Salix biomass for a sustainable bio-based economy

The overall aim of this project is to study alternative uses of Salix wood e.g. as raw material in production of biofuels and novel bio-chemicals. Salix is a woody crop for short rotation coppice with a high biomass production. To better understand the possibility for Salix as feedstock in bioconversion processes we need to study the whole growth system of Salix including both above and below ground processes of the plant. Salix clones will be characterized for their chemical composition and ultrastructure of the wood, for potential to be converted into biofuels and chemicals as well as for below-ground biodiversity and the potential of carbon sequestration. All information will be used in dynamic life cycle analysis to quantify the environmental load and the economic potential for different system solutions. We will use a set of commercial available Salix clones and a population of unrelated Salix viminalis accessions where each clone is characterized for a large set of genome-wide markers. Associations between wood traits and markers will reveal the genetic background of wood traits and identify gene variants of importance for expressed phenotypic variation as well as correlate these gene and phenotypic variants to a specific end product. The results from the project will provide good tools for diversified product development of Salix biomass generating new products e.g. biodiesel, biogas, and high-value chemicals.