Biomass harvesting and willow varieties – Biomass Connect Demo Event

Biomass harvesting and willow varieties – Biomass Connect Demo Event

IBERS, Aberystwyth University

7^th March 2023

Come and join us for an afternoon learning about biomass crop harvesting and willow variety options at IBERS, Aberystwyth University.

The event will focus on harvesting approaches for willow and miscanthus crops, and an overview of the research undertaken between IBERS and Rothamsted Research into varieties of willow for biomass production.

All are welcome – please register to book a place. We look forward to seeing you there!

13.00 Convene, tea & coffee

13.30 Introduction and talks

• Biomass Connect, introduction and overview – Dr Will Stiles, IBERS
• Short rotation coppice willow varieties and learnings from Accelerating Willow Breeding and Deployment’s multi-site analysis – William Macalpine, Rothamsted Research
• Short rotation coppice willow – making the right decisions: How the Envirocrops web app can help – Kevin Lindegaard, Crops for Energy

14.30 Site tour: field visit

• BSBEC field trial, crop tour/walk – Dr Chris Ashman, IBERS
• Hand harvest demonstration

16.00 Q & A – Wrap up, final thoughts

16.30 Finish/networking

 

Speakers

William Macalpine, Rothamsted Research

William is the willow breeder at Rothamsted Research. He has 19 years’ experience in willow breeding, perennial energy crop agronomy and in making phenotypic and physiological measurements. He has performed over 700 crosses, carried out research to overcome crossing barriers, produced mapping populations and elite SRC willow varieties. He has planned, planted and managed around 90 field trials. William has an in-depth knowledge of the UK National Willow Collection, a unique Salix germplasm resource, which is located at Rothamsted Research. Within Biomass Connect he leads Work Package 1, Hub Biomass Demonstration.

Kevin Lindegaard, Crops for Energy

Kevin Lindegaard is the director of Crops for Energy, the leading consultancy for biomass crop information in the UK. Crops for Energy was set up in 2004 to provide balanced, authoritative and independent information to farmers and landowners who are interested in planting and using biomass crops

Kevin has almost 3 decades of experience working in the field of biomass crops and renewable energy. The journey started during his 7 years working at Long Ashton Research Station as the plant breeder in charge of the European Willow Breeding Programme. Here, Kevin was responsible for breeding high yielding and disease resistant willow varieties. Varieties included: Resolution, Endurance and Terra Nova.

Kevin is recognised both nationally across Europe for his energy crops policy work. In 2016 he published two frequently cited papers: “A critical appraisal of the effectiveness of UK perennial energy crops policy since 1990” in Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, and “Short rotation plantations policy history in Europe: lessons from the past and recommendations for the future” in Food and Energy Security. He is a former director of the Wood Heat Association and co-founder of the Sustainable Fuel Register.

Most recently, Kevin along with Chris Johnston at AFBI is spearheading the Envirocrops project. This exciting new project, funded by BEIS’s Biomass Feedstock Innovation programme, looks to digitalise and streamline the decision-making process for choosing and growing biomass crops.