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Recycling Biomass for Agriculture and Bioenergy Production
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Recycling Biomass for Agriculture and Bioenergy Production

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 8592

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Md. Abdul Kader

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Oceans and Natural Sciences, University of South Pacific, Samoa campus, Apia, Samoa
Interests: soil fertility; N mineralization; C sequestration; soil organic matter (SOM) quality; SOM stabilization mechanisms; N2 fixation; greenhouse gas emission; carbon footprint analysis; soil enzyme activities
Prof. Dr. Shamim Mia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Patuakhali, Bangladesh
Interests: soil fertility; sustainable agriculture; plant nutrition; crop production; plant physiology; fertilizers; soil analysis; climate change; environment; agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zakaria Solaiman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
Interests: biochar; compost; soil health; mycorrhizal symbiosis; soil contaminants; medicinal plants; agronomy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is a constant and abundant production of green biomass in terrestrial and aquatic systems, crop residues in agricultural production systems or industrial byproducts in agricultural industries, solid waste biomass in urban areas, and microbial and algal biomass in natural and industrial systems. This biomass is a great resource for sustainable soil fertility and productivity management to achieve food security for a rapidly growing global population and bioenergy production to minimize fossil fuel use. These biomasses can be recycled for agriculture as a source of carbon and other nutrients, while these wastes can also be utilized for bioenergy generation. Moreover, a fraction of biomass can be used as feed for animals if separated and treated properly. Composting, pyrolysis, biogas generation, and combined application are used to recycle energy and nutrients. Significant advancements in the research of production conditions and product up-gradation have been made in converting biomass to usable products in the notion of the circular economy. For instance, composting and biomass digestion methods are adopted from household to industrial scale while customized engineering designs evolve. Moreover, additives (microorganisms and others) are applied to accelerate the process and improve product quality. When applied to soil, compost, biochar, bioslurry, and blended products enhance soil fertility, mitigate climate change, and sustain soil carbon stock. Despite that, there has been little effort to bring all these aspects together within the framework of the circular economy addressing multiple sectors including biomass, engineering, industry, pollution, agriculture, energy, and climate change, etc. Therefore, it requires further attention.

This Special Issue explores biomass generation and its characterization, conversion to fertilizers and energy using different methods, recent advancements in technologies and their applicability, uses of additives, product up-gradation, and their role as soil amendments. We aim to bring together a wide range of contributors working in agronomy, engineering, microbiology, chemistry, environmental sciences, economics, and policy sciences. We welcome experimental research papers, modelling, databased studies, and review articles on the current state of the art technology and future challenges related to:

  1. The advancement of composting techniques including vermicomposting, compost quality and their useability in agriculture as soil amendments;
  2. Bioenergy generation from waste using different methods including pyrolysis, aerobic, and anaerobic digestion;
  3. Microbiological aspects of digestion and composting;
  4. Agronomic performance of animal manure, compost, vermicompost, biochar, bio-slurry, and sewage sludge;
  5. Crop residues and waste materials management, e.g., rice straw, wheat straw, corn residue, sugar cane trash and baggage, jute straw, pulse and oilseed crop residues, vegetable residues, grasses, fruit crops residues and algae, and crop and food processing residues;
  6. Life cycle assessment of different biomass conversion systems.

Dr. Md. Abdul Kader
Prof. Dr. Shamim Mia
Dr. Zakaria Solaiman
Guest Editors

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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • biostimulants
  • composting
  • vermicomposting
  • biochar
  • livestock waste
  • manure
  • green manure
  • crop residue
  • soil amendments
  • biofuel
  • biogas
  • bio-slurry
  • pyrolysis
  • plant biomass
  • bioenergy
  • microbial and algal biomass
  • municipal solid waste
  • thermochemical conversion
  • biomass briquettes
  • hydrotreating
  • gasification

