Intensify production, transform biomass to energy and novel goods and protect soils in Europe—A vision how to mobilize marginal lands

Abstract

The rapid increase of the world population constantly demands more food production from agricultural soils. This causes conflicts, since at the same time strong interest arises on novel bio-based products from agriculture, and new perspectives for rural landscapes with their valuable ecosystem services. Agriculture is in transition to fulfill these demands. In many countries, conventional farming, influenced by post-war food requirements, has largely been transformed into integrated and sustainable farming. However, since it is estimated that agricultural production systems will have to produce food for a global population that might amount to 9.1 billion by 2050 and over 10 billion by the end of the century, we will require an even smarter use of the available land, including fallow and derelict sites. One of the biggest challenges is to reverse non-sustainable management and land degradation. Innovative technologies and principles have to be applied to characterize marginal lands, explore options for remediation and re-establish productivity. With view to the heterogeneity of agricultural lands, it is more than logical to apply specific crop management and production practices according to soil conditions. Cross-fertilizing with conservation agriculture, such a novel approach will provide (1) increased resource use efficiency by producing more with less (ensuring food security), (2) improved product quality, (3) ameliorated nutritional status in food and feed products, (4) increased sustainability, (5) product traceability and (6) minimized negative environmental impacts notably on biodiversity and ecological functions. A sustainable strategy for future agriculture should concentrate on production of food and fodder, before utilizing bulk fractions for emerging bio-based products and convert residual stage products to compost, biochar and bioenergy. The present position paper discusses recent developments to indicate how to unlock the potentials of marginal land.

Pelletization of Sunflower Seed Husks: Evaluating and Optimizing Energy Consumption and Physical Properties by Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

“…The utilization of residues and other loose biomass over open fire is highly inefficient due to the lack of sufficient information regarding biomass fuel utilization technologies [2,3]. Modern utilization of biomass residues for energy includes solid fuel and liquid biofuel production [4,5]. Pelletization is a solid fuel densification process through which the density of the biomass material can be increased to up to 1000-1200 kg/m 3 of loose biomass and the volume can be reduced by 8-10 times [6][7][8].…”

Bioenergy production and environmental impacts

“…Although bioenergy accounts for only 14% of global energy consumption currently (World energy resources 2016, https ://www.world energ y.org/publi catio ns/2016/world -energ y-resou rces-2016/), the potential of bioenergy will be tremendous in the near future (Souza et al 2017). In addition, sustainable bioenergy production can efficiently reduce the risk of energy poverty and contribute to the economic development, especially in developing countries (Schroder et al 2018;Wicke et al 2011). Governments around the world are thus trying to promote the bioenergy production as well as seeking appropriate policies or laws to regulate its development.…”

Agrowaste bioconversion and microbial fortification have prospects for soil health, crop productivity, and eco-enterprising

“…However, now this has left with emerging associated risks of dependence on high external inputs, disturbance of agroecology and resurgence of pests and diseases (Pingali 2014;Godfray and Garnett 2014). Such threatening concerns have generated renewed interest in the alternative ways of farming practices that are based on recycling and reuse of farm wastes as bioorganic inputs to enhance soil productivity (Schröder et al 2018). This has also provoked current thinking on intensified promotion of soil biodiversity and biogeochemical processes that enhance soil carbon and microbial communities having specific functional traits (Gattinger et al 2012;Lori et al 2017).…”