Cup-plant potential for biogas production compared to reference maize in relation to the balance needs of nutrients and some microelements for their cultivation

Usťak, Sergej; Muňoz, Jakub

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.09.015

Cited by 27 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…It is a perennial biogas crop with a rapidly increasing cultivation area in Germany (about 3,000 ha in 2018; TFZ, 2019). The reasons for this are (a) its positive effects on both biodiversity and the environment (Bufe & Korevaar, 2018), (b) its high MYH potential (Gansberger, Montgomery, & Liebhard, 2015;Haag, Nägele, Reiss, Biertümpfel, & Oechsner, 2015;Mast et al, 2014;Šiaudinis et al, 2015;Ustak & Munoz, 2018), (c) it has been accepted as a greening measure since 2018 (Bufe & Korevaar, 2018), and (d) there has been a breakthrough in establishment procedure (sowing instead of planting) which makes its cultivation more cost-efficient. It is also commonly established under maize (Stolzenburg, Bruns, Monkos, Ott, & Schickler, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methane yield and species diversity dynamics of perennial wild plant mixtures established alone, under cover crop maize (Zea mays L.), and after spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

et al. 2019

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The cultivation of perennial wild plant mixtures (WPMs) in biogas cropping systems dominated by maize (Zea mays L.) restores numerous ecosystem functions and improves both spatial and temporal agrobiodiversity. In addition, the colorful appearance of WPM can help enhance landscape beauty. However, their methane yield per hectare (MYH) varies greatly and amounts to only about 50% that of maize. This study aimed at decreasing MYH variability and increasing accumulated MYH of WPM by optimizing the establishment method. A field trial was established in southwest Germany in 2014, and is still running. It tested the effects of three WPM establishment procedures (E1: alone [without maize, in May], E2: undersown in cover crop maize [in May], E3: WPM sown after whole‐crop harvest of spring barley [Hordeum vulgare L.] in June) on both MYH and species diversity of two WPMs [S1, S2]). Mono‐cropped maize and cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) were used as reference crops. Of the WPM treatments tested, S2E2 achieved the highest (19,296 normalmnormalN3/ha, 60.5% of maize) and S1E1 the lowest accumulated MYH (8,156 normalmnormalN3/ha, 25.6% of maize) in the years 2014–2018. Cup plant yielded slightly higher than S2E2 (19,968 normalmnormalN3/ha, 62.6% of maize). In 2014, the WPM sown under maize did not significantly affect the cover crop performance. From 2015 onward, E1 and E2 had comparable average annual MYH and average annual number of WPM species. With a similar accumulated MYH but significantly higher number of species (3.5–10.2), WPM S2E2 outperformed cup plant. Overall, the long‐term MYH performance of WPM cultivation for biogas production can be significantly improved by undersowing with maize as cover crop. This improved establishment method could help facilitate the implementation of WPM cultivation for biogas production and thus reduce the trade‐off between bioenergy and biodiversity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methane yield and species diversity dynamics of perennial wild plant mixtures established alone, under cover crop maize (Zea mays L.), and after spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

et al. 2019

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“…According to the Thuringian State Institute of Agriculture (TLL), S. perfoliatum extracts 140-160 kg N ha −1 , 25-30 kg P ha −1 , 200-250 kg K ha −1 , 50-70 kg Mg ha −1 , and 250-300 kg Ca ha −1 [117]. Assuming a dry matter yield of 10 t ha −1 y −1 , the annual harvest of a S. perfoliatum crop would remove about 81 kg N, 21 kg P and 141 kg K. The levels of magnesium in harvested S. perfoliatum are significantly greater than in harvested maize, an observation also reported by Ustak and Munoz [112]. This could help explain why Frölich et al [111] applied magnesium fertiliser during crop establishment.…”

