comments on “Spatially variable hydrologic impact and biomass production tradeoffs associated with Eucalyptus cultivation for biofuel production in Entre Rios, Argentina”

Abstract. Climate change and energy security promotes using renewable sources of energy such as biofuels. High woody biomass production achieved from short rotation intensive plantations is an appealing strategy that is growing in many parts of the world. However, broad expansion of bioenergy feedstock production may have significant environmental consequences. This study investigates the watershed-scale hydrological impacts of eucalyptus plantations for energy production in a humid subtropical watershed in Entre Rios province, Argentina. A Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was calibrated and validated for streamflow, leaf area index (LAI), and biomass production cycles. The model was used to simulate various eucalyptus plantation scenarios that followed physically-based rules for land use conversion (in various sizes and locations in the watershed) to study hydrological effects, biomass production and the green water footprint of energy production. SWAT simulations indicated that the most limiting factor for plant growth was shallow soils causing seasonal water stress. This resulted in a wide range of biomass productivity throughout the watershed. An optimization algorithm was developed to find the best location for eucalyptus development regarding highest productivity with least water impact. Eucalyptus plantations had higher evapotranspiration rates among terrestrial land cover classes; therefore, intensive land use conversion to eucalyptus caused a decline in streamflow, with February, January and March being the most affected months. October was the least-affected month hydrologically, since high rainfall rates overcame the canopy interception and higher ET rates of eucalyptus in this month. Results indicate that, on average, producing 1 kg of biomass in this region uses 0.8 m3 of water, and the green water footprint of producing 1 m3 fuel is approximately 2150 m3 water, or 57 m3 water per GJ of energy, which is lower than reported values for wood-based ethanol, sugar cane ethanol and soybean biodiesel.

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Enhanced production of biomass and lipids by Euglena gracilis via co-culturing with a microalga growth-promoting bacterium, Emticicia sp. EG3

Biotechnology for Biofuels ◽

10.1186/s13068-019-1544-2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tadashi Toyama ◽

Tsubasa Hanaoka ◽

Koji Yamada ◽

Kengo Suzuki ◽

Yasuhiro Tanaka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biomass Production ◽

Euglena Gracilis ◽

Culture System ◽

Municipal Wastewater ◽

Wastewater Effluent ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Second Step ◽

Microalgal Biomass ◽

Enhanced Production ◽

Growth Promoting

Abstract Background Euglena gracilis, a unicellular flagellated microalga, is regarded as one of the most promising species as microalgal feedstock for biofuels. Its lipids (mainly wax esters) are suitable for biodiesel and jet fuel. Culture of E. gracilis using wastewater effluent will improve the economics of E. gracilis biofuel production. Enhancement of the productivity of E. gracilis biomass is critical to creating a highly efficient biofuels production system. Certain bacteria have been found to promote microalgal growth by creating a favorable microenvironment. These bacteria have been characterized as microalgae growth-promoting bacteria (MGPB). Co-culture of microalgae with MGPB might offer an effective strategy to enhance microalgal biomass production in wastewater effluent culture systems. However, no MGPB has been identified to enhance the growth of E. gracilis. The objectives of this study were, therefore, to isolate and characterize the MGPB effective for E. gracilis and to demonstrate that the isolated MGPB indeed enhances the production of biomass and lipids by E. gracilis in wastewater effluent culture system. Results A bacterium, Emticicia sp. EG3, which is capable of promoting the growth of microalga E. gracilis, was isolated from an E. gracilis-municipal wastewater effluent culture. Biomass production rate of E. gracilis was enhanced 3.5-fold and 3.1-fold by EG3 in the co-culture system using a medium of heat-sterilized and non-sterilized wastewater effluent, respectively, compared to growth in the same effluent culture but without EG3. Two-step culture system was examined as follows: E. gracilis was cultured with or without EG3 in wastewater effluent in the first step and was further grown in wastewater effluent in the second step. Production yields of biomass and lipids by E. gracilis were enhanced 3.2-fold and 2.9-fold, respectively, in the second step of the system in which E. gracilis was co-cultured with EG3 in the first step. Conclusion Emticicia sp. EG3 is the first MGPB for E. gracilis. Growth-promoting bacteria such as EG3 will be promising agents for enhancing E. gracilis biomass/biofuel productivities.

