scholarly journals CHARACTERIZATION OF OAT BIOMASS FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION1

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-547
Author(s):  
CLAUDIA WEBER PINTO ◽  
GABRIEL BARTH ◽  
RUDIMAR MOLIN ◽  
DIMAS AUGOSTINHO DA SILVA ◽  
VOLNEI PAULETTI
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Biomass Yield ◽  
Calorific Value ◽  
The State ◽  
Shoot Biomass ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Energy Product ◽  
Qualitative Variables ◽  
Oat Biomass ◽  
Agricultural Areas

ABSTRACT Biomass produced in agricultural areas stores energy that can be used, contributing to regional development. Among the widely cultivated agricultural species is oats, destined for the production of not only grains and forage, but also biomass. The objective of this study was to characterize oat biomass in terms of the potential for energy generation considering the genetic and cultivation environment variability. Four field experiments were conducted in the state of Paraná and one in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with black oat (Avena strigosa) and white oat (Avena sativa) cultivars. At the milky grain stage, plants were collected to quantify the production of shoot biomass and its qualitative variables for energy production and energy potential. Biomass yield varied between cultivars and cultivation sites. The mean higher calorific value was 17.9 MJ Kg-1, varying more between cultivation sites than between cultivars, being inversely proportional to the ash content. The contents of carbon, fixed carbon, volatile materials and nitrogen in the biomass did not vary between oat cultivars. The power generation potential varied widely between cultivars and cultivation sites, from 1557 to 3091 KWh ha-1, influenced mainly by the biomass yield, which overlaps the effects of the variations found in biomass quality. We concluded that oats are a species with high potential for use as an energy product, and the selection of the most productive cultivars regionally is crucial.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Effects of Sugarcane Straw Addition to the Flocculation/Coagulation Process on Vinasse Concentration

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 132-136
Author(s):  
Pietro Sica ◽  
Renan Carvalho ◽  
Hélder Beltrame ◽  
Antonio Sampaio Baptista
Keyword(s):  
Ethanol Production ◽  
Ferric Chloride ◽  
Calorific Value ◽  
Chemical Processes ◽  
The State ◽  
Ferric Sulphate ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Sugarcane Straw ◽  
Coagulation Process ◽  
Physical And Chemical

AbstractVinasse is the main by-product of ethanol production. In 2005, its application was regulated in the state of Sao Paulo, so if it is to be applied to the fields, its volume must meet the established concentration regulations. Straw contains one-third of sugarcane calorific value and can be used for cogeneration. For these purposes, the project objective was to assess the effects of straw on the concentration of vinasse solids through physical and chemical processes, so its concentrated form could be used as biomass for cogeneration. For that, different concentrations of straw, ferric sulphate, and ferric chloride were used. Turbidity reduction was the parameter analysed. Both reagents were effective in reducing the turbidity. The 200 ppm of ferric chloride and 0.25% straw content reduced the turbidity by 55.02% and 400 ppm of ferric sulphate and 0.25% of straw reduced it by 57.96%. The addition of straw showed no significant effect in terms of the turbidity reduction, however, both best treatments had 0.25% straw content addition in it. Straw can be used to concentrate vinasse, contributing to the efficiency of the process and increasing the energy potential of the concentrated solids.

scholarly journals Assessing the Economic and Environmental Impacts of Alternative Renewable Portfolio Standards: Winners and Losers

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3319
Author(s):  
Jamal Mamkhezri ◽  
Leonard A. Malczynski ◽  
Janie M. Chermak
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
The State ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Renewable Portfolio Standard ◽  
County Level ◽  
Renewable Portfolio Standards ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Output Analysis ◽  
The Impact

