Agave Lechuguilla as a Potential Biomass Source in Arid Areas

Abstract

Biomass productivity presents a challenging problem in arid and semi-arid areas. Despite a large need for energy in the form of solid biomass, liquid fuel or needs for animal feed, these regions remain largely unproductive. A convenient way to overcome this challenge is to utilize plants with high water-use efficiency. Agave lechuguilla is an example of a highly productive (3.8 tons ha -1 yr -1 ) desert plant that holds the potential for producing biomass with minimal water resources. For this purpose, a global suitability map has been developed showing areas where this plant can be planted, and its productivity was assessed. A Maxent model was used and was further refined by excluding protected areas and used lands (urban, agriculture, etc.). Productivity assessment provides a good way forward for prioritizing the regional utilization of this plant. This study provides an initial analysis for the use of arid and semi-arid regions for biomass production. Results indicate the potential generation of 93.8 million tons per year of dry biomass if the suitable areas were fully utilized. The analytical method can be readily applied to other potential plant species to optimize the use of certain areas.

High Throughput Profiling of Flavonoid Abundance in Agave lechuguilla Residue-Valorizing under Explored Mexican Plant

“…Agave lechuguilla grows in xerophytic shrublands characterized by frequent drought events, nutrient-deficient soil, high salinity, extreme temperatures, and increased exposure to UV-radiations [ 50 ]. The wide distribution and density of A. lechuguilla in Mexico and the southern United States is due to its crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) and its specialized metabolism [ 38 , 51 , 52 ]. Furthermore, along its distribution area, A. lechuguilla is faced with variable geo-climatic features.…”

“…Hence, as well as saponins, flavonoids are another high-value coproduct from Agave lechuguilla , cultivated primarily as fiber or bioenergy crops [ 38 ]. In addition, A. lechuguilla presents the advantage of not competing with food crops and products for agricultural land [ 2 , 52 , 66 ]. In this perspective, both economic and ecological approaches need to be enhanced for sustainable A. lechuguilla crops [ 67 ], finding a balance between productivity, fiber quality [ 5 ], and phytochemical content.…”

Dummy regression to predict dry fiber in Agave lechuguilla Torr. in two large-scale bioclimatic regions in Mexico

“…For this reason, it is crucial to generate robust allometric models to estimate A. lechuguilla fiber dry weight with non-destructive techniques that are simple, rapid, and efficient, and that solve the problem of scale, considering the productivity areas and determining the relation of fiber dry weight to bioclimatic variables. The objective of this study was to create a model of this type that will serve not only to support government procedures [16] for authorizing programs for use of the fiber but also for decision-making in management and conservation of the species.…”

A holistic approach to sustainable development of energy, water and environment systems

“…Biomass productivity in arid and semi-arid areas was investigated by Houri and Machaka-Houri (2016). Focusing on the utilization of biomass for generating various forms of valuable products, the increasing availability of agriculture residues was studied by Bing et al (2016) and Mikulandri c et al (2016a).…”