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Analysis of the optimum pH and salinity conditions for the cultivation and biomass production of Chlorella vulgaris from cassava waste

International Journal of Science and Research Archive ◽

10.30574/ijsra.2021.4.1.0192 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 171-178

Author(s):

Uchenna Nwanodi Nwankwo ◽

Obioma Kenechukwu Agwa

Keyword(s):

Biomass Production ◽

Chlorella Vulgaris ◽

Alternative Energy ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Optimal Growth ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Minimal Growth ◽

Transportation Fuels ◽

Optimum Ph ◽

Cassava Waste

Biofuel serves as an alternative energy to the common fossil fuels currently in use globally and are drawing increasing attention worldwide as substitutes for petroleum-derived transportation fuels to help address challenges associated with petroleum derived fuels. Third generation biofuels, also termed advanced biofuels, are produced from fast growing microalgae and are potential replacements for conventional fuels. The growth and biomass production of these microalgae is dependent on the conditions they are cultivated such as pH and Salinity. Cassava waste mixtures were cultivated on Chlorella vulgaris stock culture at different concentration ratio at ambient temperature, natural light and dark conditions at 670nm absorbance for 14 days. Optimum growth was obtained at 160:40 for cassava peel water to cassava waste water CP:CW. pH variations 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5 and 9.0 were checked to determine the optimum pH for the growth and biomass production of Chlorella vulgaris on the optimum cassava waste mixture concentration. It revealed that at pH 6.5, optimal growth and biomass production was achieved, minimal growth was observed at pH 8.0 while minimal biomass was produced at pH 9.0. Salinity variations of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 mg/l were used to determine the growth response and biomass production of Chlorella vulgaris. It revealed that salinity variation at 10ppm will be necessary for highest growth on the cassava waste as well as in biomass production. The use of optimal pH and salinity can significantly increase biomass production thus enhancing biofuel production.

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A Life Cycle Assessment of Biomass Production from Energy Crops in Crop Rotation Using Different Tillage System

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12176978 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (17) ◽

pp. 6978

Author(s):

Anna Vatsanidou ◽

Christos Kavalaris ◽

Spyros Fountas ◽

Nikolaos Katsoulas ◽

Theofanis Gemtos

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

Crop Rotation ◽

Biomass Production ◽

Energy Crops ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

No Tillage ◽

Cotton Crop ◽

Tillage Practices

A three-year experiment was carried out in Central Greece to assess the use of different tillage practices (Conventional, Reduced, and No tillage) for seedbed preparation, in a double cropping per year rotation of irrigated and rainfed energy crops for biomass production for first- and second-generation biofuel production. A life cycle assessment (LCA) study was performed for the first year of crop rotation to evaluate the environmental impact of using different tillage practices, identifying the processes with greater influence on the overall environmental burden (hotspots) and demonstrating the potential environmental benefits from the land management change. LCA results revealed that fertilizer application and diesel fuel consumption, as well as their production stages, were the hot-spot processes for each treatment. In the present study, different tillage treatments compared using mass- and area-based functional unit (FU), revealing that reduced tillage, using strip tillage for spring crop and disc harrow for winter crops, and no tillage treatment had the best environmental performance, respectively. Comparison between the prevailing in the area monoculture cotton crop with the proposed double energy crop rotation adopting conservation tillage practices, using mass and energy value FU, showed that cotton crop had higher environmental impact.

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Long-term variability of root production in bioenergy crops from ingrowth core measurements

Journal of Plant Ecology ◽

10.1093/jpe/rtab018 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Cheyenne Lei ◽

Michael Abraha ◽

Jiquan Chen ◽

Yahn-Jauh Su

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Biomass Production ◽

Root Biomass ◽

Biomass Productivity ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Growing Season Length ◽

Ingrowth Core ◽

Biofuel Crops

Abstract Aims Long-term determination of root biomass production upon land use conversion to biofuel crops is rare. To assess land-use legacy influences on belowground biomass accumulation, we converted 22-year-old Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands and 50+-year-old agricultural (AGR) lands to corn (C), switchgrass (Sw) and restored prairie (Pr) biofuel crops. We maintained one CRP grassland as a reference (Ref). We hypothesized that land use history and crop type have significant effects on root density, with perennial crops on CRP grasslands having a higher root biomass productivity, while corn grown on former agricultural lands produce the lowest root biomass. Methods The ingrowth core method was used to determine in situ ingrowth root biomass, alongside measurements of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP). Ancillary measurements, including air temperature, growing season length, and precipitation were used to examine their influences on root biomass production. Important Findings Root biomass productivity was the highest in unconverted CRP grassland (1716 g m -2 yr -1), and lowest in corn fields (526 g m -2 yr -1). All perennial sites converted from CRP and AGR lands had lower root biomass and ANPP in the first year of planting but peaked in 2011 for switchgrass and a year later for restored prairies. Ecosystem stability was higher in restored prairies (AGR-Pr: 4.3 ± 0.11; CRP-Pr: 4.1 ± 0.10), with all monocultures exhibiting a lower stability. Root biomass production was positively related to ANPP (R 2 = 0.40). Overall, attention should be given to root biomass accumulation in large-scale biofuel production as it is a major source of carbon sequestration.

