Download or read book Subsurface Water and Nutrient Dynamics of Cellulosic Biofuel Cropping Systems written by Ryan Scott Stenjem and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Surface Runoff Soil and Nutrient Fluxes of Cellulosic Biofuel Cropping Systems written by Michael James Polich and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Cellulosic Energy Cropping Systems written by Douglas L. Karlen and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-06-12 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cellulosic Energy Cropping Systems presents a comprehensive overview of how cellulosic energy crops can be sustainably produced and converted to affordable energy through liquid fuels, heat and electricity. The book begins with an introduction to cellulosic feedstocks, discussing their potential as a large-scale sustainable energy source, and technologies for the production of liquid fuels, heat and electricity. Subsequent chapters examine miscanthus, switchgrass, sugarcane and energy cane, sorghums and crop residues, reviewing their phylogeny, cultural practices, and opportunities for genetic improvement. This is followed by a detailed focus on woody crops, including eucalyptus, pine, poplar and willow. Critical logistical issues associated with both herbaceous and woody feedstocks are reviewed, and alternate strategies for harvesting, transporting, and storing cellulosic materials are also examined. The final sectionof the booktackles the challenge of achieving long-term sustainability, addressing economic, environmental and social factors. Cellulosic Energy Cropping Systems is a valuable resource for academics, students and industry professionals working in the field of biomass cultivation and conversion, bioenergy, crop science and agriculture. Topics covered include: Identifying suitable cellulosic energy crops that are adapted to a wide range of climates and soils Best management practices for sustainably growing, harvesting, storing, transporting and pre-processing these crops The development of integrated cellulosic energy cropping systems for supplying commercial processing plants Challenges and opportunities for the long-term sustainability of cellulosic energy crops This book was conceived and initiated by David I. Bransby, Professor of Energy and Forage Crops in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences at Auburn University, USA. For more information on the Wiley Series in Renewable Resources, visit www.wiley.com/go/rrs
Download or read book Biofuel Cropping Systems written by Hans Langeveld and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-01-21 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Choosing appropriate practices and policies for biofuel production requires an understanding of how soils, climate, farm types, infrastructure, markets and social organisation affect the establishment and performance of these crops. The book highlights land use dynamics, cultivation practices related to conversion and wider impacts. It explores how biofuel production chain development is steered by emerging technologies and management practices and how both can be influenced by effective policies designed to encourage sustainable biofuel production. The book highlights major biofuel production chains including: cane cultivation in Brazil corn ethanol in the USA wheat and rapeseed in Europe oil palm in the Far East cane in Asia and Africa SRC and other lignocellulosic crops. In each case the development, cropping systems and impacts are discussed, system dynamics are shown and lessons drawn for the way things could or should change. Biofuel Cropping Systems is a vital resource for all those who want to understand the way biofuels are produced and how they impact other elements of society and especially how improvements can be made. It is a handbook for students, biofuel producers, researchers and policymakers in energy and agriculture.
Download or read book Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2008-01-09 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: National interests in greater energy independence, concurrent with favorable market forces, have driven increased production of corn-based ethanol in the United States and research into the next generation of biofuels. The trend is changing the national agricultural landscape and has raised concerns about potential impacts on the nation's water resources. To help illuminate these issues, the National Research Council held a colloquium on July 12, 2007 in Washington, DC. Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States, based in part on discussions at the colloquium, concludes that if projected future increases in use of corn for ethanol production do occur, the increase in harm to water quality could be considerable from the increases in fertilizer use, pesticide use, and soil erosion associated with growing crops such as corn. Water supply problems could also develop, both from the water needed to grow biofuels crops and water used at ethanol processing plants, especially in regions where water supplies are already overdrawn. The production of "cellulosic ethanol," derived from fibrous material such as wheat straw, native grasses, and forest trimmings is expected to have less water quality impact but cannot yet be produced on a commerical scale. To move toward a goal of reducing water impacts of biofuels, a policy bridge will likely be needed to encourage growth of new technologies, best agricultural practies, and the development of traditional and cellulosic crops that require less water and fertilizer and are optimized for fuel production.
Download or read book The Hydrologic Sustainability of Second generation Biofuel Cropping Systems written by Austin Parish and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 59 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maize, switchgrass, miscanthus, and hybrid poplar are four of the leading crops considered as potential sources of biomass for conventional and cellulosic renewable biofuels. Many studies have investigated the evapotranspiration and soil water dynamics of these crops, but less is known about how they will affect deep drainage. More work is also needed to understand how the relationship between crop yield and water use will vary with climate. This thesis describes two studies investigating the hydrologic sustainability of these crops. The first is an observational study that makes use of yield, runoff, soil water content, and drainage measurements to estimate evapotranspiration and water use efficiency. Drainage was measured using automated equilibrium tension lysimeters. This advanced form of drainage measurement has not yet been used under this range of crops. The second study uses the Systems Approach to Land Use Sustainability (SALUS) crop growth model to simulate the response of crop yield and evapotranspiration to 30 years of variable climate. Results of these studies suggest that a) drainage under cellulosic crops will be significantly different from maize and b) climate will have a greater impact on the amount of water going to evapotranspiration than crop type.
