The chemical composition of 1052 samples covering 49 plant species is summarized in this paper. The analyzed biomasses offer a wide range of chemical compositions, monosaccharidic compositions of hemicelluloses, enzymatically digestible organic matter, and bioethanol potential. Nevertheless, their thermal energy value remains in a narrow range on a dry matter basis. Biomasses that were identified as best suited for anaerobic digestion are characterized by low contents of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin and high contents of non-structural constituents. Biomasses most suited for combustion present the lowest content of mineral compounds, and the most adequate biomasses for bioethanol conversion have high contents of total carbohydrates. Interestingly, the observed chemical compositions tend to cluster the biomasses in composition groups that also correspond to phylogenetic groups: commelinids, non-commelinid magnoliophyta, and pinophyta species. Some groups can clearly be subdivided into fibrous and moderately fibrous biomasses.

Semiochemical alginate beads can be considered as efficient slow-release systems in biological control. These formulations could be very useful to attract aphid parasitoids on crop fields.

The chemical composition of Matricaria chamomilla L. and Nepeta cataria L. essential oils was determined by GC-MS on an apolar stationary phase by comparison of the characteristic fragmentation patterns with those of the Wiley 275L database. The GC-MS chromatograms were compared with those obtained by fast GC equipped with a direct resistively heated column (Ultra Fast Module 5% phenyl, 5 m × 0.1 mm, 0.1 µm film thickness). Analytical conditions were optimised to reach a good peak resolution (split ratio = 1:100), with analysis time lower than 5 min versus 35-45 min required by conventional GC-MS. The fast chromatographic method was completely validated for the analysis of mono-and sesquiterpene compounds. Essential oils were then fractionated by column chromatography packed with silica gel. Three main fractions with high degree of purity in E-β-farnesene were isolated from the oil of M. chamomilla. One fraction enriched in (Z,E)-nepetalactone and one enriched in β-caryophyllene were obtained from the oil of N. cataria. These semiochemical compounds could act as attractants of aphid's predators and parasitoids.