Sunday, April 29, 2007
1A-24

Selection and field testing of new, high-yielding varieties of shrub willow for bioenergy, biofuels, and bioproducts

Lawrence B. Smart1, Kimberly D. Cameron1, Timothy A. Volk2, and Lawrence P. Abrahamson1. (1) Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York - College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Dr., Syracuse, NY 13210, (2) Forest and Natural Resources Management, State University of New York - College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Dr., Syracuse, NY 13210

Fast-growing shrub willow is ideally suited as a dedicated energy crop for the Midwest and Northeast U.S., but improvements in yield will enhance the economics of the system and lead to greater commercial deployment. SUNY-ESF has established and maintains the largest willow breeding program in North America, which includes a genetically diverse collection of >700 varieties.  We have completed more than 500 controlled crosses since 1998, incorporating over 20 species and species hybrids and producing in excess of 4000 new varieties.  From among >2000 individuals produced by breeding in 1999, 82 were selected based on stem area and height after two seasons of growth.  These were propagated and planted in a selection trial with four current production varieties in 2002, which was harvested after two growing seasons in February 2005 and will be harvested again in January 2007.  A comparison of first- and second-rotation yield results will be presented.  Based on first-rotation harvest data, the yield of a number of varieties exceeded that of the best current production variety, ‘SV1’.  The highest mean yield in these small plots was 40% higher than that of ‘SV1’, which typically yields 4-5 dry tons ac-1 yr-1.  A number of these high-yielding varieties were scaled-up and planted in two regional yield trials established in 2005 using production-style spacing.  Yield results from these trials will be presented with a discussion of the relative improvements of varieties from the breeding program over current production varieties.


Web Page: www.esf.edu/willow

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