Today’s experience clearly shows that crop production plays a key role in solving many of the challenges our world is facing. The effects of climate change are undeniable, as they influence yield stability in unpredictable ways and therefore also the profitability of growing crops. Growing environmental awareness is also changing the expectations towards crop production technologies. Plants remain important in renewable energy production, even though solar and nuclear energy are the main focus of current developments. Reducing the use of chemicals is also an important part of producing healthy food. The question is whether agriculture can introduce innovative technologies that help to meet these expectations.
The aim of this study is to explain why the cultivation of improved short-rotation willow (Salix sp.) deserves more attention in addressing today’s problems. We show how precision breeding can help to increase the biogas yield of energy tree plantations, which supports the wider use of willow as a raw material. On saline soils, planting salt-tolerant willow genotypes can provide several environmental benefits. Nowadays, the use of plant biostimulants is becoming more common. Aqueous extracts made from willow shoots can stimulate the growth and grain yield of maize plants.
The many possible ways of using willow confirm that Hungarian farmers should give more priority to establishing willow plantations on marginal lands.