Energy Crops Articles
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O3 sensitivity in a potential C4 bioenergy crop: Sugarcane in California
The C4 perennial grasses have many potential virtues as bioenergy crops—high productivity and water use efficiency, multiyear crop cycle that minimizes replanting costs, and wide environmental adaptation. In the productive San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California, these species also confront high levels of ozone (O3) air pollution. It is often assumed that C4 species will exhibit tolerance to O3, ...
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Energy use and carbon dioxide emissions from cropland production in the United States, 1990–2004
Received for publication June 9, 2008. Changes in cropland production and management influence energy consumption and emissions of CO2 from fossil-fuel combustion. A method was developed to calculate on-site and off-site energy and CO2 emissions for cropping practices in the United States at the county scale. Energy consumption and emissions occur on-site from the operation of farm machinery and ...
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No-till corn after Bromegrass: Effect on soil carbon and soil aggregates
Grasslands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the USA may be converted to grain crops for bioenergy. The effect of no-till conversion of a smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss) grassland to no-till corn (Zea mays L.) production on soil organic carbon (SOC) in the western Corn Belt was monitored for over 6 yr. A different 13C/12C isotope signature is imparted to SOC by C4 plants ...
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Dryland crop yields and soil organic matter as influenced by long-term tillage and cropping sequence
Novel management practices are needed to improve the declining dryland crop yields and soil organic matter contents using conventional farming practices in the northern Great Plains. We evaluated the 21-yr effect of tillage and cropping sequence on dryland grain and biomass (stems + leaves) yields of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and pea (Pisum sativum L.) and ...
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Effect of irrigation with secondary treated effluent on essential oil, antioxidant activity, and phenolic compounds in oregano and rosemary
Shortage of water throughout the world dictates utilization of marginal water for irrigation. Treated urban wastewater is a common alternative water source for irrigation in arid and semiarid regions. In this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of irrigation with secondary-treated effluent on plant development, essential oil yield, antioxidant activity and selected antioxidant phenolic ...
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Watering Scarcity: Private investment opportunities in agricultural water use efficiency
This report was prepared by Rabobank in collaboration with the World Resources Institute. In many regions around the world, demand for fresh water now outstrips renewable supplies. Water scarcity is projected to worsen considerably due to a combination of factors such as population increase, higher incomes and changing lifestyles, pollution, and climate change. Agriculture is by far the biggest ...
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Heterosis in switchgrass: Biomass yield in swards
Improving the biomass yield of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) will improve its utility as a dedicated energy crop by increasing both its net and total energy yield per hectare. In a previous space-transplanted study, midparent heterosis for biomass yield was reported for population and specific F1 hybrids of the lowland-tetraploid cultivar Kanlow and the upland-tetraploid cultivar Summer. ...
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Summer cover crop and management system affect lettuce and cantaloupe production system
Cover crops are widely used in both conventional and organic systems to protect and improve the soil. This study evaluated the effect of summer cover crop and management system on the production of fall romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and spring cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) from 1999 to 2003. Cover crop treatments included cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] incorporated (CPI), cowpea used ...
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Soil carbon levels in irrigated western corn belt rotations
Proposals promoting the use of massive amounts of crop residues and other lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production have increased the need for evaluation of the sustainability of cropping practices and their effect on environment quality. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of crop rotation and N fertilizer management and their stover production characteristics on soil organic carbon ...
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Study on the Expansion Plan of Bio-Diesel for Transportation in Asia-Pacific Region
This project will involve a study of biodiesel production using the conventional raw materials such as Jatropha, in recognition of Partner Country concerns over the need for a stable supply of rapeseed and soybean oils for conventional biodiesel. This project will seek to address the gap in infrastructure for biodiesel use and distribution existing among the Partner countries. Korea will lead on ...
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Potential of crop residue in India as a source of energy
Here is given an estimate of crop residue production and different recycling options as a source of renewable energy. India produces 388 Tg crop residues but only 182 Tg equivalent to 2818 PJ is usable. Recycling as manure can replace 15% of 595 PJ national fertiliser energy. Recycling in digester can produce 20.32 billion m? biogas. It can be converted into 182 Tg of biocoal generating 156?258.3 ...
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Aerial color infrared photography to optimize in-season nitrogen fertilizer recommendations in winter wheat
Remote sensing in the form of aerial color infrared (CIR) photography has been shown to be a useful tool for in-season N management in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The objectives of this study were (i) to develop a methodology for predicting in-season optimum fertilizer N rates for winter wheat at growth stage (GS) 30 directly from aerial CIR photography and (ii) to quantify how the ...
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Corn stover to sustain soil organic carbon further constrains biomass supply
Sustainable aboveground crop biomass harvest estimates for cellulosic ethanol production, to date, have been limited by the need for residue to control erosion. Recently, estimates of the amount of corn (Zea mays L.) stover needed to maintain soil carbon, which is responsible for favorable soil properties, were reported (5.25–12.50 Mg ha–1). These estimates indicate stover needed to maintain soil ...
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Can pulse crops play a role in mitigating greenhouse gases from North American agriculture?
The atmospheric buildup of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is a serious environmental issue. Globally, agricultural activities are an important source of anthropogenic GHGs, contributing 20% of the annual atmospheric increase. Management choices largely determine if agricultural soils will be a source, a sink, or will be neutral with respect to GHG net flux. The proportion of agricultural land that is ...
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Scale of biomass production from new woody crops for salinity control in dryland agriculture in Australia
There is scope internationally to utilise surplus and degraded agricultural land for biomass crops that might also be environmentally beneficial. For example, dryland salinity in southern Australian could be ameliorated using profitable woody biomass crops. A model was developed to predict biomass production from such woody crops. At a biomass price of A$35/t (green) and a water use efficiency of ...
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Making use of biotechnology applications in Turkish agriculture: Why is it not yet happening?
One of the primary challenges for developing countries is to create new opportunities for sustainable economic development through the use of new technologies such as biotechnology. In this context, the use of agricultural biotechnology to produce cheap biofuel made from agricultural crops as well as agricultural waste (cellulose) might have a great potential to promote rural development in ...
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Rethinking food production for a world of eight billion
The World Food Programme and the Chinese government jointlyannounced that food aid shipments to China would stop at the end of theyear. For a country where a generation ago hundreds of millions of peoplewere chronically hungry, this was a landmark achievement. Not only hasChina ended its dependence on food aid, but almost overnight it has becomethe world’s third largest food aid donor. The key ...
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Focus Bioenergy No 4 2004: Energy crops - a resource for development
Agricultural fuels like energy forest, straw fuels, ley crops, oil crops and grain can be used for heat, electricity or transports and may become an important complement to forest fuels in replacing the fossil fuels. Cultivation of Salix is already commercially viable in Sweden. The future for agricultural fuels depends on many factors: how the EU’s common agricultural policy will develop, how ...
By Elmia AB
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