Biomass crops for energy production in Mediterranean environment

The traineeship will be carried out within a research activity on the use of herbaceous industrial crops (annual and perennial) and their introduction in underutilized/marginal lands of the Mediterranean environment (lands with biophysical constraints). 
Specifically, the trainer will get inside the agronomical practices (different experimental treatments, namely sowing/planting time, plant density, fertilization, irrigation, etc.) of industrial crops, from sowing/planting to harvest. At harvest, the main bio-morphological traits of representative samples (plat density, plat height, leaf area index, biomass partitioning, moisture and dry matter content, etc.) and biomass yield will be determined.
Samples will be also analytically determined in lab for biomass quality (oil, sugar, protein, structural carbohydrate, ash, etc.) and bioconversion potential into energy and non-energy products. 
The activities will be performed on fields (at the Experimental fields of the University of Catania) and on lab
(Laboratory of biology and bioenergy - Di3A)

Languages skills required: English B1 or English B2

The length of the stay will cover both semesters