Download or read book Soil Quality and Biofuel Production written by Rattan Lal and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2009-12-17 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From its humble beginning in the late 19th century―when Henry Ford’s first car was designed to run on ethanol―biofuel production has been on the rise with more than 26 billion liters produced in the U.S. in 2007. Ethanol made from biomass (rather than grains) holds great promise, including numerous economic and environmental benefits. However, the adverse interactions of energy, climate, food, and soil quality cannot be ignored. In eight concise chapters, Soil Quality and Biofuel Production presents a state-of-the-knowledge review of soil properties and processes negatively impacted by crop residue removal. It outlines the ecological consequences of biofuels and evaluates land use in the production of raw material for biofuel. The book then spotlights pressing issues related to corn and cellulosic ethanol and also soil erosion. It offers advice for achieving economic balance in the competition for arable land between food and biofuel along with residue harvest management techniques. A thought-provoking discussion of the opportunities and challenges that biofuel presents rounds out the book’s coverage. The logistics of producing biomass in a sustainable manner remain a major challenge and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Serious questions linger concerning viable sources of biofuel feedstock, competition for resources needed to produce biomass, and energy output/input ratios. Soil Quality and Biofuel Production provides environmental scientists and agricultural engineers with the knowledge they need to address them.
Download or read book Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States written by Committee on Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States and published by . This book was released on 2008-01-09 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: National interests in greater energy independence, concurrent with favorable market forces, have driven increased production of corn-based ethanol in the United States and research into the next generation of biofuels. The trend is changing the national agricultural landscape and has raised concerns about potential impacts on the nation's water resources. To help illuminate these issues, the National Research Council held a colloquium on July 12, 2007 in Washington, DC. "Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States," based in part on discussions at the colloquium, concludes that if projected future increases in use of corn for ethanol production do occur, the increase in harm to water quality could be considerable from the increases in fertilizer use, pesticide use, and soil erosion associated with growing crops such as corn. Water supply problems could also develop, both from the water needed to grow biofuels crops and water used at ethanol processing plants, especially in regions where water supplies are already overdrawn. The production of "cellulosic ethanol," derived from fibrous material such as wheat straw, native grasses, and forest trimmings is expected to have less water quality impact but cannot yet be produced on a commerical scale. To move toward a goal of reducing water impacts of biofuels, a policy bridge will likely be needed to encourage growth of new technologies, best agricultural practies, and the development of traditional and cellulosic crops that require less water and fertilizer and are optimized for fuel production.
Download or read book Bioenergy Feedstocks written by Malay C. Saha and published by Wiley-Blackwell. This book was released on 2013-06-24 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bioenergy and biofuels are generated from a wide variety of feedstock. Fuels have been converted from a wide range of sources from vegetable oils to grains and sugarcane. Second generation biofuels are being developed around dedicated, non-food energy crops, such as switchgrass and Miscanthus, with an eye toward bioenergy sustainability. Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics looks at advances in our understanding of the genetics and breeding practices across this diverse range of crops and provides readers with a valuable tool to improve cultivars and increase energy crop yields. Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics opens with chapters focusing primarily on advances in the genetics and molecular biology of dedicated energy crops. These chapters provide in-depth coverage of new, high-potential feedstocks. The remaining chapters provide valuable overview of breeding efforts of current feedstocks with specific attention paid to the development of bioenergy traits. Coverage in these chapters includes crops such as sorghum, energy canes, corn, and other grasses and forages. The final chapters explore the role of transgenics in bioenergy feedstock production and the development of low-input strategies for producing bioenergy crops. A timely collection of work from a global team of bioenergy researchers and crop scientists, Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics is an essential reference on cultivar improvement of biomass feedstock crops.
Download or read book Food versus Fuel written by Frank Rosillo-Calle and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-04-04 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Food versus Fuel presents a high-level introduction to the science and economics behind a well-worn debate, that will debunk myths and provide quality facts and figures for academics and practitioners in development studies, environment studies, and agricultural studies. Compiled by an internationally renowned scientist and authority, and to include perspectives from 'pro' and 'anti' biofuels experts and activists, from the North and South, the aim of this book is to bring a balanced approach to the current debate on the major issues affecting the development of biofuels in a concise and clear manner in order to provide an informed, nuanced but accessible introduction, grounded in science and economics rather than conjecture and controversy.
Download or read book Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels in the United States written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-01-18 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biofuels made from algae are gaining attention as a domestic source of renewable fuel. However, with current technologies, scaling up production of algal biofuels to meet even 5 percent of U.S. transportation fuel needs could create unsustainable demands for energy, water, and nutrient resources. Continued research and development could yield innovations to address these challenges, but determining if algal biofuel is a viable fuel alternative will involve comparing the environmental, economic and social impacts of algal biofuel production and use to those associated with petroleum-based fuels and other fuel sources. Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels was produced at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy.