Section: Nutrient Managementmentioning

confidence: 90%

Two Novel Energy Crops: Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby and Silphium perfoliatum L.—State of Knowledge

et al. 2020

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Current global temperature increases resulting from human activity threaten many ecosystems and societies, and have led to international and national policy commitments that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Bioenergy crops provide one means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy production and two novel crops that could be used for this purpose are Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby and Silphium perfoliatum L. This research examined the existing scientific literature available on both crops through a systematic review. The data were collated according to the agronomy, uses, and environmental benefits of each crop. Possible challenges were associated with high initial planting costs, low yields in low rainfall areas, and for Sida hermaphrodita, vulnerability to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. However, under appropriate environmental conditions, both crops were found to provide large yields over sustained periods of time with relatively low levels of management and could be used to produce large energy surpluses, either through direct combustion or biogas production. Other potential uses included fodder, fibre, and pharmaceutical uses. Environmental benefits included the potential for phytoremediation, and improvements to soil health, biodiversity, and pollination. The review also demonstrated that environmental benefits, such as pollination, soil health, and water quality benefits could be obtained from the use of Sida hermaphrodita and Silphium perfoliatum relative to existing bioenergy crops such as maize, whilst at the same time reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy production. Future research should examine the long-term implications of using Sida hermaphrodita and Silphium perfoliatum as well as improve knowledge on how to integrate them successfully within existing farming systems and supply chains.

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“…Next the potential input and possible output of protein extraction was quantified based on two scenarios of percentage of cup‐plant cultivation, namely 44% (current) and 70% (future) of the total farmlands of area 763 ha. The DMY of cup plant is taken as 15 Mg ha −1 with a crude protein (CP) content of 9.8% DM – according to analyses on whole cup plant carried out at EPH . A calculation of the hypothetical cup plant silage input and extracted protein output is shown in Table .…”

Section: Potential Developments In Closing Of Materials Cyclesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The replacement of maize (Zea mays L.) by cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) as biogas substrate and its implications for the energy and material flows of a large biogas plant

Cossel

Amarysti

Wilhelm

et al. 2020

Biofuels Bioprod Bioref

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Excessive cultivation of maize (Zea mays L.) as a biogas substrate has fired debate about potential land‐use change effects of bioenergy cropping systems. Cup plant ( Silphium perfoliatum L.) is a perennial biogas crop that provides more environmental services than maize. This study investigated (i) how to replace maize with cup plant as a biogas substrate in a large‐scale biogas plant located in southwest Germany, and (ii) how to optimize the energy and material cycles of such a biogas plant given the new feedstock. The biogas plant produces 1000 m3 biogas per hour with plans for it to be combined with a large dairy farm (1000 dairy units). It was found that the substitution of maize with cup plant as a biogas substrate results in a methane yield reduction of 10% to 20% due to lower biomass yields. However, there exists a strong potential to increase both biomass yields and biogas substrate quality of cup plant by optimizing establishment procedures and better genotypes. Furthermore, cup plant provides food and shelter for open land animals, including birds and insects, and could hence be a suitable alternative to maize for large biogas plants, being more environmentally beneficial. Extracting proteins from cup‐plant biomass could also help replace soy with locally produced protein for feeding cattle. Hydrothermal carbonization is a promising tool for closing nutrient cycles and for extracting phosphate from digestate, but more research is needed before it can be put into practice. © 2020 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Cup-plant potential for biogas production compared to reference maize in relation to the balance needs of nutrients and some microelements for their cultivation

Cited by 27 publications

References 20 publications

Methane yield and species diversity dynamics of perennial wild plant mixtures established alone, under cover crop maize (Zea mays L.), and after spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Methane yield and species diversity dynamics of perennial wild plant mixtures established alone, under cover crop maize (Zea mays L.), and after spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Two Novel Energy Crops: Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby and Silphium perfoliatum L.—State of Knowledge

The replacement of maize (Zea mays L.) by cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) as biogas substrate and its implications for the energy and material flows of a large biogas plant

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