Plant biomass is the feedstock for biofuel production. Efforts to maximize
yield per unit of production area are of crucial importance in meeting the rising demand
for renewable energy sources. Plantation, irrigation, use of fertilizers and pesticides,
together with harvest, represent the major costs involved in biomass production. In this
chapter we give a broad overview of (i) the factors influencing biomass yield (such as
water and nutrients) and advances in cultivation technologies, discussing sustainability
issues and the link of these practices with industry needs, and (ii) the relation of these
conditions to the physiology of energy crops, presenting innovative technologies that
can support management decisions. We will focus on sugarcane as a model for
bioenergy crops.
Keywords: Agricultural productivity, Bioenergy crops, Biomass accumulation,
Energy cane, First and second generation ethanol, Harvest, Innovative
technologies, Management, Metabolomics, Photosynthetic rates, Plant breeding,
Plant physiology, Soil mechanization, Straw maintenance, Sucrose, Sugarcane
bagasse, Sustainability, Tillage, Water and nutrient uptake, Yield.
