Seeds of the tropical plant Jatropha curcas (purge nut, physic nut) are used for the production of oil. Several methods for oil extraction have been developed. In all processes, about 50% of the weight of the seeds remain as a press cake containing mainly protein and carbohydrates. Investigations have shown that this residue contains toxic compounds and cannot be used as animal feed without further processing. Preliminary experiments have shown that the residue is a good substrate for biogas production. Biogas formation was studied using a semicontinous upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor; a contact-process and an anaerobic filter each reactor having a total volume of 110 L. A maximum production rate of 3.5 m3 m-3 d-1 was obtained in the anaerobic filter with a loading rate of 13 kg COD m-3 d-1. However, the UASB reactor and the contact-process were not suitable for using this substrate. When using an anaerobic filter with Jatropha curcas seed cake as a substrate, 76% of the COD was degraded and 1 kg degraded COD yielded 355 L of biogas containing 70% methane.

Biogas production from Jatropha curcas press-cake.

Brown seaweeds lack lignin and have a low cellulose content. Thus, seaweeds should be an easier material for biological degradation than land plants. However, seaweeds have a complex composition, a ...

Bioenergy from brown seaweeds

Net energy and gross pollution from bioethanol production in India

Short-rotation coppice Salix genotypes of differing biomass yields were studied over two growing seasons with the long-term aim of identifying traits definitive of high yield for the breeding of elite energy crops. In the first season, basic leaf and stem traits were measured in six Salix genotypes, to identify morphological characteristics associated with high biomass yields. Thereafter, S. viminalis L. ‘L78183’ (low yield) and the hybrid genotype S. schwerinii E. Wolf× S. viminalis L. ‘Tora’ (high yield) were compared. Maximum stem heights and stem diameters increased with biomass yield. ‘Tora’ produced more sylleptic branches on the leading stems than ‘L78183’. Leaf traits differed significantly between the two genotypes: individual leaf area and cell number per leaf was greater in ‘Tora’, whereas cell area was greater in ‘L78183’, suggesting that final leaf areas were attained in ‘Tora’ through the production of many, small cells, and in ‘L78183’ through fewer, large cells. Leaf extension rates were higher in ‘Tora’ than ‘L78183’. This result was mirrored for leaf production rate. Leaf area index, examined at two coppice stages, was higher in ‘L78183’ (values of 2.06 and 1.67) than in ‘Tora’ (maximum value 1.43) which had a very open canopy. Furthermore, A/Ci analysis revealed the low-yielding genotype as the most photosynthetically efficient at the individual leaf level whereas light response curves suggest that ‘Tora’ utilised light more efficiently. The results presented in this study suggest that leaf extension rate, final leaf size and cell number per leaf may be indicative of yield, and may be useful as selection criteria for potentially high-yielding hybrids for biomass use.

Defining leaf traits linked to yield in short-rotation coppice Salix

Populus is a genus of extremely fast-growing trees originating in the northern hemisphere, with potential as a source of renewable, biomass energy. The aim of this work was to physiologically characterize genotypes of hybrid poplar, informing future selection, breeding and the development of process-based yield models. Two experiments – a short rotation coppice field trial at two contrasting UK sites and a glasshouse experiment – were conducted on five different genotypes of Populus. The field trial experiment showed that stemwood yields varied between 5.8 and 11.8 t ha?1 a?1 and that the genotype, Hoogvorst (Populus trichocarpa × P. deltoides) was the most productive. This production was characterized at a physiological level by rapid rates of leaf expansion and slow rates of leaf production and, at a cellular level, by the largest epidermal cell number per leaf. The glasshouse experiment confirmed the superior productivity of Hoogvorst, with this genotype producing the largest individual leaf areas (P 0.005) that were highly correlated with biomass production (R2 = 0.7). There was no correlation between leaf-level photosynthesis measurements and total biomass production. In general, leaf level photosynthetic characteristics were less able to differentiate between the most productive and less productive genotypes than morphological traits.

/pdf/leaf-level-productivity-traits-in-populus-grown-in-short-2t4diaayaq.pdf

Leaf-level productivity traits in Populus grown in short rotation coppice for biomass energy

Biomass fuels currently supply around 15 per cent of the World's energy. Much of this is in the form of traditional fuelwood, plant residues and dung, which are often inefficiently used and can be environmentally detrimental. There is great potential for the modernization of biomass fuels to produce convenient energy carriers, such as electricity, gases and transportation fuels, while continuing to provide for traditional uses of biomass; this is already happening in many countries. When produced in an efficient and sustainable manner, biomass energy has numerous environmental and social benefits compared with fossil fuels. These include waste control, nutrient recycling, job creation, use of surplus agricultural land in industrialized countries, provision of modern energy carriers to rural communities of developing countries, improved land management, and a reduction of CO2 levels. Using biomass to substitute for fossil fuels is afar more effective use of available land than simply growing trees as a car...

Biomass: An Environmentally Acceptable Fuel for the Future

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Biomass: An Environmentally Acceptable Fuel for the Future