Spatial Assessment of Jerusalem Artichoke’s Potential as an Energy Crop in the Marginal Land of the Shaanxi Province, China

Abstract

As a foodstuff crop, Jerusalem artichoke has a promising prospect for providing sustainable feed-stock sources for bioenergy development. Due to relatively limited cultivated land resources in China, it is crucial to evaluate Jerusalem artichoke’s potential production capacity in marginal land. Based on Jerusalem artichoke’s growth and photosynthetic characteristics, the agricultural production systems simulator model (APSIM) and multi-factor integrated assessment method were integrated to provide an operational method for comprehensively evaluating the marginal land resources suitable for developing the plantation of Jerusalem artichoke in the Shaanxi province, China. The results showed that 0.73 million ha of marginal land was suitable for Jerusalem artichoke cultivation in the Shaanxi province, and 5.4 million ha of marginal land was fairly suitable for Jerusalem artichoke cultivation, with the yield reaching 44,289 kg/ha and 38,861 kg/ha, respectively. The suitable land resources are mainly located in Yan’an (0.18 million ha), Hanzhong (0.13 million ha), and Baoji (0.08 million ha), most of which are moderate dense grassland (accounting for 50.6% of suitable land), dense grassland (accounting for 16.2% of suitable land), shrubland (accounting for 14.7% of suitable land), and sparse forest land (accounting for 9.18% of suitable land). The findings of this study can be used to establish targeted policies for Jerusalem artichoke development in China and other countries, particularly those along the Silk Road.