Tall wheatgrass ( Agropyron elongatum ) for biogas production: Crop management more important for biomass and methane yield than grass provenance

Dickeduisberg, Michael; Laser, H.; Tonn, Bettina; Isselstein, J.

doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2016.12.055

Cited by 18 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…However, the fourth cut contributed with only less than 3% of the total methane yield per hectare, which implies that the changed harvest dates of the first three cuts and the resulting increase in specific methane potential are more important for the methane yield than what the fourth cut contributed. Similarly, Dickeduisberg et al [22] showed a decrease of total methane yield for tall wheatgrass harvested in a four-cut system compared to a two-cut system. It should be borne in mind that the ley used in the current study contained mainly grasses and little clover at harvest.…”

Section: Methane Potentialmentioning

confidence: 92%

Impact of Harvest Date and Cutting Length of Grass Ley and Whole-Crop Cereals on Methane Yield and Economic Viability as Feedstock for Biogas Vehicle Fuel Production

et al. 2018

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Grass ley and whole-crop cereals used for biogas production are often finely chopped for subsequent ensiling and anaerobic digestion. Chopping can impact not only ensiling stability, digestibility and risk of process hick-ups in the digester but also harvesting capacity and fuel consumption. Based on field experiment data, the aim of this study was to investigate how three different nominal cutting lengths in the range of 3.5 mm to 12.5 mm impact methane yield and economic viability of grass ley and whole-crop cereals used as biogas substrate. A shorter cutting length affected the specific methane potential differently for the different crops, + 14 to − 25%. In biogas vehicle fuel production, balancing the additional energy and economic costs for shorter cutting length required an increased methane potential of less than 1% and 3%, respectively. As long as a decrease in cutting length increased the methane potential, the energy balance and economic result improved, despite higher energy inputs. However, mechanisms behind the impact on methane potential deserve further attention. In conclusion, we have shown that it is economically viable to produce methane gas, as a vehicle fuel, from several agricultural crops grown in the south of Sweden, i.e. grass ley and whole-crop rye and wheat, when they are harvested/chopped with a forager, ensiled as biogas feedstocks and processed to methane gas in a large-scale biogas plant.

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Section: Methane Potentialmentioning

confidence: 92%

Impact of Harvest Date and Cutting Length of Grass Ley and Whole-Crop Cereals on Methane Yield and Economic Viability as Feedstock for Biogas Vehicle Fuel Production

et al. 2018

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“…For instance, the cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) and tall wheatgrass (Agropyron elongatum, 'Szarvasi-1') typically showed BMPs approx. 20% to 30% lower than that of maize at comparable biomass yields [4,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Bioenergy from Periodically Waterlogged Cropland in Europe: A First Assessment of the Potential of Five Perennial Energy Crops to Provide Biomass and Their Interactions with Soil

et al. 2019

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Harvesting of silage maize in late autumn on waterlogged soils may result in several ecological problems such as soil compaction and may subsequently be a major threat to soil fertility in Europe. It was hypothesized that perennial energy crops might reduce the vulnerability for soil compaction through earlier harvest dates and improved soil stability. However, the performance of such crops to be grown on soil that are periodically waterlogged and implications for soil chemical and microbial properties are currently an open issue. Within the framework of a two-year pot experiment we investigated the potential of the cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.), Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), giant knotweed (Fallopia japonicum × bohemica), tall wheatgrass (Agropyron elongatum), and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) for cultivation under periodically waterlogged soil conditions during the winter half year and implications for soil chemical and biological properties. Examined perennial energy crops coped with periodical waterlogging and showed yields 50% to 150% higher than in the control which was never faced with waterlogging. Root formation was similar in waterlogged and non-waterlogged soil layers. Soil chemical and microbial properties clearly responded to different soil moisture treatments. For example, dehydrogenase activity was two to four times higher in the periodically waterlogged treatment compared to the control. Despite waterlogging, aerobic microbial activity was significantly elevated indicating morphological and metabolic adaptation of the perennial crops to withstand waterlogged conditions. Thus, our results reveal first evidence of a site-adapted biomass production on periodical waterlogged soils through the cultivation of perennial energy crops and for intense plant microbe interactions.

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“…In this study, tall wheatgrass cultivars performed better in terms of biomass production than they did in another study that was carried out under marginal conditions in the USA, where yields of 3.1 Mg DM•ha −1 were reported [58]. However, studies under irrigation or located in areas without biophysical constraints provided better yields for tall wheatgrass cultivars, with biomass productions over 10 Mg DM•ha −1 in North America [37,59] and of 17.2 Mg DM•ha −1 in Germany for biogas production [23].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Long-Term Yield and Quality Performance of Perennial Energy Grasses (Agropyron spp.) on Marginal Land

et al. 2020

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The cultivation of perennial grasses is one of the most desirable alternatives as energy feedstock, but it is difficult to achieve competitive yields under Mediterranean marginal conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of three cool-season grasses (Agropyron spp.) from an agronomic and energetic point of view by comparing the dry matter (DM) yields, rain use efficiency, chemical composition, and biomass quality over an eight-year period in Spain under marginal rainfed conditions. The tall wheatgrass (Agropyron elongatum (Host) Beauv.) cultivars, Alkar (4.8 Mg DM·ha−1) and Jose (4.7 Mg DM·ha−1), achieved the highest yields. Productions below 0.5 Mg DM·ha−1 were obtained when rainfall was lower than 150 mm between March and June. The biomass obtained from the tested grasses showed relatively high contents of ash, silicon, and alkali elements. Net calorific values ranged between 16.7 and 18.5 MJ·kg−1 db. Differences in the composition among species and cultivars are not likely to affect their combustion behavior from a practical point of view. The ash content, as well as the concentrations of K, S, Na, and Cl, tended to decrease over the years. The results offered would be very useful for the implementation of this type of crop in marginal land.

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Tall wheatgrass ( Agropyron elongatum ) for biogas production: Crop management more important for biomass and methane yield than grass provenance

Cited by 18 publications

References 29 publications

Impact of Harvest Date and Cutting Length of Grass Ley and Whole-Crop Cereals on Methane Yield and Economic Viability as Feedstock for Biogas Vehicle Fuel Production

Impact of Harvest Date and Cutting Length of Grass Ley and Whole-Crop Cereals on Methane Yield and Economic Viability as Feedstock for Biogas Vehicle Fuel Production

Bioenergy from Periodically Waterlogged Cropland in Europe: A First Assessment of the Potential of Five Perennial Energy Crops to Provide Biomass and Their Interactions with Soil

Long-Term Yield and Quality Performance of Perennial Energy Grasses (Agropyron spp.) on Marginal Land

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