Production potential of marginal lands to selected biofuel feedstocks in Cagayan Valley, Philippines

The Republic Act 9367, otherwise known as Biofuels Act of 2006 mandates the use of biofuel as a measure to ensure availability of alternative and renewable clean energy without any detriment to the natural ecosystem, biodiversity and food reserves of the country, and production shall be done within marginal areas. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability and production potential of delineated marginal lands of Cagayan Valley [Philippines] for biofuel feedstocks. It made use of Geographic information systems (GIS) and soil characterization and land evaluation technique. With the total delineated agricultural area of 911,167 hectares in Cagayan Valley, there were about 431,044 hectares of marginal lands with high to moderate suitability to cassava, coconut, jatropha, oil palm, sweet sorghum, sugarcane, and switch grass. The productivity of these identified marginal areas were limited by shallow rooting depth, steep to very steep slopes, acidity and low inherent fertility, surface run-off and drainage conditions of the soils. To enhance productivity of these areas, investment on soil management and improvement has to be done. A second level suitability assessment showed that 84 percent of the marginal land is suitable to switch grass growing and 54 percent was suited for cultivation of other bio-energy crops such as cassava, coconut, jatropha, oil palm, sweet sorghum and sugarcane. Furthermore, about 16 percent were considered permanently not suitable to any of the biofuel crops and were therefore recommended for reforestation/afforestation for watershed purposes. Switch grass, sugar cane, cassava and oil palm proved to be more productive in terms of biomass yield, biofuel potential, and soil suitability than jatropha, coconut and sweet sorghum. National together with local planners may find the data generated from the study valuable and therefore be applied as decision-criteria in land allocation for biofuel production.