The influence of crop management in the environmental impact of energy crops production.

Energy crops may have both positive and negative ecological effects. As bioenergy carriers they offer clear ecological advantages over fossil fuels, such as a positive carbon balance and low sulphur content. However, such benefits are accompanied by a series of possible ecological drawbacks. For instance there is a risk of polluting water with nitrates, phosphates and pesticides and also the danger of reducing the biodiversity when biomass is cultivated in monocultures. In the scope of the project Future Crops for Food, Feed, Fiber and Fuel (4F Crops), supported by the European Union, the influence of fertilizers and pesticides inputs in the environmental impact of energy crops production, in different climatic regions of Europe (Nemoral, Continental, Atlantic and Mediterranean), was studied. Fifteen different energy crops were analysed and compared: Rape seed, Sunflower, Ethiopian mustard, Hemp, Flax, Poplar, Willow, Eucalyptus, Reedcanary grass, Miscanthus, Switchgrass, Giant reed, Cardoon, Sugar beet and Sweet Sorghum. Looking at the energy crops in comparison to one another, it seems that perennials tend to be preferred to annual crops.