Replacing silage maize for biogas production by sugar beet – A system analysis with ecological and economical approaches

Jacobs, Anna; Auburger, Sebastian; Bahrs, Enno; Brauer-Siebrecht, Wiebke; Christen, Olaf; Götze, Philipp; Koch, H.; Mußhoff, Oliver; Rücknagel, Jan; Märländer, Bernward

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2016.10.004

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The MONICA-model was applied in studies to derive soil moisture and winter wheat yield at regional scale [34,41], which indicates its applicability in the SaSCiA-model. Götze et al [33] and Jacobs et al [82] successfully applied the approach from Rücknagel et al [32] to evaluate the soil compaction risk at individual farms.…”

Section: (Iii) Model Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatially Explicit Soil Compaction Risk Assessment of Arable Soils at Regional Scale: The SaSCiA-Model

et al. 2018

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Soil compaction caused by field traffic is one of the main threats to agricultural landscapes. Compacted soils have a reduced hydraulic conductivity, lower plant growth and increased surface runoff resulting in numerous environmental issues such as increased nutrient leaching and flood risk. Mitigating soil compaction, therefore, is a major goal for a sustainable agriculture and environmental protection. To prevent undesirable effects of field traffic, it is essential to know where and when soil compaction may occur. This study developed a model for soil compaction risk assessment of arable soils at regional scale. A combination of (i) soil, weather, crop type and machinery information; (ii) a soil moisture model and (iii) soil compaction models forms the SaSCiA-model (Spatially explicit Soil Compaction risk Assessment). The SaSCiA-model computes daily maps of soil compaction risk and associated area statistics for varying depths at actual field conditions and for entire regions. Applications with open access data in two different study areas in northern Germany demonstrated the model’s applicability. Soil compaction risks strongly varied in space and time throughout the year. SaSCiA allows a detailed spatio-temporal analysis of soil compaction risk at the regional scale, which exceed those of currently available models. Applying SaSCiA may support farmers, stakeholders and consultants in making decision for a more sustainable agriculture.

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Section: (Iii) Model Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatially Explicit Soil Compaction Risk Assessment of Arable Soils at Regional Scale: The SaSCiA-Model

et al. 2018

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“…This crop contains high amount of carbohydrates that are fermentable (Starke and Hoffmann, 2011 ) and has an increasing impendency as bio-ethanol substrate (Sieling et al 2013 ; Starke and Hoffmann 2011 ; Weiland 2010 ). Jacob et al ( 2017 ) shown that in Germany sugar beet contributes to a share of 2% as a bio-gas producer. Even in places where the utilization of pulp as fodder material has not been done, the pulp is used for producing bio-gas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sugar Beet Cultivation in India: Prospects for Bio-Ethanol Production and Value-Added Co-Products

et al. 2021

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Sugar beet is an important crop in the advent of COVID 19 as it has a high potential for ethanol production in less growth span. The life cycle of this crop is of five to six months with a root yield of 60–80 t ha −1 and sugar content of 15–17%. Sugar beet is known as a temperate crop of short duration grown in the month of September to October and harvested in April and May, but successful efforts have been made in establishing this crop for Indian agro-climatic conditions. India stands to gain from capitalizing on the potential of sugar beet for sugar, ethanol, and fodder. It offers the increment in the farmer’s income especially hill farmers with respect to seed production of this crop in India The crop has been bestowed with a natural endowment of reclaiming saline soils which will help in cultivating the Indian saline areas. The crop is full of carbohydrates content which is being used for multiple purposes giving value addition to the crop. The green top and, wet and dry pulp are a good source of fodder material for lactating animals like cattle. Beet pulp is another good source as silage feed and as an adhesive in beauty products as well as in printing ink. An amount of 5250 L of ethanol per hectare crop can be produced. Due to 30% galacturonic acid content, the dry beet pulp can also be used as a source of Vitamin C. Lactic acid is also being produced from the juice of sugar beet through fermentation. The pectin content of this crop is useful in paper and board manufacturing industries as a raw material and also in dishwashing detergents and leather production. The fiber content works as dietary fibers which are used in meat and baking industries as important ingredients in food commodities. The vinasse produced as an industrial by-product is useful as a fertilizer. Sugar beet tails and other parts have also been used in biogas production in some countries. Intercropping of this crop with other crops is an added benefit of this crop. New prospects are also available for this crop in pharmaceutical industries and material sciences in times to come.

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“…In the context of this research, the application of a life cycle assessment (LCA) can reveal the actual environmental impact of feedstock-changing policies in biogas production and utilisation related to future energy systems [29]. It was shown that sugar beet generates ecological effects that are similar to those of maize crops in bioenergy production [30], while intercropping forage sorghum with maize contributes to a lower environmental impact than a maize monoculture [30]. Examining the environmental impact assessment of replacing maize silage with marine macroalgal biomass using SimaPro (an LCA software) showed a reduction in the environmental burden in almost all the impact categories that were examined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geospatial Analysis and Environmental Impact Assessment of a Holistic and Interdisciplinary Approach to the Biogas Sector

et al. 2021

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Crop-based biogas energy production, in combination with electricity generation under subsidy schemes, is no longer considered a favourable business model for biogas plants. Switching to low-cost or gate fee feedstocks and utilising biogas via alternative pathways could contribute to making existing plants fit for future operations and could open up new space for further expansion of the biogas sector. The aim of this study was to combine a holistic and interdisciplinary approach for both the biogas production side and the utilisation side to evaluate the impact of integrating the biogas sector with waste management systems and energy systems operating with a high share of renewable energy sources. The geospatial availability of residue materials from agriculture, industry and municipalities was assessed using QGIS software for the case of Northern Croatia with the goal of replacing maize silage in the operation of existing biogas plants. Furthermore, the analysis included positioning new biogas plants, which would produce renewable gas. The overall approach was evaluated through life cycle assessment using SimaPro software to quantify the environmental benefits and identify the bottlenecks of the implemented actions. The results showed that the given feedstocks could replace 212 GWh of biogas from maize silage in the relevant region and create an additional 191 GWh of biomethane in new plants. The LCA revealed that the proposed measures would contribute to the decarbonisation of natural gas by creating environmental benefits that are 36 times greater compared to a business-as-usual concept. The presented approach could be of interest to stakeholders in the biogas sector anywhere in the world to encourage further integration of biogas technologies into energy and environmental transitions.

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Replacing silage maize for biogas production by sugar beet – A system analysis with ecological and economical approaches

Cited by 13 publications

References 30 publications

Spatially Explicit Soil Compaction Risk Assessment of Arable Soils at Regional Scale: The SaSCiA-Model

Spatially Explicit Soil Compaction Risk Assessment of Arable Soils at Regional Scale: The SaSCiA-Model

Sugar Beet Cultivation in India: Prospects for Bio-Ethanol Production and Value-Added Co-Products

Geospatial Analysis and Environmental Impact Assessment of a Holistic and Interdisciplinary Approach to the Biogas Sector

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