Laboratory investigations on co-digestion of energy crops and crop residues with cow manure for methane production: Effect of crop to manure ratio

The purpose of the study was to compare earthworm communities under winter wheat in different crop production systems on arable land—organic (ORG), integrated (INT), conventional (CON), monoculture (MON)—and under perennial crops cultivated for energy purposes—willow (WIL), Virginia mallow (VIR), and miscanthus (MIS). Earthworm abundance, biomass, and species composition were assessed each spring and autumn in the years 2014–2016 using the method of soil blocks. The mean species number of earthworms was ordered in the following way: ORG > VIR > WIL > CON > INT > MIS > MON. Mean abundance of earthworms decreased in the following order: ORG > WIL > CON > VIR > INT > MIS > MON. There were significantly more species under winter wheat cultivated organically than under the integrated system (p = 0.045), miscanthus (p = 0.039), and wheat monoculture (p = 0.002). Earthworm abundance was significantly higher in the organic system compared to wheat monoculture (p = 0.001) and to miscanthus (p = 0.008). Among the tested energy crops, Virginia mallow created the best habitat for species richness and biomass due to the high amount of crop residues suitable for earthworms and was similar to the organic system. Differences in the composition of earthworm species in the soil under the compared agricultural systems were proven. Energy crops, except miscanthus, have been found to increase earthworm diversity, as they are good crops for landscape diversification.

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Analysis of Areas and Prospects for the Use of Agrobiomass for Energy Production in Ukraine

Technical and technological aspects of development and testing of new machinery and technologies for agriculture of Ukraine ◽

10.31473/2305-5987-2020-2-27(41)-24 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

T. Zheliezna ◽

Keyword(s):

Development Strategy ◽

Crop Production ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Agricultural Residues ◽

Energy Crops ◽

Energy Potential ◽

Energy Wood ◽

Biomass Potential

Purpose of the study is to assess the current and prospective energy potential of agribiomass (agricultural residues and energy crops) in Ukraine, to determine its main components and the most effective areas of their use. Methods. The assessment of the current potential of agribiomass is performed using official statistics on crop production in Ukraine. Based on these data, the total amount of crop residues formed and their share available for energy needs is determined. When assessing the potential of energy crops, it is assumed that they are grown on 2 million hectares of unused agricultural land, the total area of which is up to 4 million hectares in Ukraine. The study of the prospective potential of biomass is performed for 2050, based on key growth factors, such as increasing yield of crops, especially cereals; doubling the area under energy crops and increasing their yields, etc. Results of the assessment show that according to 2018 data, the total bioenergy potential in Ukraine is more than 23 Mtoe (the economic potential). Its largest components are agricultural residues (44%) and energy crops (32%). Expert estimates suggest that by 2050, the biomass potential could increase to more than 47.5 Mtoe/yr, in other words almost to double. Forecasting the structure and directions of use of biomass potential by 2050 shows that about 20 Mtoe of biomass/biofuels of the following types will be consumed for energy: wood biomass, primary and secondary agricultural residues, energy crops, biogas/biomethane from different types of raw materials, liquid biofuels (biodiesel, bioethanol). Conclusions. Areas of use of biomass/biofuels include the production of heat and electricity from solid biofuels, obtaining of biogas and biomethane, as well as the production of motor biofuels (biomethane, biodiesel, bioethanol). In the near future, it is considered necessary to develop a long-term strategy for the development of bioenergy in Ukraine, taking into account results of the study. In turn, the basic figures of the bioenergy development strategy can be used for the elaboration of the updated Energy Strategy of Ukraine until 2050.

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Dry Anaerobic Digestion of Cow Dung for Methane Production: Effect of Mixing

Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences ◽

10.3923/pjbs.2012.1111.1118 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 15 (23) ◽

pp. 1111-1118 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Ajay Kumar Jha ◽

Jianzheng Li ◽

Qiaoying Ban ◽

Liguo Zhang ◽

Bowei Zhao

Keyword(s):

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Methane Production ◽

Cow Dung ◽

Production Effect ◽

Dry Anaerobic Digestion

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Solid-State Anaerobic Digestion for Methane Production from Corn Stalks with Stack-Pretreated

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.697-698.326 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 697-698 ◽

pp. 326-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S.X. Zhou ◽

Y.P. Dong ◽

Y.L. Zhang

Keyword(s):

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Solid State ◽

Methane Production ◽

Biogas Production ◽

Cow Dung ◽

Cow Manure ◽

Pretreatment Method ◽

Biogas Yield ◽

Microbial Pretreatment ◽

Microbial Strains

Microbial pretreatment was applied to enhance biogas production from corn stover through solid-state anaerobic digestion, but the price of microbial strains is high. The objective of this study was to find the effects on biogas production by the naturally microbial pretreatment method. The highest cumulative biogas yield for 60-day solid-state anaerobic digestion was obtained in B group (the pretreated corn straws with cow dung), which was 19.6% higher than that of the untreated samples. The D group（the pretreated corn straws with the sludge）cumulative biogas yield for 60-day solid-state anaerobic digestion was obtained, which was 18.87% higher than that of the untreted samples. The biogas of D group increased to the range of 55%～60% methane content, while B group with the range of 75%～80%.The results indicated that the pretreated corn straws mixing cow manure can improve both the biogas production yield and the content of methane in CH4。

