Arundo donax L. can substitute traditional energy crops for more efficient, environmentally-friendly production of biogas: A Life Cycle Assessment approach

D’Imporzano, Giuliana; Pilu, Roberto; Corno, Luca; Adani, Fabrizio

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2018.07.053

Cited by 38 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Yet, this crop can be suitably cultivated even in marginal areas, unsuited for grain crop cultivation, owing not only to low fertility but also to environmental pollution and safety reasons (Ceotto & Di Candilo, 2010b). According to D’Imporzano et al (2018) the high productivity of giant reed, combined to its low requirement of agronomic inputs, is key for minimizing the environmental impact of the crop. Moreover, giant reed exerts an effective soil nitrate removal, therefore reducing the risk of nitrate pollution (Ceotto et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomass and methane yield of giant reed (Arundo donaxL.) as affected by single and double annual harvest

Ceotto

Vasmara²,

Marchetti³

et al. 2021

GCB Bioenergy

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The replacement of silage maize with giant reed as energy crop has been proposed as a mean for reducing the need of irrigation water as well as monetary and environmental costs of cultivation. Little is known about giant reed response to within‐season harvesting, and its effect on the methane production in anaerobic digestion. The effect of three harvest schedules on yield, biomass composition and methane production of giant reed was evaluated at one site of the Po Valley, northern Italy, for three consecutive years. In a completely randomized block design with four replicates the treatments applied annually were: (i) double harvest 1: first cut at the end of June + second cut at the beginning of October (DH1); (ii) double harvest 2: first cut at the end of July + second cut at the beginning of October (DH2); (iii) single harvest at the beginning of October (SH). The crop stand was established in the year 2015 and treatments were repeatedly applied in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018. The SH treatment determined the highest average annual dry matter (DM) yield (59.0 Mg DM ha−1). The DM yield for treatments with double harvest was significantly lower, that is, −30% for DH1 and −15% for DH2. In terms of specific methane yield there was little advantage in harvesting biomass twice during the growing season. The average specific methane yield varied substantially between years (i.e. from 144 to 233 ml CH4 g−1 VS), and in every year the values tended to decrease with the ageing of harvested biomass. Methane yield per hectare, however, was driven by DM yield, thus SH also determined the highest average value (9110 m3 CH4‐STP ha−1). In conclusion, the single annual harvest at the end of the growing season is an ideal strategy for maximizing methane production from giant reed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomass and methane yield of giant reed (Arundo donaxL.) as affected by single and double annual harvest

Ceotto

Vasmara²,

Marchetti³

et al. 2021

GCB Bioenergy

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“…In recent years, the perennial grass giant reed (Arundo donax L.) has received great attention due to its high biomass yield [14,15]. Despite the high degree of recalcitrance to enzymatic digestibility [16], little is known about the most suitable pre-treatments for this species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potassium Hydroxyde Pre-Treatment Enhances Methane Yield from Giant Reed (Arundo donax L.)

Vasmara¹,

Cianchetta

Marchetti³

et al. 2021

Energies

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The biogas production through the anaerobic digestion (AD) of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) biomass has received increasing attention. However, due to the presence of lignin, a low CH4 yield can be obtained. Aiming to improve the CH4 yield from giant reed biomass, the effectiveness of a thermo-chemical pre-treatment based on KOH was evaluated in this paper. The usefulness of a washing step before the AD was also assessed. The pre-treatment led to a specific CH4 yield up to 232 mL CH4 g−1 VS which was 21% higher than that from untreated biomass; the maximum daily rate of production was improved by 42%, AD duration was reduced by 10%, and CH4 concentration in the biogas was increased by 23%. On the contrary, the washing step did not improve the AD process. Besides, washing away the liquid fraction led to biomass losses, reducing the overall CH4 production. The use of a KOH-based pre-treatment appears as a good option for enhancing the AD of giant reed, also presenting potential environmental and agronomical benefits, like the avoidance of salty wastewater production and the likely improvement of the digestate quality, due to its enriched K content.

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“…The main product of anaerobic fermentation is biogas, which is an important and clean energy. The by-product, biogas slurry can be used in agricultural and forestry production [2, 3]. Currently, the use of biogas slurry as a fertilizer has drastically increased in China and many other Asian countries, not only due to the considerable cost of chemical fertilizers, but also to utilize the high nutrient level in biogas slurry [4, 5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of biogas slurry fertilization on fruit economic traits and soil nutrients of Camellia oleifera Abel

You

Liu

et al. 2019

PLoS ONE

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Camellia oleifera Abel (C. oleifera ) absorb nutrients from surrounding soils and its yield is highly influenced by these nutrients and by fertilizer application. Thus, the soil nutrients play a central role in C. oleifera production. This study investigated the effects of biogas slurry applications on soil nutrients and economic traits of C . oleifera fruits. Five different amounts of biogas slurry (0, 10, 20, 30, or 40 kg/plant/year, three applications per year) were used as fertilizer for C . oleifera plants in 2015 and 2016. The nutrients of rhizosphere soil and the economic traits, including fruit yield, seed rate, and oil yield of C . oleifera fruit, were measured each year. The results showed that fertilization with biogas slurry significantly increased soil organic matter, available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) both in 2015 and 2016. Increases in soil available N, P, and K were maximal in the highest slurry application group followed by the second highest application group. The oil yield correlated with the content of soil available P in both 2015 and 2016, and with soil organic matter in 2015. Fertilization with biogas slurry decreased the saturated fatty acid content in fruit but had no effect on the unsaturated fatty acid content. In conclusion, fertilization with biogas slurry increased rhizosphere soil nutrients and fruit economic traits of C . oleifera and rates of at least30 kg/plant/year had the most positive effects. This study expands the knowledge of fertilization with biogas slurry in C. oleifera production.

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Arundo donax L. can substitute traditional energy crops for more efficient, environmentally-friendly production of biogas: A Life Cycle Assessment approach

Cited by 38 publications

References 29 publications

Biomass and methane yield of giant reed (Arundo donaxL.) as affected by single and double annual harvest

Biomass and methane yield of giant reed (Arundo donaxL.) as affected by single and double annual harvest

Potassium Hydroxyde Pre-Treatment Enhances Methane Yield from Giant Reed (Arundo donax L.)

Effects of biogas slurry fertilization on fruit economic traits and soil nutrients of Camellia oleifera Abel

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