ASSESSMENT OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE (Helianthus tuberosus L.) AS ENERGY FEEDSTOCK

This work concerns the analysis of variation of chemical composition of ash of aboveground part of Jerusalem artichoke as a renewable energy source. Factors of the experiment were a cultivars of Helianthus tuberosus: Albik and Rubik, grown on sandy soil, good rye complex under constant fertilization and full dose of manure. In the ash were determined: the content of macro- and microelements and some heavy metals. Phenotypic variation of Jerusalem artichoke, in terms of each trait was the combined effect of genetic variation and environmental. Decisive share of cultivars, the total variance, had the contents of potassium, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorus and manganese. Dominant role in the overall volatility of chlorine, zinc, cadmium, cobalt and copper play environmental variability, in the case of sodium, sulphur, molybdenum, iron, aluminium, chromium and lead interaction of varieties and years. Biomass of aboveground parts of Jerusalem artichoke contain smaller amounts of cadmium, lead and zinc than the limit values set out in the German DIN 51731st.