Developments in grass-/forage-based biorefineries

McEniy, J.; Kiely, P. O’

doi:10.1533/9780857097385.1.335

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Previously, cereal crops were harvested as whole-crop forages and stored for several weeks prior to threshing-separation of grain from the remainder of the plant. The current practice of ensiling forages as whole plants introduces the opportunity for fractionation of grasses either prior to, or after storage to produce a range of products, some of which may be stored as liquid for further refining and use in human foods, pharmaceuticals or as chemical feedstocks for industrial use (McEniry & O'Kiely, 2014;Schwarz et al, 2016).…”

Section: Silage Bio-refineriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ensiling in 2050: Some challenges and opportunities

Wilkinson

Muck

2019

Grass and Forage Science

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Challenges to ensiling are coming from a wide spectrum. Faster harvest rates are making it more difficult to achieve target silage densities. Larger harvest equipment is increasing soil compaction and rural road issues. Older silos are too small and are overfilled, creating safety issues, or temporary piles are placed on bare ground permitting soil contamination. Mycotoxins and other pathogens in silages are still a problem. Global warming may affect the forage crops grown and crop characteristics as well as rates of silage fermentation and aerobic deterioration. Silage as an input to bio‐refineries has an unclear future. Silage analysis is challenged by sampling and knowing what components truly predict nutritional value. The future holds many opportunities for both ensiling and silage research. Robotic harvesting will release more labour for silo packing, and there are opportunities to develop tools to estimate silage density during filling. Total mixed ration silages should allow more by‐products in rations. The development of novel silage additives to improve silage hygiene or increase nutrient availability appears promising. Predicting the onset of aerobic deterioration with quick tests for lactate‐assimilating yeasts or silage temperatures seems possible. Metabolomics and metabonomics, in addition to the microbiome tools in development, put us at the cusp of being able to see which microorganisms are active in the silo and rumen and what compounds of significance they are producing. This could lead to many advances in silage quality including reduced microbial toxins, better hygiene and improved utilization by livestock.

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Section: Silage Bio-refineriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ensiling in 2050: Some challenges and opportunities

Wilkinson

Muck

2019

Grass and Forage Science

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“…Interest in using grass biomass as a raw material for green biorefineries has arisen recently (McEniry and O'Kiely, 2014;Hermansen et al, 2017). Grass is effective in converting solar radiation into chemical forms of energy and it grows well in humid temperate areas with a capacity for higher biomass and CP production compared to most annual crops (Table 2).…”

Section: Biorefining Of Forage Cropsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Alternative and novel feeds for ruminants: nutritive value, product quality and environmental aspects

Halmemies-Beauchet-Filleau

Rinne

Lamminen

et al. 2018

Animal

161

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Ruminant-based food production faces currently multiple challenges such as environmental emissions, climate change and accelerating food–feed–fuel competition for arable land. Therefore, more sustainable feed production is needed together with the exploitation of novel resources. In addition to numerous food industry (milling, sugar, starch, alcohol or plant oil) side streams already in use, new ones such as vegetable and fruit residues are explored, but their conservation is challenging and production often seasonal. In the temperate zones, lipid-rich camelina (Camelina sativa) expeller as an example of oilseed by-products has potential to enrich ruminant milk and meat fat with bioactive trans-11 18:1 and cis-9,trans-11 18:2 fatty acids and mitigate methane emissions. Regardless of the lower methionine content of alternative grain legume protein relative to soya bean meal (Glycine max), the lactation performance or the growth of ruminants fed faba beans (Vicia faba), peas (Pisum sativum) and lupins (Lupinus sp.) are comparable. Wood is the most abundant carbohydrate worldwide, but agroforestry approaches in ruminant nutrition are not common in the temperate areas. Untreated wood is poorly utilised by ruminants because of linkages between cellulose and lignin, but the utilisability can be improved by various processing methods. In the tropics, the leaves of fodder trees and shrubs (e.g. cassava (Manihot esculenta), Leucaena sp., Flemingia sp.) are good protein supplements for ruminants. A food–feed production system integrates the leaves and the by-products of on-farm food production to grass production in ruminant feeding. It can improve animal performance sustainably at smallholder farms. For larger-scale animal production, detoxified jatropha (Jatropha sp.) meal is a noteworthy alternative protein source. Globally, the advantages of single-cell protein (bacteria, yeast, fungi, microalgae) and aquatic biomass (seaweed, duckweed) over land crops are the independence of production from arable land and weather. The chemical composition of these feeds varies widely depending on the species and growth conditions. Microalgae have shown good potential both as lipid (e.g. Schizochytrium sp.) and protein supplements (e.g. Spirulina platensis) for ruminants. To conclude, various novel or underexploited feeds have potential to replace or supplement the traditional crops in ruminant rations. In the short-term, N-fixing grain legumes, oilseeds such as camelina and increased use of food and/or fuel industry by-products have the greatest potential to replace or supplement the traditional crops especially in the temperate zones. In the long-term, microalgae and duckweed of high-yield potential as well as wood industry by-products may become economically competitive feed options worldwide.

