Abstract
Silphium perfoliatum is a perennial crop native to North America that has been the subject of increased scientific interest in recent years, especially in Europe. It is drought- and frost-resistant, which makes it suitable for cultivation in Europe on marginal lands that are not used for growing other crops. This review analyzed the distribution and purposes of the cultivation of Silphium perfoliatum worldwide, as well as its biomass yields and characteristics as a feedstock for biogas production and other purposes. A total of 121 scientific publications on Silphium perfoliatum were identified, with the highest number (20 papers) published in 2019. It was found that higher biomass yields can be obtained at higher precipitation levels, with the use of fertilizers and an adequate type of plantation. The mean dry matter yield of Silphium perfoliatum was 13.3 Mg ha−1 DM (dry matter), and it ranged from 2 to over 32 Mg ha−1 DM. In some countries, Silphium is used as a forage crop mainly due to its high crude protein content (from 4.9% to 15% DM), depending on the vegetation phase. Silphium perfoliatum is a promising perennial crop in terms of energy and other benefits for biodiversity, soil quality and applications in medicine and pharmacology.
Highlights
Since climate change is caused mainly due to the wide use of fossil fuels, it is necessary to mitigate their impact and prevent their depletion
The reviewed information about Silphium perfoliatum indicates that it can be used for different purposes, such as a fodder crop in Eastern Europe (Russia, Belarus and Ukraine) and China, as a renewable energy source in Central and Northeastern Europe (Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Poland and Lithuania) and even as a promising competitor to maize for biogas production (Germany and Austria)
It is necessary to investigate the possibility of cultivating Silphium on marginal and degraded soils, after extensive agriculture, that cannot be used for other crop plantations
Summary
Since climate change is caused mainly due to the wide use of fossil fuels, it is necessary to mitigate their impact and prevent their depletion. The Silphium perfoliatum (cup plant) is considered a promising alternative substrate for biogas production [11,12] that could replace the current use of maize silage [13,14,15]. In Austria [12], Czech Republic [15] and Poland [34,35], biomass has been investigated for biogas production It is being studied for future possible use in Kazakhstan as a forage crop [36]. The current study screened papers for Silphium perfoliatum utilization, energy, biomass production, yielding, biogas yields, etc. The paper presents economic and energy information found in various research papers on Silphium perfoliatum biomass production
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