Oil crops for biodiesel production in Italy

There is an enemy advantage in methylester production using sunflower, rapeseed and soybean as crop suppliers of energy, the process being practicable in terms of technique and energy gain. The three oilseed crops considered in this work are suitable for considerable reduction of inputs with consequent energy savings and low environmental impact Nevertheless, because of its low arable surface area, the number of available hectares being static, Italy is oriented towards intensive management As a consequence, optimisation of cropping techniques is the main strategy to be pursued for higher crop yields for methylester production.