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“…Interest in using grass biomass as raw material for green biorefineries has arisen recently (Hermansen et al., ; McEniry & O'Kiely, ). Grass is effective in converting solar radiation into chemical forms of energy and grows well in humid temperate areas with a capacity for high biomass production compared to annual crops.…”

Section: Future Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Highlights of progress in silage conservation and future perspectives

Wilkinson

Rinne

2017

Grass and Forage Science

106

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Forage is the basis of ruminant nutrition, but forage production has a seasonal pattern. This is due to unfavourable growth conditions during winter (temperate climates) and during the dry season (Mediterranean climates). To overcome seasonal fluctuation and prevent shortage of animal feed, forage conservation has been practiced by farmers for centuries. To prevent spoilage of freshly harvested plant tissues, various options are available. Microbiological processes leading to decay can be stopped by drying or by acidification. Traditionally, grassland plants and forage crops such as lucerne were conserved through hay making. Ensiling of forages is a microbial process that relies on the generation of lactic acid by bacteria under anaerobic conditions. As a result of technological innovations, such as the invention of plastic and mechanisation, ensiling became popular among farmers. Silage making does not require prolonged periods of dry weather that are needed for hay making. Ensiling is an important means of preserving crops that was practiced initially mainly in temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere, but nowadays is also widespread in tropical climates.Silage production is important in animal production systems across all climate zones. The demand for high-quality silage to provide conserved forage feeds for livestock is growing in importance as competition increases for limited arable land.Fermented forage substrates now also play a role for purposes other than ruminant feed, providing substrates for biogas production and for bio-refineries, as illustrated in this issue. Developments in silage conservation technologies in the past five decades, reviewed by Wilkinson and Rinne (2018), have led to increased speed of physical and microbiological processes. Current research themes include development of technological innovations during the harvest process such as shredding and leaf stripping devices, and their implications for silage quality and fermentation. Silage fermentation is a dynamic microbial process involving the acidification of the forage by lactic acid bacteria activity in order to stabilise the biochemical and microbial constituents. Silage fermentation quality depends on the microbial communities and their succession as well as the fermentative metabolites in the ensiled material. Advances in molecular biology are providing new insight into the complexity and diversity of microbial populations during ensiling. This will increase understanding of the role of the forage microbiome in the preservation of both silage and high-moisture forages. The traditional way to analyse silage composition includes the identification and classification of its components in categories such as protein, fat, fibre fractions, vitamins and minerals. Volatile compounds evolved from chemical processes or microbial activity can add essential features to silage quality. At the International Silage Conference that took place in Bonn (Gerlach & Südekum, 2018), scientific and technological progress in silage research acro...

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Developments in grass-/forage-based biorefineries

Cited by 11 publications

References 77 publications

Ensiling in 2050: Some challenges and opportunities

Ensiling in 2050: Some challenges and opportunities

Review: Alternative and novel feeds for ruminants: nutritive value, product quality and environmental aspects

Highlights of progress in silage conservation and future perspectives

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