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Agriculture
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Utilization of Biomass Energy in Agriculture: Technology, Challenges and Opportunities
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Utilization of Biomass Energy in Agriculture: Technology, Challenges and Opportunities

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 15137

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Wenguo Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, CAAS, Sichuan 610064, China
Interests: anerobic digestate; wastewater treatment; microalgal cultivation; bioflocculation; biodiesel

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomass energy is a renewable, energy-efficient and environment-friendly energy that could play an important role in the optimization of the energy consumption structure, the increase of agricultural productivity and the improvement of environmental condition. Agricultural wastes such as lignocellulosic wastes (straw and garden waste) and livestock manure are regarded as the most important raw materials for biomass energy production, and can be converted into solid, liquid and gaseous fuels or other energy products through direct combustion (e.g., solid briquette fuel or biomass power generation), chemical methods (e.g., esterification), thermochemical conversion (e.g., gasification or pyrolysis), and biological conversion (e.g., ethanol fermentation and biogas production). From this aspect, the utilization of biomass energy mostly refers to the treatment and use of agricultural waste by those bioenergy conversion technologies, while the byproducts from bioenergy generation can be also applied in the agriculture.

This Special Issue focuses on utilization of biomass energy in agricultural wastes conversion processes, the valorization of the byproducts, the conversion technology and equipment, and its commercial mode. Industrial policy, economic analysis, and environmental impact assessment of biomass energy can be also included in this Issue. Original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Wenguo Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomass energy
  • biogas
  • bioethanol
  • biodiesel
  • biomass power generation
  • biomass gasification
  • by-product
  • energy policy
  • environment impact