Download or read book Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases written by Mark Liebig and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2012-10-16 with total page 602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Global climate change is a natural process that currently appears to be strongly influenced by human activities, which increase atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG). Agriculture contributes about 20% of the world’s global radiation forcing from carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, and produces 50% of the methane and 70% of the nitrous oxide of the human-induced emission. Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases synthesizes the wealth of information generated from the GRACEnet (Greenhouse gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network) effort with contributors from a variety of backgrounds, and reports findings with important international applications. Frames responses to challenges associated with climate change within the geographical domain of the U.S., while providing a useful model for researchers in the many parts of the world that possess similar ecoregions Covers not only soil C dynamics but also nitrous oxide and methane flux, filling a void in the existing literature Educates scientists and technical service providers conducting greenhouse gas research, industry, and regulators in their agricultural research by addressing the issues of GHG emissions and ways to reduce these emissions Synthesizes the data from top experts in the world into clear recommendations and expectations for improvements in the agricultural management of global warming potential as an aggregate of GHG emissions
Download or read book Handbook of Soil Sciences Two Volume Set written by Pan Ming Huang and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-10-03 with total page 2272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An evolving, living organic/inorganic covering, soil is in dynamic equilibrium with the atmosphere above, the biosphere within, and the geology below. It acts as an anchor for roots, a purveyor of water and nutrients, a residence for a vast community of microorganisms and animals, a sanitizer of the environment, and a source of raw materials for co
Download or read book Biofuel Cropping System Impacts on Soil C Microbial Communities and N2O Emissions written by Andrew R. McGowan and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Substitution of cellulosic biofuel in place of gasoline or diesel could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation. However, emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) could have a large impact on the GHG balance of cellulosic biofuel, thus there is a need to quantify these responses in cellulosic biofuel crops. The objectives of this study were to: (i) measure changes in yield, SOC and microbial communities in potential cellulosic biofuel cropping systems (ii) measure and characterize the temporal variation in N2O emissions from these systems (iii) characterize the yield and N2O response of switchgrass to N fertilizer and to estimate the costs of production. Sweet sorghum, photoperiod-sensitive sorghum, and miscanthus yielded the highest aboveground biomass (20-32 Mg ha−1). The perennial grasses sequestered SOC over 4 yrs, while SOC stocks did not change in the annual crops. Root stocks were 4-8 times higher in the perennial crops, suggesting greater belowground C inputs. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) abundance and aggregate mean weight diameter were higher in the perennials. No consistent significant differences were found in N2O emissions between crops, though miscanthus tended to have the lowest emissions. Most N2O was emitted during large events of short duration (1-3 days) that occurred after high rainfall events with high soil NO3. There was a weak relationship between IPCC Tier 1 N2O estimates and measured emissions, and the IPCC method tended to underestimate emissions. The response of N2O to N rate was nonlinear in 2 of 3 years. Fertilizer induced emission factor (EF) increased from 0.7% at 50 kg N ha−1 to 2.6% at 150 kg N ha−1. Switchgrass yields increased with N inputs up to 100-150 kg N ha−1, but the critical N level for maximum yields decreased each year, suggesting N was being applied in excess at higher N rates. Yield-scaled costs of production were minimized at 100 kg N ha-1 ($70.91 Mg−1). Together, these results show that crop selection and fertilizer management can have large impacts on the productivity and soil GHG emissions biofuel cropping systems.
Download or read book Handbook of Soil Sciences written by Pan Ming Huang and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2011-11-17 with total page 821 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An evolving, living organic/inorganic covering, soil is in dynamic equilibrium with the atmosphere above, the biosphere within, and the geology below. It acts as an anchor for roots, a purveyor of water and nutrients, a residence for a vast community of microorganisms and animals, a sanitizer of the environment, and a source of raw materials for co
Download or read book Agent Based Modelling and Landscape Change written by James D. A. Millington and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2018-09-27 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Agent-Based Modelling and Landscape Change" that was published in Land
Download or read book Maize Agroecosystem written by K. R. Krishna and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2012-07-19 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maize is among the most widely spread and widely used crops of the world, used for cereals for over 4 billion humans, as food for farm animals, and as a source material for biofuel production. Yet there are relatively few books on the cropping system of this important crop. This book, Maize Agroecosystem, is a concise treatise dealing with agronomy, soil fertility, and productivity of maize. The information is global in nature and considers recent developments in all maize cropping belts. The "global maize agroecosystem" is a conglomerate of several "maize cropping belts" that flourish on different continents. The impact of nutrient management on the productivity of maize agroecosystems is the main focus of this book. The book includes the history of maize growing, the kinds of soil needed, nutrient dynamics, the use of soil organic matter, the physiology and genetics of maize, and integrated nutrient management. It presents comprehensive knowledge regarding the physicochemical dynamics of the three major nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Also covered is how fertilizers impinge on soils of maize farms and their impact on soil and groundwater quality. The impact of crop genotype on soil nutrient dynamics and productivity is also highlighted. The information provided here will be highly useful to students at colleges and universities in the fields of agricultural sciences and environmental science and ecology, and the book also functions as valuable resource for researchers and professors in crop science. Several figures and tables are included that describe and summarize the impact of various agronomic/fertilizer management procedures on crop productivity.
