Uxafores

Cod., tit.: 2017-CE214, Bio economy of Salix
Fin: INTASA S.A. (contract funded by FEADER 2017/019 Galician Regional Government Project)
Part.: EPS (USC)
Dur: 1/09/2017-15/10/2020
A.: 47.715€
P.I.: Rojo Alboreca, A.

Objectives

The generic objective of the project is to innovate in obtaining bioproducts through the willow biorefinery, evaluating the possibilities of short rotation forestry plantations with improved material of the species as an economically and environmentally beneficial alternative for many abandoned or underused lands in Galicia, or as a complement for livestock farms that need to diversify with more environmental alternatives (effluent filter, etc.).

Results

Several demonstration short rotation plantations with willows (with the Terranova clone) in the municipalities of San Sadurniño and Mesía (A Coruña) have been carried out and analysed. Different equations for total, wood and bark dry biomass have been developed. In addition, biorefinery methodologies have been fine-tuned to obtain various willow bio-products: xylitol from wood, and condensed tannins from bark. The project has shown that short rotation forestry with willows can be an economically viable and environmentally responsible alternative for many lands in Galicia that are currently abandoned or underused.

Partial results of the project can be found in: Pérez López, Cristian. 2019.  Productivity of short rotation plantations of Salix spp. in Galicia . Master's final Project, Master’s in Forest Engineering. September 2019. Higher Polytechnic School of Engineering, Lugo, University of Santiago de Compostela. 72 pp. (in Spanish)