RT Journal Article
T1 Short rotation coppice of leguminous tree Leucaena spp. improves soil fertility while producing high biomass yields in Mediterranean environment
A1 Fernández Martínez, Manuel
A1 Alaejos Gutiérrez, Joaquín
A1 Andivia Muñoz, Enrique
A1 Madejón Rodríguez, Paula
A1 Díaz Blanco, Manuel Jesús
A1 Tapias Martín, Raúl
AB The use of woody nitrogen-fixing plant species as multipurpose and energy crops aims to enhance biomass yieldwhile improving soil properties. Yet, the effectiveness of this option is still under debate especially the use ofshort rotation cropping in water and nutrient limited environments. This study investigated whether shortrotation coppicing of four taxa of multipurpose biomass woody legume Leucaena spp. can improve soil conditionswhen grown for biomass under a Mediterranean environment. Biomass yield, mineral composition and heatvalue of the biomass and the mineral and organic matter content of soil were evaluated. Under favorable growingconditions, woody dry biomass production was up to 29 Mg ha-1 year-1 with slight but significant differencesbetween the four taxa that were tested. After 11 years of cropping, the soil showed higher fertility and microbialactivity compared to the uncropped plot. Leucaena cultivation increased soil nitrogen by 35 %, dehydrogenaseactivity by 98 %, and organic matter and carbon content (by 41 %). Annual cuttings resulted in the highestbiomass production, followed by two and three year cuttings. The mineral composition and the calorific capacityof woody biomass make it suitable for commercial use as an energy source (generating on average 151 MW h ha-1 year-1). In conclusion, short rotation coppicing of nitrogen-fixing woody species results in high biomass productionrates with the restoration of degraded soils, constituting a sustainable agroforestry system for rural areas.
PB Elsevier
SN 0926-6690
YR 2020
FD 2020-12
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10272/19113
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10272/19113
LA eng
NO Fernández Martínez, M., Alaejos Gutiérrez, J., Andivia  Muñoz, E., Madejón  Rodríguez, P., Díaz Blanco, M. J., & Tapias Martín, R. (2020). Short rotation coppice of leguminous tree Leucaena spp. improves soil fertility while producing high biomass yields in Mediterranean environment. Industrial Crops and Products, 157, 112911. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112911
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 13 jun 2026