Water and energy use and management in agriculture
Water management and biobased energy production
We develop systems that simultaneously contribute to cleaning of surface waters, water storage to prevent downstream flooding and biobased energy production. This is done by growing crops that absorb substantial quantities of undesired elements from surface waters, survive under wet conditions and produce large amounts of biomass.
On the manor “Het Lankheet” (450 ha) in the eastern part of The Netherlands a pilot study is undertaken where large fields with reed (Phragmites communis) are flooded by water of the river “Buurserbeek”. The reed absorbs nutrients and heavy metals present in the river water and is able to produce more than 20 t DM per ha. The reed is harvested before it commences to mature and is used for energy production.