State-mandated renewable portfolio standards affect substantial portions of the total U.S. electricity supply. Renewable portfolio standards are environmentally motivated policies, yet they have the potential to greatly impact economy. There is not an agreement in the literature on the impact of renewable portfolio standards policies on regional economies, especially on job creation. By integrating various methodologies including econometrics, geographic information system, and input–output analysis into a unique system dynamics model, this paper estimates the economic and environmental impacts of various renewable portfolio standards scenarios in the state of New Mexico, located in Southwestern U.S. The state is endowed with traditional fossil fuel resources and substantial renewable energy potential. In this work we estimated and compared the economic and environmental tradeoffs at the county level under three renewable portfolio standards: New Mexico’s original standard of 20% renewables, the recently adopted 100% renewables standard, and a reduced renewable standard of 10%. The final one would be a return to a more traditional generation profile. We found that while the 20% standard has the highest market-based economic impact on the state as a whole, it is not significantly different from other scenarios. However, when environmental impacts are included, the 100% standard yields the highest value. In addition, while the state level economic impacts across the three scenarios are not significantly different, the county-level impacts are substantial. This is especially important for a state like New Mexico, which has a high reliance on energy for economic development. A higher renewable portfolio standard appears to be an economic tool to stimulate targeted areas’ economic growth. These results have policy implications.

scholarly journals Gasification of Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) Biomass–Energy Recovery and Environmental Impacts

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 4960
Author(s):  
Adam Koniuszy ◽  
Małgorzata Hawrot-Paw ◽  
Cezary Podsiadło ◽  
Paweł Sędłak ◽  
Ewa Możdżer
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Root Elongation ◽  
Biomass Yield ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Liquid Waste ◽  
Calorific Value ◽  
Biomass Energy ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Gas Generator ◽  
Phytotoxic Effect

Biomass from cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) is considered a renewable energy source that can be converted into alternative fuel. Calorific syngas, a promising type of advanced fuel, can be produced through thermochemical biomass gasification. In this study, the suitability of cup plant biomass for gasification was assessed, including the process energy balance and environmental impacts of waste from syngas purification. Silphium perfoliatum L. was cultivated as a gasification feedstock in different conditions (irrigation, fertilization). The experiments were performed in a membrane gasifier. All obtained energy parameters were compared to the biomass yield per hectare. The toxic effects of liquid waste were assessed using tests analyzing germination/seed root elongation of Sinapsis alba. Leachates collected from condensation tanks of a gas generator were introduced to soil at the following doses: 100, 1000 and 10,000 mg kg−1 DM of soil. The usefulness of Silphium perfoliatum L. for gasification was confirmed. The factors of plant cultivation affected the biomass yield, the volume and calorific value of syngas and the amount of biochar. It was determined that the components found in condensates demonstrate a phytotoxic effect, restricting or inhibiting germination and root elongation of Sinapsis alba. Due to this potential hazard, the possibility of its release to the environment should be limited. Most of the biomass is only used for heating purposes, but the syngas obtained from the cup plant can be used to power cogeneration systems, which, apart from heat, also generate electricity.

scholarly journals Glyphosate Resistance in Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenneL.) is Associated with a Fitness Penalty

Weed Science ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Yanniccari ◽  
Martín Vila-Aiub ◽  
Carolina Istilart ◽  
Horacio Acciaresi ◽  
Ana M. Castro
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Selection Effect ◽  
Glyphosate Resistance ◽  
Shoot Biomass ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Fitness Costs ◽  
Weed Species

The net selection effect of herbicides on herbicide-resistance traits in weeds is conditioned by the fitness benefits and costs associated with resistance alleles. Fitness costs play an important evolutionary role preventing the fixation of adaptive alleles and contributing to the maintenance of genetic polymorphisms within populations. Glyphosate is widely used in world agriculture, which has led to the evolution of widespread glyphosate resistance in many weed species. The fitness of glyphosate-resistant and -susceptible perennial ryegrass plants selected from within a single population were studied in two field experiments conducted during 2011 and 2012 under different soil water availability. Glyphosate-resistant plants showed a reduction in height of 12 and 16%, leaf blade area of 16 and 33%, shoot biomass of 45 and 55%, seed number of 33 and 53%, and total seed mass of 16 and 5% compared to glyphosate-susceptible plants in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The reduction in seed number per plant resulted in a 40% fitness cost associated with the glyphosate-resistance trait in perennial ryegrass. Fitness costs of glyphosate-resistant plants were expressed under both conditions of water availability. These results could be useful for designing management strategies and exploiting the reduced glyphosate-resistant perennial ryegrass fitness in the absence of glyphosate selection.