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The Effect of Mixed Wastewaters on the Biomass Production and Biochemical Content of Microalgae

Energies ◽

10.3390/en12183431 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (18) ◽

pp. 3431 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Park ◽

Ahn ◽

Park ◽

Ji ◽

Choi

Keyword(s):

Acid Mine Drainage ◽

Biomass Production ◽

Mine Drainage ◽

Basal Medium ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Piggery Wastewater ◽

Cell Weight ◽

Acid Mine ◽

Dry Cell Weight ◽

Dry Cell

The effect of ammonia and iron concentration in Bold Basal Medium and mixed wastewater (including pretreated piggery wastewater and acid mine drainage) on biomass production and biochemical content (lipid and ß-carotene) of microalgae (Uronema sp. KGE 3) was investigated. Addition of iron to the Bold Basal Medium enhanced the growth, lipid, and ß-carotene of Uronema sp. KGE 3. The highest dry cell weight, lipid content, and lipid productivity of KGE 3 were 0.551 g L-1, 46% and 0.249 g L-1 d-1, respectively, at 15 mg L-1 of Fe. The highest ß-carotene was obtained at 30 mg L-1 of Fe. The biomass production of KGE 3 was ranged between 0.18 to 0.37 g L-1. The microalgal growth was significantly improved by addition of acid mine drainage to pretreated piggery wastewater by membrane. The highest dry cell weight of 0.51 g L-1 was obtained at 1:9 of pretreated piggery wastewater by membrane and acid mine drainage for KGE 3. The removal efficiencies of total nitrogen and total phosphate was ranged from 20 to 100%. The highest lipid and ß-carotene content was found to be 1:9. Application of this system to wastewater treatment plant could provide cost effective technology for the microalgae-based industries and biofuel production field, and also provide the recycling way for pretreated piggery wastewater and acid mine drainage.

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Residual production of pineapple biomass under different levels of nitrogen and potassium in northwestern Paraná

Semina Ciências Agrárias ◽

10.5433/1679-0359.2015v36n6p3665 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 36 (6) ◽

pp. 3665

Author(s):

Maria Elisa Vicentini ◽

Paulo Henrique Caramori ◽

Sergio Luiz Colucci de Carvalho ◽

Luciano Grillo Gil ◽

Wilma Aparecida Spinosa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biomass Production ◽

Nitrogen Fertilization ◽

Raw Material ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Residual Biomass ◽

Commercial Area ◽

Dry Biomass ◽

Positive Linear Correlation ◽

Potential Alternative ◽

Different Levels

Emphasis on studies that seek sustainable energy alternatives to oil has increased over the last few years. Ethanol derived from sugarcane remains a promising technology for biofuel production. Waste from pineapple culture remains is a potential alternative raw material for biofuel production. The goal of this study was to determine the potential of residual biomass production of a pineapple crop, subjected to fertilization by different levels of nitrogen and potassium. The experiment was conducted in Northwest Paraná, in a commercial area in Santa Isabel do Ivaí-PR. The climate in this area is subtropical humid according to the Köppen classification, and has a sandy dystrophic red acrisol.The experimental design was a 4 × 4 factorial, where factor A:N doses (0; 11; 22; and 33 g per plant) and factor B:K2O doses (0; 11; 22; and 33 g per plant. The production of residual pineapple biomass responded differently to the N and K doses applied. Potassium fertilization had a positive linear correlation, up to the addition of 33 g plant-1 with a production of 5.88 Mg ha-1. A dose of 18.138 g plant-1 yielded in the maximum dry biomass production for nitrogen fertilization.

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Characterization of a Microalgal UV Mutant for CO2 Biofixation and Biomass Production

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2018/4375170 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Feng Qi ◽

Daoji Wu ◽

Ruimin Mu ◽

Shuo Zhang ◽

Xinyi Xu

Keyword(s):

Biomass Production ◽

Parental Strain ◽

Scenedesmus Obliquus ◽

Growth Potential ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Energy Storage Materials ◽

Total Carbohydrate ◽

Control Growth ◽

High Level

The mutagenesis is an emerging strategy for screening microalgal candidates for CO2 biofixation and biomass production. In this study, by 96-well microplates-UV mutagenesis, a mutant stemmed from Scenedesmus obliquus was screened and named as SDEC-1M. To characterize SDEC-1M, it was cultivated under air and high level CO2 (15% v/v), and its parental strain (PS) was considered as control. Growth characterizations showed that SDEC-1M grew best in high level CO2. It indicated that the mutant had high CO2 tolerance (HCT) and growth potential under high level CO2. Richer total carbohydrate content (37.26%) and lipid content (24.80%) demonstrated that, compared to its parental strain, SDEC-1M was apt to synthesize energy storage materials, especially under high CO2 level. Meanwhile, the highest light conversion efficiency (approximately 18 %) was also obtained. Thus, the highest overall biomass productivities were achieved in SDEC-1M under high level CO2, largely attributed to that the highest productivities of total lipid, total carbohydrate, and crude protein were also achieved in the meantime. By modified UV, therefore, mutagenized SDEC-1M was the better candidate for CO2 biofixation and biofuel production than its parental strain.

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