Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) as Potential Feedstock for Biofuel and Protein

  • Published:
BioEnergy Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) has many interesting features that could support the production of biofuels (e.g., a high yield and soluble sugar content, N-fixation capacity, low input requirements for its cultivation), no study has assessed the possibility of its use for that purpose. Our objective was to evaluate the potential value for energy production of sulla cut at various stages of growth. Furthermore, the potential of sulla as a dual purpose crop (energy and feed) was investigated. The crop was grown in rainfed conditions in a typical Mediterranean environment (over two complete 2-year crop cycles) and was cut at four different phenological stages. The biomass was divided into two fractions (stems and leaves), weighed, and analyzed to estimate the theoretical production of bioethanol and biomethane and the feed value of the whole biomass and of the two fractions. The total dry matter yield in the 2-year crop cycle was about 18 Mg ha−1; this level of production is similar to or higher than that of most other crops grown in the same environment in rainfed conditions. The stems had a high content of total soluble sugars (even higher than 200 g kg−1) and cell wall polysaccharides, markedly higher than the leaves. The leaves contained most of the protein of the plant, representing an actual protein concentrate. Thus, the crop seems particularly suitable for dual purpose use if stems are allocated to the production of biofuels and leaves to the production of livestock feed. Moreover, the results showed that the early seed set stage is the most appropriate cutting time for maximizing yield both for energy and for livestock use.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alexopoulou E, Zanetti F, Scordia D, Zegada-Lizarazu W, Christou M, Testa G, Cosentino SL, Monti A (2015) Long-term yields of switchgrass, giant reed, and miscanthus in the Mediterranean basin. Bioenerg Res 8:1492–1499

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bonanno A, Di Grigoli A, Stringi L, Di Miceli G, Giambalvo D, Tornambè G, Vargetto D, Alicata ML (2007) Intake and milk production of goats grazing sulla forage under different stocking rates. Ital J Anim Sci 6:605–607

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ruisi P, Siragusa M, Di Giorgio G, Graziano D, Amato G, Carimi F, Giambalvo D (2011) Pheno-morphological, agronomic and genetic diversity among natural populations of sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) collected in Sicily, Italy. Genet Resour Crop Ev 58:245–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Annicchiarico P, Ruisi P, Di Miceli G, Pecetti L (2014) Morpho-physiological and adaptive variation of Italian germplasm of sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.). Crop Pasture Sci 65:206–213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Borreani G, Roggero PP, Sulas L, Valente ME (2003) Quantifying morphological stage to predict the nutritive value in sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.). Agron J 95:1608–1617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Di Grigoli A, Todaro M, Di Miceli G, Genna V, Tornambè G, Alicata ML, Giambalvo D, Bonanno A (2012) Effects of continuous and rotational grazing of different forage species on ewe milk production. Small Rumin Res 1065:529–536

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bonanno A, Di Miceli G, Di Grigoli A, Frenda AS, Tornambè G, Giambalvo D, Amato G (2011) Effects of feeding green forage of sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) on lamb growth and carcass and meat quality. Animal 5:148–154

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Watson MJ (1982) Hedysarum coronarium, a legume with potential for soil conservation and forage. New Zeal J Agric Sci 16:189–193

    Google Scholar 

  9. Flores F, Gutierrez JC, Lopez J, Moreno MT, Cubero JI (1997) Multivariate analysis approach to evaluate a germplasm collection of Hedysarum coronarium L. Genet Resour Crop Ev 44:545–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Talamucci P (1998) Il ruolo della sulla nell’attuale contesto della foraggicoltura italiana. In: Talamucci P, Staglianò N, Sabatini S (eds) La Sulla: possibili ruoli nella foraggicoltura mediterranea. I Georgofili, Quaderni Firenze, I, pp 7–27

  11. Schwartz C, Amasino R (2013) Nitrogen recycling and flowering time in perennial bioenergy crops. Front Plant Sci 4, article 76:1–7

