Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.): A Versatile and Sustainable Crop for Renewable Energy Production in Europe

Abstract

Recently, biofuels have become a strategic focus to reduce vehicle emissions and increase sustainability of the transport sector. However, the sustainability of biofuels production has been questioned owing to its implications for future land footprint. In this respect, the EU Commission has very recently classified as low indirect land-use change (ILUC)–risk biofuels those obtained by crops grown on marginal lands and with low external inputs. Only few crops can reach high yields under both of these conditions across Europe. From this point of view, Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) is certainly a species worthy of remark since it has all the attributes to accomplish the aims of the updated EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II). Starting from physiological aspects, the present review examines and summarizes literature on the ecology, genetic resources, agronomic practices and sustainability of this species. The goal is to point out the recent advances of research in Jerusalem artichoke (JA) potential as alternative biofuel feedstock and to identify what is still needed to better characterize its environmental benefits and agronomic performance.

Marginal lands for bioenergy in China; an outlook in status, potential and management

“…Jerusalem artichoke ( Helianthus tuberosus ) is a member of the sunflower family native to North America and is well adapted to marginal lands specifically to salt effected and drought prone lands. Thus, it is selected as a cover crop for large‐scale cultivation in saline–alkaline soils or coastal shoals (Long et al., 2010; Rossini et al., 2019). Due to its strong adaptability, Jerusalem artichoke is widely distributed in China as a cultivated crop (Taha et al., 2012).…”

The Insights into Mitochondrial Genomes of Sunflowers

“…Common sunflower ( H. annuus L.) is a globally important oilseed, food, and ornamental crop, the second-largest hybrid crop, and the fourth largest oilseed crop worldwide (FAO, 2019). At the same time, the Jerusalem artichoke is a crop of great potential for food, production of biofuels, and industrial products [ 13 ]. Thus, in turn, it elevates the practical importance of Helianthus genus investigations.…”

Refining high-quality leaf protein and valuable co-products from green biomass of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) for sustainable protein supply

“…There is a growing body of literature about Jerusalem artichoke (JA; Helianthus tuberosus L.) based on economic, ecological, agricultural, and industrial aspects [14][15][16][17][18]. According to Rossini et al [19], the tubers of JA are valuable feedstock to produce different bio-based products (i.e., ethanol, biodiesel, 2, 3-butanediol, lactic acid, etc.) using the recent advances in biorefinery technology.…”