variety selection

It is vital that the correct variety is selected in order to ensure a healthy and high yielding willow crop. Nordic Biomass has many years of experience distributing improved willow varieties from Svalöf Weibull AB and Agrobränsle AB in Sweden, the absolute highest yielding willow varieties on the market. Growth and resistance data from Swedish trials for several new varieties are shown below.

Danish yield measurements have also been taken for various willow clones (source: Pieter Koffman, Skov og landskab, Denmark). These yield results are lower, but the figures clearly support the strength of the SW varieties over other varieties on the market. At the time of the trials, SW Tora and SW Björn were the newest varieties available from Svalöv Weibull AB.

It is therefore recommended that the improved varieties from Svalöf Weibull AB are used for energy and industrial production.

Svalöf-Weibull AB report yields of 12-15 t dry matter/ha pa. for SW clones. If one hectare of energy forest produces 15 t DM, this is equivalent to 68 MWh or 7.5 m³ of oil.

However, Nordic Biomass has found that the average yield for conventional farms is typically around 7-10 t DM/ha pa. In optimum growing conditions, energy forest can achieve yields of 12-18 tonnes of dry matter / hectare annually.

However, yield levels can vary dramatically, depending on soil quality in particular. For example, in trials by the Danish National Centre for Crop Production, a recent willow clone yielded up to approx. 18 tonnes dry matter annually on low-lying land, while the dry matter yield for the poorest land was approx. 8 t/ha pa.

For plantations aimed at other purposes, other varieties can be interesting. In our arboretums and commercial plantations we have both old, and new improved, willow varieties under propagation. See more about willow for plantations.