  12. Evangelou MWH, Schulin R (2013) Soil loss: a forgotten aspect of biofuel production. In: Allard MC (ed) Bioenergy systems, biological sources and environmental impact. Nova Publishers, New York, pp 41–58

    Google Scholar 

  13. Saia S, Urso V, Amato G, Frenda AS, Giambalvo D, Ruisi P, Di Miceli G (2016) Mediterranean forage legumes grown alone or in mixture with annual ryegrass: biomass production, N2 fixation, and indices of intercrop efficiency. Plant Soil (in press)

  14. Niezen JH, Charleston WAG, Robertson HA, Shelton D, Waghorn GC, Green R (2002) The effect of feeding sulla (Hedysarum coronarium) or lucerne (Medicago sativa) on lamb parasite burdens and development of immunity to gastrointestinal nematodes. Vet Parasitol 105:229–245

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Burke JL, Waghorn GC, Brookes IM (2002) An evaluation of sulla (Hedysarum coronarium) with pasture, white clover and lucerne for lambs. Proc New Zeal Soc An Prod 62:152–156

    Google Scholar 

  16. Waghorn GC, Tavendale MH, Woodfield DR (2002) Methanogenesis from forages fed to sheep. Proc New Zeal Grassland Assoc 64:167–171

    Google Scholar 

  17. Cavallarin L, Tabacco E, Borreani G (2007) Forage and grain legume silages as a valuable source of proteins for dairy cows. Ital J Anim Sci 6:282–284

    Google Scholar 

  18. Dale B (1983) Biomass refining: protein and ethanol from alfalfa. Ind Eng Chem Prod Res Dev 22:466–472

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Samac DA, Jung HJG, Lamb JFS (2006) Development of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) as a feedstock for production of ethanol and other bioproducts. In: Minteer S (ed) Alcoholic fuels. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 79–98

    Google Scholar 

  20. Lamb JFS, Jung HJG, Sheaffer CC, Samac DA (2007) Alfalfa leaf protein and stem cell wall polysaccharide yields under hay and biomass management systems. Crop Sci 47:1407–1415

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Rock KP, Thelemann RT, Jung HJG, Tschirner UW, Sheaffer CC, Johnson GA (2009) Variation due to growth environment in alfalfa yield, cellulosic ethanol traits, and paper pulp characteristics. Bioenerg Res 2:79–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. AOAC (1995) Official methods of analysis, 15th edn. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Arlington

    Google Scholar 

  23. Van Soest PJ, Robertson JB, Lewis BA (1991) Symposium: carbohydrate methodology, metabolism and nutritional implications in dairy cattle. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and non-starch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. J Dairy Sci 74:3583–3597

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Vogel KP, Pederson JF, Masterson SD, Toy JJ (1999) Evaluation of a filter bag system for NDF, ADF, and IVDMD forage analysis. Crop Sci 39:276–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Deriaz RE (1961) Routine analysis of carbohydrates and lignin in herbage. J Sci Food Agric 12:152–160

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. INRA (1989) In: Jarrige R (ed) Ruminant nutrition. Recommended allowances and feed tables. John Libbey, London

    Google Scholar 

  27. Zhao YL, Steinberger Y, Wang X, Shi M, Han LP, Xie GH (2012) Changes in stem composition and harvested produce of sweet sorghum during the period from maturity to a sequence of delayed harvest dates. Biomass Bioenergy 39:261–273

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Thomsen ST, Spliid H, Østergård H (2014) Statistical prediction of biomethane potentials based on the composition of lignocellulosic biomass. Bioresour Technol 154:80–86

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. SAS (2008) SAS/STAT® 9.2. User’s Guide. SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC, USA

  30. Amato G, Stringi L, Giambalvo D (1997) Valutazione di progenie di sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) derivate da popolazioni siciliane. Riv Agron 31:166–169

