Room: King Willem Alexander
Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Time: 10:15 - 11:15 CEST
Session code BP.1
Sustainable bio-based value chains
Low Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) Industrial Crops to Bioenergy, Biofuels and Bioproducts in Marginal Soils: Potential and Limitations
Short Introductive summary
Cultivation of industrial crops on marginal land is suggested as an approach to minimize land use competition with food crops and land use change controversies. In this framework, 19 different biomass-to-product pathways were selected in the framework of the MIDAS project. In these selection, different crops (Safflower, Lavender, Siberian Elm, Poplar, Switchgrass, Castor, Sorghum, Hemp, Guayule, Cardoon, Miscanthus, Crambe) and cropping systems were evaluated (intercropping and agroforestry), in different regions of Europe (located in Spain, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Poland, France, Serbia, Hungary and Germany). Therefore, the objective of this work was to identify the potential and limitations associated with the cultivation of these industrial crops in marginal soils. In the study, crop management options were assessed, namely the use of innovative farming systems (e.g. intercropping, agroforestry, harvesting solutions, irrigation systems, soil amendments), amount of fertilizers and pesticides applied, irrigation needs, among others. Effects of the cultivation of those crops in the marginal soils were addressed towards yields, impact on soil, water, biodiversity and landscap
Presenter
Ana Luisa FERNANDO
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Chemistry Dpt., PORTUGAL
Presenter's biography
Ana Luísa Fernando holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences. Associate Professor at Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa.Main scientific areas: energy crops, remediation of contaminated soils, valorization of agro residues.
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
B. Barbosa, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, PORTUGAL
J. Costa, ISEC, Lisboa, PORTUGAL
E. Alexopoulou, CRES, Athens, GREECE
Session reference: BP.1.3