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 8256 KiB  
Article
Prospects for Biodiesel Production from Emerging Algal Resource: Process Optimization and Characterization of Biodiesel Properties
by Maria Hasnain, Neelma Munir, Zainul Abideen, Heather Macdonald, Maria Hamid, Zaheer Abbas, Ali El-Keblawy, Roberto Mancinelli and Emanuele Radicetti
Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 407; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture13020407 - 09 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2277
Abstract
The present work focuses on the optimization of the energy conversion process and the use of algal resources for biodiesel production with ultrasound and microwave techniques in Oedogonium, Oscillatoria, Ulothrix, Chlorella, Cladophora, and Spirogyra for the first time. [...] Read more.
The present work focuses on the optimization of the energy conversion process and the use of algal resources for biodiesel production with ultrasound and microwave techniques in Oedogonium, Oscillatoria, Ulothrix, Chlorella, Cladophora, and Spirogyra for the first time. The fuel properties are investigated to optimize the efficiency of the newly emerging algal energy feedstock. The study indicates that the optimized microwave technique improves the lipid extraction efficiency in Oedogonium, Oscillatoria, Ulothrix, Chlorella, Cladophora, and Spirogyra (38.5, 34, 55, 48, 40, and 33%, respectively). Moreover, the ultrasonic technique was also effective in extracting more lipids from Oedogonium sp., Oscillatoria sp., Ulothrix sp., Chlorella, Cladophora sp., and Spirogyra sp. (32, 21, 51, 40, and 36%, respectively) than from controls, using an ultra-sonication power of 80 kHz with an 8-min extraction time. The fatty acid composition, especially the contents of C16:0 and C18:1, were also enhanced after the microwave and sonication pretreatments in algal species. Enhancement of the lipids extracted from algal species improved the cetane number, high heating value, cold filter plugging point, and oxidative stability as compared to controls. Our results indicate that the conversion of biofuels from algae could be increased by the ultrasound and microwave techniques, to develop an eco-green and sustainable environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass Energy in Agriculture: Technology, Challenges and Opportunities)
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25 pages, 14244 KiB  
Article
Applying Silver Nanoparticles to Enhance Metabolite Accumulation and Biodiesel Production in New Algal Resources
by Maria Hasnain, Neelma Munir, Zainul Abideen, Daniel Anthony Dias, Farheen Aslam and Roberto Mancinelli
Agriculture 2023, 13(1), 73; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture13010073 - 26 Dec 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2446
Abstract
Biofuel generation from algae can be increased by using nanotechnology. The present study emphasizes the use of silver nanoparticles on algae for algal fuel generation along with the impact of nanoparticles on biomass, metabolites and lipid profile. Silver ion amassing was enhanced in [...] Read more.
Biofuel generation from algae can be increased by using nanotechnology. The present study emphasizes the use of silver nanoparticles on algae for algal fuel generation along with the impact of nanoparticles on biomass, metabolites and lipid profile. Silver ion amassing was enhanced in each algal species, but maximum phytoremediation was found in Ulothrix sp. Carbohydrates increased 3.2 times in Oedogonium sp., 3.3 times in Ulothrix sp., 3 times in Cladophora sp. and 2.7 times in Spirogyra sp. Additionally, the application of nanoparticles enhanced by 2 times the production of proteins in Oedogonium sp., 1.9 times in Ulothrix sp., 1.9 times in Cladophora sp. and 2.1 times in Spirogyra sp. Finally, the total lipid yield increased 60% DCW in Oedogonium sp., 56% DCW in Ulothrix sp., 58% DCW in Cladophora sp. and 63% DCW in Spirogyra sp. using 0.08 mg/L silver nanoparticle application. The lipids and fatty acid fractions from algae containing high concentrations of C16:0, C18:0 and C18:1 enhanced with silver nanoparticle addition were comparable with EN 14214 and ASTM 6751 biodiesel standards. This study indicates that the uptake of AgNPs can enhance the production of fatty acids and be commercialized as sustainable biodiesel. The algae Ulothrix sp. is evidenced as the best competent feedstock for biofuel production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass Energy in Agriculture: Technology, Challenges and Opportunities)
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14 pages, 2383 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Biogas Production of Corn Stover by Biogas Slurry Reflux Based on Microfiltration Membrane Filtration and Biochar Adsorption
by Xiaohong Su, Jingbo Qu, Yan Huang, Wei Liu and Yong Sun
Agriculture 2022, 12(12), 2040; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture12122040 - 29 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1367
Abstract
Reflux of biogas slurry is an effective way to reduce the discharge of wastewater. In order to improve the utilization efficiency of reflux fluid and reduce ammonia inhibition in an anaerobic digestion (AD) system, biogas slurry was pretreated by microfiltration membrane and biochar [...] Read more.
Reflux of biogas slurry is an effective way to reduce the discharge of wastewater. In order to improve the utilization efficiency of reflux fluid and reduce ammonia inhibition in an anaerobic digestion (AD) system, biogas slurry was pretreated by microfiltration membrane and biochar adsorption. In this study, the suspension solid (SS), biochemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) were investigated, as well as the gas production effect of the reflux of biogas slurry in AD, so as to evaluate the filtration effect of the microfiltration membrane with different pore sizes and the adsorption effect of biochar with different dosages. The results showed that 0.65 μm microfiltration had the best interaction effect and 7 g/L biochar had the best adsorption effect. The results of anaerobic co-digestion of the biogas slurry and corn stover showed the peak gas production of the pretreated reflux fluid was advanced by 1 day, and the maximum daily methane production and maximum cumulative methane production reached 39.20 mL·g−1 VS and 137.14 mL·g−1 VS, respectively. These results indicated that the combined treatment of biogas slurry by microfiltration membrane and biochar could have potential applications for the treatment and recycling of biogas slurry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass Energy in Agriculture: Technology, Challenges and Opportunities)
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14 pages, 2536 KiB  
Article
Isolation of Lignin from Anaerobically Digested Unhydrolyzed Solids Produced in a Biorefinery
by Xiaoyu Tang, Kunyang Zhao, Chunlin Gao, Xionghui Gao, Venkatesh Balan and Wenguo Wang
Agriculture 2022, 12(10), 1621; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture12101621 - 06 Oct 2022
Viewed by 2457
Abstract
About 30–40% of lignin-rich unhydrolyzed solids (UHS) are left behind after subjecting lignocellulosic biomass to thermochemical pretreated processes followed by enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) to produce sugars that are fermented to fuels and chemicals in a biorefinery. Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) is one of [...] Read more.
