Sustainable energy and biofuel potential of energy willow (<i>Salix</i> L.) biomass in the first year after harvesting in a long growing cycle

In the context of the objective threat of depletion of fossil fuels used to meet human needs, the issue of finding alternative sources to meet energy demands is becoming increasingly relevant.Currently, the primary task of national energy strategies is the search for and utilization of alternative types of fuel, characterized by their environmental friendliness and renewability.The production and use of biomass are still less efficient compared to traditional types of fuel.This is due to several factors, such as insufficient government support, underdeveloped material and technical infrastructure, and the dependence of its efficiency on market prices relative to conventional fuels.In recent years, there has been active development of bioenergy crops.However, a number of issues require resolution.The yield of bioenergy crops directly depends on climatic, soil, and other conditions.The results of the conducted studies indicate that the highest shoot height of energy willow in the first year after harvest, reaching 422 cm, was obtained with a planting density of 12 thousand plants ha -1 .In this variant, the diameter of the central shoot was 18 mm, and the average number of shoots per plant was 36.The latest biometric measurements showed a tendency for a sharp increase in the vegetative mass of energy willow.During this period, plant height ranged from 409 to 435 cm, and the diameter of the central shoot ranged from 26 to 35 mm.The highest shoot height, 435 cm, was recorded in the variant with a planting density of 5.6 thousand plants ha -1 .It was found that the highest biomass yield of energy willow in the first year after harvest was achieved with a planting density of 15 thousand plants ha -1 and the application of mineral fertilizers.This yielded 56.2 t ha -1 of green mass and 31.8 t ha -1 of dry mass.Under the conditions of the reporting year, the highest biomass yield of energy willow in the first year after harvest was obtained with a planting density of 6.7 thousand plants ha -1 , amounting to 57.0 t ha -1 of green mass and 31.7 t ha -1 of dry mass.