was considered to be easy to Settle (1967) reported a number of 14 diploid cultivate and has versatile uses - as an ornamental chromosome for S. perfoliatum L. At present, only plant, melliferous and fodder, as well as medicinal, seeds of different geographic origin are available ant recovery or energy [15]. there are some approved varieties with typical For the flower plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.), characteristics [4]. Thus, Silphium has a wide range of long longevity is anticipated. Thanks to the coupled genetics and the plants are heterogeneous. leaves, it can collect moisture from the air, thus being resistant to dry environmental conditions. It is adapted Material and Methods to moderate climatic conditions and can be cultivated 800 m above sea level. The cup plant was grown as This experiment was conducted in Timisoara feed for cattle in North America and the former (45 ° 47'58 "N 21 ° 17'38" E) on the experimental field German Democratic Republic (GDR). It has been of the Plant Physiology dept. of University of tested as an alternative biogas crop in field studies in Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Germany in since 2005. In 2010, farmers cultivated Michael I st of Romania” from Timisoara. The study Silphium on about 20 ha of agricultural land [13]. area has an average annual temperature of 10.6ºC, the The cup plant could be a good source of number of days with favorable temperatures for the biomass production for renewable energy production, optimal development of cultures, that is, those with the pharmaceutical, phytosanitary and veterinary average over 15ºC, is 143 / year between 7th of May industries [26]. The best results were obtained when and 26th of September. Timisoara receives more the seeds were sown and fattened in greenhouses and rainfall than the Romanian Plains. The annual average transplanted as young plants with three or four leaves of 592 mm, close to the country average, is mainly due in the field in May or June. In the first year, the crop to the high rainfall in May, June, July and November should settle in the soil and the plants should only build and December. a rosette of leaves before the winter. In the next spring, the plants grow very fast and can deliver the first crop

35 The biological material was represeneted by The preparation of the land was carried out by plants of Silphium perfoliatum L., in the second year intensive weed cleaning of the previous crop and the after planting. soil was finely chopped. Seeds for sowing were The soil, a cambic chernozem presented the selected and layered in wet sand for a period of 2 following chemical properties: pH=7,21- slightly months. After stratification, the seeds were sown in alkaline, total nitrogen content = 0,2% - medium, plastic cups filled with peat and kept in the greenhouse humus =3,69% - medium, phosphorus mobile in and then were transplanted in the field at 50 cm Al=20,52 ppm- medium, potassium mobile in Al=117 between plants per row and 70 cm between rows in ppm – medium, sulfates mobile in water=10,56 microplots of 10 x m-2. mg/100 g soil, sodium mobile in water=36,67 mg/100 Plant growth and development was very good g soil, calcium soluble in water=27,05 mg/100 g soil and in autumn were extracted from the experimental and magnesium soluble in water=6,08 mg/100 g soil. plot 10 plants of silphium for mesurements and No additional fertilizers were applied, the nutrient analysis. support being provided only by the existing reserves in the soil at the planting moment.

Plants samples for biomass analysis Plant samples before drying Powder from the root of Silphium

Each plant was grinded in the mill at the Results beginning with a 8 mm sieve and after drying through a 2 mm sieve. Drying was carried out in the oven at a The planting distances of the plant silphium being 50 temperature of 80 0C for 12 hours. cm distances between plants per row and 70 cm between the rows resulting a plant nutrition space of 0,35 m2 on each plant and a number of 28,500 plants per hectar. The main morphological characters was: number, height and thick of floral stems (table 1).

Table 1 Analysis of variance on the main morphological characters nvolved on the value of aerial biomass in silphium Characters x+sx s% Floral stems (no) 7,8+1,78 4,36 Height floral stems (cm) 164,77+19,35 8,51 Thick floral stems (cm) 0,81+0,25 3,2

From the analysis of the results it can be seen (table 1) strains, their height was 164.77 +19.35 cm and the that the silphium plants have on average 7.8 +1.78 average in thickness of the strain was 0.81+0.25 cm.

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Fig 1. The distribution of fresh weight on the vegetative organs and whole plant in Silphium perfoliatum

Concerning the total fresh weight (fig. 1) can be the strains in a percentage of 41.29%, weighing 621.6 observed that the highest gain of weight is provided by grams followed by roots with a weight of 594.8 grams.

Fig 2. The distribution of dry weight on the vegetative organs and whole plant in Silphium perfoliatum

The dry weight (fig 2) amount is provided in a followed by the weight of leaves weighing 173.4 percentage of 47.60% of strains weighing 255.6 grams grams.

Fig 3. Fresh weight and dry weight (kg x ha-1) of aerial biomass in Silphium perfoliatum L.

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