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An economic analysis of using crop residues for energy in China

Environment and Development Economics ◽

10.1017/s1355770x0300251 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 467-480 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Xiaoping Wang ◽

Robert Mendelsohn

Keyword(s):

Economic Analysis ◽

Carbon Emissions ◽

Marginal Cost ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Rural Households ◽

Energy Crops ◽

Coal Burning ◽

Potential Carbon

This study examines the economics of using crop residues to replace coal burning for energy in China in order to mitigate carbon emissions. About 60 per cent of the available crop residues are now used by rural households in China to replace coal so that the residues are already making a major contribution to controlling China's potential carbon emissions. Using the crop residues more efficiently in village or centralized facilities, shifting to crops with more residues, or growing energy crops can all further reduce carbon emissions. However, accounting for the costs of collecting, transporting, drying and storing crop residues and the foregone crop revenue, the study estimates that the marginal cost to remove more carbon emissions with crop residues will be high.

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A comprehensive review of biomass resources and biofuel production in Nigeria: potential and prospects

Reviews on Environmental Health ◽

10.1515/reveh-2015-0015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Adewale Allen Sokan-Adeaga ◽

Godson R.E.E. Ana

Keyword(s):

Crop Residues ◽

Primary Energy ◽

Global Dimension ◽

Energy Crops ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Environmental Crisis ◽

Agricultural Crop ◽

Comprehensive Review ◽

Biomass Resources ◽

The Government

AbstractThe quest for biofuels in Nigeria, no doubt, represents a legitimate ambition. This is so because the focus on biofuel production has assumed a global dimension, and the benefits that may accrue from such effort may turn out to be enormous if the preconditions are adequately satisfied. As a member of the global community, it has become exigent for Nigeria to explore other potential means of bettering her already impoverished economy. Biomass is the major energy source in Nigeria, contributing about 78% of Nigeria’s primary energy supply. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the potential of biomass resources and biofuel production in Nigeria is given. The study adopted a desk review of existing literatures on major energy crops produced in Nigeria. A brief description of the current biofuel developmental activities in the country is also given. A variety of biomass resources exist in the country in large quantities with opportunities for expansion. Biomass resources considered include agricultural crops, agricultural crop residues, forestry resources, municipal solid waste, and animal waste. However, the prospects of achieving this giant stride appear not to be feasible in Nigeria. Although the focus on biofuel production may be a worthwhile endeavor in view of Nigeria’s development woes, the paper argues that because Nigeria is yet to adequately satisfy the preconditions for such program, the effort may be designed to fail after all. To avoid this, the government must address key areas of concern such as food insecurity, environmental crisis, and blatant corruption in all quarters. It is concluded that given the large availability of biomass resources in Nigeria, there is immense potential for biofuel production from these biomass resources. With the very high potential for biofuel production, the governments as well as private investors are therefore encouraged to take practical steps toward investing in agriculture for the production of energy crops and the establishment of biofuel-processing plants in Nigeria.

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Optimization of methane production by combining organic waste and cow manure as feedstock in anaerobic digestion

10.1063/1.4979246 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Martha Theresia ◽

Cindy Rianti Priadi

Keyword(s):

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Methane Production ◽

Organic Waste ◽

Cow Manure

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Estimating the Methane Potential of Energy Crops: An Overview on Types of Data Sources and Their Limitations

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr9091565 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 1565

Author(s):

Yue Zhang ◽

Sigrid Kusch-Brandt ◽

Andrew M. Salter ◽

Sonia Heaven

Keyword(s):

Crop Residues ◽

Energy Crops ◽

Data Sources ◽

Methane Yield ◽

Testing Methods ◽

Crop Type ◽

Risk Approach ◽

Biogas Plants ◽

Methane Potential ◽

Data Source

As the anaerobic digestion of energy crops and crop residues becomes more widely applied for bioenergy production, planners and operators of biogas plants, and farmers who consider growing such crops, have a need for information on potential biogas and methane yields. A rich body of literature reports methane yields for a variety of such materials. These data have been obtained with different testing methods. This work elaborates an overview on the types of data source available and the methods that are commonly applied to determine the methane yield of an agricultural biomass, with a focus on European crops. Limitations regarding the transferability and generalisation of data are explored, and crop methane values presented across the literature are compared. Large variations were found for reported values, which can only partially be explained by the methods applied. Most notably, the intra-crop variation of methane yield (reported values for a single crop type) was higher than the inter-crop variation (variation between different crops). The pronounced differences in reported methane yields indicate that relying on results from individual assays of candidate materials is a high-risk approach for planning biogas operations, and the ranges of values such as those presented here are essential to provide a robust basis for estimation.

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