    Google Scholar 

  31. Sulas L, Stangoni AP, Re GA, Ledda L (2000) Growing cycle of Hedysarum coronarium L. (sulla): relationship between plant density, stem length, forage yield and phytomass partitioning. Cah Options Méditerr 45:147–151

    Google Scholar 

  32. Scordia D, Testa G, Cosentino SL (2014) Perennial grasses as lignocellulosic feedstock for second-generation bioethanol production in Mediterranean environment. Ital J Agron 9:84–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Ragaglini G, Dragoni F, Simone M, Bonari E (2014) Suitability of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) for anaerobic digestion: effect of harvest time and frequency on the biomethane yield potential. Bioresour Technol 152:107–115

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Sulas L, Seddaiu G, Muresu R, Roggero PP (2009) Nitrogen fixation of sulla under Mediterranean conditions. Agron J 101:1470–1478

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Dien BS, Jung HJG, Vogel KP, Kasler MD, Lamb JFS, Iten L, Mitchell RB, Sarath G (2006) Chemical composition and response to dilute-acid pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification of alfalfa, reed canarygrass and switchgrass. Biomass Bioenergy 30:880–891

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Dien BS, Sarath G, Pedersen JF, Sattler SE, Chen H, Funnell-Harris DL, Nichols NN, Cotta MA (2009) Improved sugar conversion and ethanol yield for forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) lines with reduced lignin contents. Bioenerg Res 2:153–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Dos Passos BA, Tremblay GF, Bélanger G, Brégard A, Seguin P, Vanasse A (2015) Sugar yield of sweet pearl millet and sweet sorghum as influenced by harvest dates and delays between biomass chopping and pressing. Bioenerg Res 8:100–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Purdy SJ, Cunniff J, Maddison AL, Jones LE, Barraclough T, Castle M, Davey CL, Jones CM, Shield I, Gallagher J, Donnison I, Clifton-Brown J (2014) Seasonal carbohydrate dynamics and climatic regulation of senescence in the perennial grass, Miscanthus. Bioenerg Res 8:28–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Lamb JFS, Jung HJG, Riday H (2014) Growth environment, harvest management and germplasm impacts on potential ethanol and crude protein yield in alfalfa. Biomass Bioenergy 63:114–125

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Jung HJG, Lamb JFS (2004) Prediction of cell wall polysaccharide and lignin concentrations of alfalfa stems from detergent fiber analysis. Biomass Bioenergy 27:365–373

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Bonanno A, Tornambè G, Di Grigoli A, Genna V, Bellina V, Di Miceli G, Giambalvo D (2012) Effect of legume grains as a source of dietary protein on the quality of organic lamb meat. J Sci Food Agric 92:2870–2875

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Borreani G, Ciotti A, Peiretti PG, Re GA, Roggero PP, Sargenti P, Sulas L, Valente ME (1999) Relazioni tra stadio morfologico di sviluppo, produttività e qualità del foraggio della sulla in due ambienti collinari. Riv Agron 33:170–176

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The research was funded by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry Policies within the BIO.FO.R.ME project (Biocarburanti da fonti completamente rinnovabili non in competizione con colture alimentari in ambiente mediterraneo). The authors thank Prof. M.A. Alicata for her help with chemical analysis and F. Labbruzzo and F. Cannella for their valuable technical assistance with field operations and measurements.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128, Palermo, Italy

    Gaetano Amato, Dario Giambalvo, Alfonso Salvatore Frenda, Francesca Mazza, Paolo Ruisi, Sergio Saia & Giuseppe Di Miceli

Authors
  1. Gaetano Amato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dario Giambalvo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alfonso Salvatore Frenda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Francesca Mazza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Paolo Ruisi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Sergio Saia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Giuseppe Di Miceli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paolo Ruisi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Amato, G., Giambalvo, D., Frenda, A.S. et al. Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) as Potential Feedstock for Biofuel and Protein. Bioenerg. Res. 9, 711–719 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-016-9715-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-016-9715-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation