Field Drying for Enhancing Biomass Quality of Eucalyptus Logs and Trees in Florida, USA

Field drying Eucalyptus biomass can minimize the storage requirements, transportation costs, and/or the cost associated with biomass drying for biochar and other products. In central Florida, 12 6-year-old and 12 8-year-old Eucalyptus amplifolia and Eucalyptus grandis trees were field dried over two seasons, with two months of field drying in each season, and two tree forms (logs, whole tree). The whole tree average initial moisture content (MCod) on a dry basis ranged between 115 and 121% in E. amplifolia and 116 and 119% in E. grandis. The season and duration of field drying affected drying, but species, tree size, and tree form did not. In southern Florida, 19 3+-year-old coppice stems of an E. grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla hybrid clone (EH1) were field dried over two months of one season, with and without tree tops. The whole tree initial MCod ranged between 119 and 138%. The duration of field drying affected drying, but tree size and tree tops did not. Both studies suggest that field drying can effectively reduce wood MC and thus enhance E. amplifolia, E. grandis, and EH1 biomass quality.