About 30–40% of lignin-rich unhydrolyzed solids (UHS) are left behind after subjecting lignocellulosic biomass to thermochemical pretreated processes followed by enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) to produce sugars that are fermented to fuels and chemicals in a biorefinery. Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) is one of the leading alkaline pretreatment processes that use volatile ammonia that can be recovered and reused beneficially for the environment. In this work, we used AFEX-EH-UHS which are produced after subjecting corn stover to AFEX followed by EH and contain carbohydrates, ashes, and other impurities that are detrimental to the conversion of lignin to high-value products. In the study, we discovered that ~80% of the carbohydrates present in AFEX-EH-UHS were hydrolyzed and consumed during the AD process. The resulting solids, hereafter called AD-UHS, were subjected to lignin extraction using different combinations of solvents under reflux conditions. The solvent-extracted lignin was subjected to thermogravimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and molecular weight analysis. Among the solvents, acetic acid could produce 95% pure lignin with some chemical modification, while aqueous ethanol was able to produce 80% pure lignin without any chemical modification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass Energy in Agriculture: Technology, Challenges and Opportunities)
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11 pages, 1201 KiB  
Article
Biomass Fatty Acid Profile and Fuel Property Prediction of Bagasse Waste Grown Nannochloropsis oculata
by Abo El-Khair B. El-Sayed, Nashwa A. Fetyan, Farahat S. Moghanm, Mohssen Elbagory, Fatma M. Ibrahim, Mahmoud W. Sadik and Mohamed S. Shokr
Agriculture 2022, 12(8), 1201; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture12081201 - 11 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1626
Abstract
The Chrythophyta alga Nannochloropsis oculata was mixotrophically grown in artificial media enriched with acid-prehydrolyzed bagasse waste as a source of organic carbon. The used growth medium was composed of F2 nutrients, sea salt (22.0 g L−1), and bagasse extract dissolved in [...] Read more.
The Chrythophyta alga Nannochloropsis oculata was mixotrophically grown in artificial media enriched with acid-prehydrolyzed bagasse waste as a source of organic carbon. The used growth medium was composed of F2 nutrients, sea salt (22.0 g L−1), and bagasse extract dissolved in sterile tap water. All of the determined growth parameters resulted in their maximums, as the alga was fed with 25% F2 growth medium enriched with 10% bagasse extract, while bagasse-extract-free medium engaged the total chlorophyll and carotenes at the expense of dry weight accumulation during the vegetative growth period. On the contrary, the dry weight under induction growth slightly differed among the different employed treatments; however, all the treatments surpassed the control one, and variation was obviously found in the cases of chlorophyll and carotene. A slight increase in oil content (6.19–11.89%) was observed, as the vegetative cells were grown under induction conditions. The fatty acids ranged between C16 and C20, and the proportions of SFA and MUFA increased from a sum of 63.57% to 88.31%, while the PUFA, including linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid, declined from 36.3 to 11.69%. Concerning the fuel properties, the induction-produced oil surpassed the vegetative one. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass Energy in Agriculture: Technology, Challenges and Opportunities)
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12 pages, 1584 KiB  
Article
Thermal Decomposition Characteristics and Kinetic Analysis of Chicken Manure in Various Atmospheres
by Xiaodong Pu, Mingdong Wei, Xiaopeng Chen, Linlin Wang and Liangwei Deng
Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 607; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture12050607 - 25 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1831
Abstract
Thermal decomposition technology is one of the main ways to treat biomass wastes. By utilizing chicken manure as raw material, thermogravimetric and derivative thermogravimetry (TG and DTG) are carried out on chicken manure at various heating rates (5, 10, 15, and 20 °C/min) [...] Read more.
Thermal decomposition technology is one of the main ways to treat biomass wastes. By utilizing chicken manure as raw material, thermogravimetric and derivative thermogravimetry (TG and DTG) are carried out on chicken manure at various heating rates (5, 10, 15, and 20 °C/min) under nitrogen and air atmosphere to explore the thermal decomposition characteristics and kinetics. The obtained results indicate that there are great discrepancies between them in these two atmospheres. Chicken manure is pyrolyzed under nitrogen; however, it is first thermally decomposed and then developed for combustion under air. The temperature range of the main peak of thermal decomposition in the air atmosphere is significantly lower than that in the nitrogen atmosphere by about 30 °C. Furthermore, the fluctuation of the DTG curve pertinent to the air atmosphere is commonly greater than that obtained in the nitrogen atmosphere, and the main combustion section usually presents an obvious W-shape peak. The thermal decomposition kinetics of the chicken manure is also determined as random nucleation model F1 by employing the Malek method, and the mechanism function is derived by f(α)=1−α. Under nitrogen atmosphere, the activation energy is between 24.18~31.55 kJ·mol−1. Under air atmospheric conditions, the minimum activation energy of the second temperature section is 8.85 kJ·mol−1, and the activation energy of the first section is less than that of the third section. In the presence of both nitrogen and air, the best result for the thermal decomposition of the sample is attained under the action of 10 °C/min heating rate. The corresponding activation energies are 31.55 kJ·mol−1 and 95.91 kJ·mol−1, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass Energy in Agriculture: Technology, Challenges and Opportunities)
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10 pages, 2990 KiB  
Article
Yield and Quality of Rice under the Effects of Digestate Application
by Yi Ran, Xinlu Bai, Yan Long and Ping Ai
Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 514; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture12040514 - 05 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1814
Abstract
As a major measure to handle livestock manure, digestate is the by-product during biogas production in anaerobic fermentation. Digestate can be returned to cropland as a replacement for chemical fertilizer regarding its cost-effectiveness and rich nutrient content. However, the optimal rates of digestate [...] Read more.
As a major measure to handle livestock manure, digestate is the by-product during biogas production in anaerobic fermentation. Digestate can be returned to cropland as a replacement for chemical fertilizer regarding its cost-effectiveness and rich nutrient content. However, the optimal rates of digestate to substitute chemical fertilizer have not been validated academically. A field study on nine treatments of no fertilizer, chemical fertilizer, and digestate at different rates was conducted to investigate the effects of substituting chemical fertilizer with digestate. The results revealed that replacing chemical fertilizer with liquid digestate did not significantly affect the rice growth regarding the maximum number of seedlings, plant height, tiller numbers, spikelets numbers, ear length, the number of grains per spike, and grain yields. However, improvements were found in the maximum number of seedlings, plant height, tiller number spikelet numbers, the area of the second and third backward leaves, grain yields, and quality when liquid and solid digestate were combined. Furthermore, taking the nutrient inputs, rice growth, grain yield, and quality into consideration, applying liquid digestate of 150 t ha−1 and 75 t ha−1 of liquid combined with 15 t ha−1 solid digestate was suggested for rice production at the study venue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass Energy in Agriculture: Technology, Challenges and Opportunities)
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