scholarly journals Nitrogen management in wheat based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
André Luis Vian ◽  
Christian Bredemeier ◽  
Marcos Alexandre Turra ◽  
Cecília Paz da Silva Giordano ◽  
Elizandro Fochesatto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Shoot Biomass ◽  
Sensor Field ◽  
N Dose ◽  
Plant Emergence ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACT: Biomass production and nitrogen (N) accumulated in wheat shoots may be used for quantifying optimal topdressing nitrogen doses. The objective of this study was to develop and validate models for estimating the amount of biomass and nitrogen accumulated in shoots and the N topdressing dose of maximum technical efficiency in wheat using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) measured by an active optical canopy sensor. Field experiments were carried out in two years and treatments consisted of N doses applied at plant emergence and as topdressing. NDVI, shoot biomass and N accumulated in shoots at the growth stage of six fully expanded leaves and grain yield were evaluated, being determined the topdressing N dose of maximum technical efficiency (DMTE). The NDVI was positively correlated to shoot biomass and N content in shoots and models for the relationship between these variables were developed and validated. The DMTE was negatively correlated with the NDVI value evaluated at the moment of N topdressing application. Thus, NDVI evaluation by an active optical canopy sensor can be used for nitrogen fertilization in variable rate, allowing the adjustment of applied N doses in different areas within a field.

scholarly journals Identification of grain areas replaced by sugarcane and analysis of the relationship with family farming production in the state of Goiás

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1296-1306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria A. Petrini ◽  
Jansle V. Rocha
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Family Farming ◽  
Food Acquisition ◽  
Family Farmers ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
Sugarcane Crop ◽  
The Family ◽  
Data Tables ◽  
Agricultural Areas ◽  
The Relationship

In Brazil, the State of Goiás is one of sugarcane expansion's frontiers to meet the growing demand for biofuels. The objective of this study was to identify the municipalities where there were replacement of annual crops (mainly grains) by sugarcane in the state of Goiás, as well as indicate correlations between the sugarcane expansion and the family farming production, in the period between 2005 and 2010. For this purpose, grains crop mask and sugarcane crop mask, obtained from satellite images, were intersected using geoprocessing techniques. It was also used IBGE data of sugarcane production and planted area, and data of family farming production linked with the National Food Acquisition Program (PAA), in relation to the number of cooperatives and family farmers. The crops masks and data tables of the National Food Acquisition Program were provided by National Food Supply Agency. There were 95 municipalities that had crops replacement, totaling 281,554 hectares of grains converted to sugarcane. We highlight the municipalities of Santa Isabel, Iaciara, Maurilândia, and Itapaci, where this change represented more than half of their agricultural areas. In relation to family farming, the sugarcane expansion in the state of Goiás has not affected their activities during the period studied.

scholarly journals Methodology for the Evaluation of the Electrical Energy Potential of Residual Biomass from the Wood Industry: A Case Study in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Augusto César de Mendonça Brasil
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
The State ◽  
Wood Industry ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Curve Fit ◽  
Wood Residues

This chapter presents in a consolidated manner the step-by-step methodology to estimate the electrical energy potential of industrial wood residues considering the dependency of the efficiency of the power plants with their size. A function of the overall efficiency with power was obtained from a best curve fit of real data both taken from the literature and from Brazilian biomass-fired power plants. The methodology was applied to the determination of the electrical energy potential of wood industry residues in the State of Pará (data collected in 2004). Two cases were analyzed: one where a constant electrical efficiency of 25% was considered (independently of the amount of residues generated) and another where the proposed function of efficiency with power was used. Results show that in the State of Pará, the existent 675 sawmills generated 2.95 × 106 t in dry basis. When the dependency of efficiency with plant size is not considered, the electrical energy potential and average installed power (3140.4 GWh and 2 MWe) are overestimated in comparison to the herein proposed methodology (1868.8 GWh and 1 MWe). The present methodology, considering the efficiency as a function of the power, results in an average efficiency of 12.3% (lower than 25%).

scholarly journals Genotype and within-pod bean position microenvironment effect on seed choice for raising cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) seedlings

2020 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 247
Author(s):  
Daniel B. ADEWALE ◽  
Beatrice A. NDUKA
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Yield ◽  
Cocoa Bean ◽  
Shoot Biomass ◽  
Seedling Vigour ◽  
Periodic Data ◽  
Length Width ◽  
Probable Role ◽  
Number Of Leaves ◽  
Theobroma Cacao L

<p>The probable role of within-pod microenvironment on seed sizes, seedling vigour and biomass yield of four cocoa genotypes was investigated for two years. The respective main, sub and sub-sub plots in the split-split plot experimental design were years, genotypes and within-pod bean positions. Data were taken on cocoa bean length, width and thickness after each pod was opened. Four weekly periodic data were obtained for plant height (PH), stem girth (SG) and number of leaves (NOL); root and shoot biomass yield were also recorded. Analysis of variance revealed significant (p ≤ 0.05) bean position, genotypes, years and some interaction on the studied traits. Means of the levels of the three factors differed significantly (p ≤ 0.05). Proximal, middle and distal positions were distinct within-pod microenvironments. The pod middle cavity housed the longest, widest and heaviest beans. Trend analysis of the growing sequences of NOL, PH and SG by the four genotypes differed with bean locations. For bean length, GGE biplot respectively identified CRIN Tc1, CRIN Tc2 and CRIN Tc3 as the best genotype for middle, proximal and the distal positions. The intra-locular space within the pod enhanced differential seed development and maturation; this was evident in the seedling vigour.</p>

scholarly journals Summarizing the state of the terrestrial biosphere in few dimensions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Kraemer ◽  
Gustau Camps-Valls ◽  
Markus Reichstein ◽  
Miguel D. Mahecha
Keyword(s):  
Data Streams ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
The State ◽  
Climate Indices ◽  
Surface Dynamics ◽  
Terrestrial Biosphere ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Arctic Regions ◽  
Agricultural Areas

Abstract. In times of global change, we must closely monitor the state of the planet in order to understand gradual or abrupt changes early on. In fact, each of the Earth's subsystems – i.e. the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere – can be analyzed from a multitude of data streams. However, since it is very hard to jointly interpret multiple monitoring data streams in parallel, one often aims for some summarizing indicator. Climate indices, for example, summarize the state of atmospheric circulation in a region. Although such approaches are also used in other fields of science, they are rarely used to describe land surface dynamics. Here, we propose a robust method to create indicators for the terrestrial biosphere using principal component analysis based on a high-dimensional set of relevant global data streams. The concept was tested using 12 explanatory variables representing the biophysical states of ecosystems and land-atmosphere water, energy, and carbon fluxes. We find that two indicators account for 73 % of the variance of the state of the biosphere in space and time. While the first indicator summarizes productivity patterns, the second indicator summarizes variables representing water and energy availability. Anomalies in the indicators clearly identify extreme events, such as the Amazon droughts (2005 and 2010) and the Russian heatwave (2010), they also allow us to interpret the impacts of these events. The indicators also reveal changes in the seasonal cycle, e.g. increasing seasonal amplitudes of productivity in agricultural areas and in arctic regions. We assume that this generic approach has great potential for the analysis of land-surface dynamics from observational or model data.

scholarly journals Modelling the potential for soil carbon sequestration using biochar from sugarcane residues in Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lefebvre ◽  
Adrian Williams ◽  
Jeroen Meersmans ◽  
Guy J. D. Kirk ◽  
Saran Sohi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Saccharum Officinarum ◽  
The State ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Full Life Cycle ◽  
C Stocks

Abstract Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) cultivation leaves behind around 20 t ha−1 of biomass residue after harvest and processing. We investigated the potential for sequestering carbon (C) in soil with these residues by partially converting them into biochar (recalcitrant carbon-rich material). First, we modified the RothC model to allow changes in soil C arising from additions of sugarcane-derived biochar. Second, we evaluated the modified model against published field data, and found satisfactory agreement between observed and predicted soil C accumulation. Third, we used the model to explore the potential for soil C sequestration with sugarcane biochar in São Paulo State, Brazil. The results show a potential increase in soil C stocks by 2.35 ± 0.4 t C ha−1 year−1 in sugarcane fields across the State at application rates of 4.2 t biochar ha−1 year−1. Scaling to the total sugarcane area of the State, this would be 50 Mt of CO2 equivalent year−1, which is 31% of the CO2 equivalent emissions attributed to the State in 2016. Future research should (a) further validate the model with field experiments; (b) make a full life cycle assessment of the potential for greenhouse gas mitigation, including additional effects of biochar applications on greenhouse gas balances.

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