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4195 KiB  
Article
Bioconversion of Agroindustrial Asparagus Waste into Bacterial Cellulose by Komagataeibacter rhaeticus
by Claudio Quiñones-Cerna, Juan Carlos Rodríguez-Soto, Gabriela Barraza-Jáuregui, Johnny Huanes-Carranza, José Alfredo Cruz-Monzón, Wilmer Ugarte-López, Fernando Hurtado-Butrón, Fanny Samanamud-Moreno, David Haro-Carranza, Stefany Valdivieso-Moreno, David Salirrosas-Fernández and Marisol Contreras Quiñones
Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 736; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020736 - 15 Jan 2024
Viewed by 857
Abstract
Bacterial cellulose is a biomaterial known for its physical and mechanical properties, including its high mechanical strength, water retention capacity, and biocompatibility. Its production from various carbohydrates has been widely studied, aiming to find more efficient and cost-effective culture media. This study investigated [...] Read more.
Bacterial cellulose is a biomaterial known for its physical and mechanical properties, including its high mechanical strength, water retention capacity, and biocompatibility. Its production from various carbohydrates has been widely studied, aiming to find more efficient and cost-effective culture media. This study investigated the production of bacterial cellulose from agroindustrial asparagus peel waste by Komagataeibacter rhaeticus QK23. A strain of QK23 was isolated and cultivated from a kombucha tea, identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics using the 16S rRNA gene. The waste was hydrolyzed and converted into fermentable sugars. Using the response surface methodology, the inoculum dose (1–20%) and incubation time (3–25 days) were evaluated concerning bacterial cellulose yield. The results demonstrated that with an optimal inoculum dose of 10.5% and an incubation time of 25 days, a production of 2.57 g/L was achieved. It was characterized as similar to type I cellulose, exhibiting a high degree of crystallinity (81.89%) and suitable morphological properties, evidenced by a fiber size of 178 nm and a surface roughness of 27.05 nm. Converting asparagus waste into bacterial cellulose is a sustainable and effective strategy that promotes the development of advanced biomaterials in biotechnology research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling Biomass for Agriculture and Bioenergy Production)
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15 pages, 1171 KiB  
Article
The Mechanism and Countermeasures of the Impact of State Subsidy Backslide on the Efficiency of Waste-to-Energy Enterprises—A Case Study in China
by Huo-Gen Wang and Han Rao
Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14190; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914190 - 26 Sep 2023
Viewed by 979
Abstract
The scientific investment decision model of waste incineration power generation is helpful in providing a scientific basis for the government and environmental protection enterprises to formulate reasonable waste prices. The waste incineration power generation project revenue and cost composition framework, based on the [...] Read more.
The scientific investment decision model of waste incineration power generation is helpful in providing a scientific basis for the government and environmental protection enterprises to formulate reasonable waste prices. The waste incineration power generation project revenue and cost composition framework, based on the project net present value of factors affecting causality analysis, the construction of a waste incineration power generation PPP project net present value system dynamics model, and the use of Vensim PLE software, version 7.3.5, combined with the garbage power generation of listed companies, was built, and we put into use the enterprise’s financial data and the author’s research of the case of the BOT (Build–Operate–Transfer) project data to examine the validity of the model test, simulation, and sensitivity analysis. The results show that the regression of a national subsidy does not necessarily lead to a price adjustment of the waste disposal fee, and when a change in tariff subsidy occurs, the loss brought by the reduction in a feed-in tariff can be compensated by increasing the income from carbon sinks, decreasing the intensity of investment through technological advancement, improving the coefficient of waste power generation through garbage classification, and increasing the utilization of production capacity through the treatment of multiple wastes in a single or a combination of ways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling Biomass for Agriculture and Bioenergy Production)
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14 pages, 1210 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Co-Composting as an Alternative for the Use of Agricultural Waste of Spring Onions, Chicken Manure and Bio-Waste Produced in Moorland Ecosystems
by Edgar Ricardo Oviedo-Ocaña, Angelica Hernández-Gómez, Isabel Dominguez, Brayan Alexis Parra-Orobio, Jonathan Soto-Paz and Antoni Sánchez
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8720; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148720 - 16 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1797
Abstract
Composting is an adequate method for treating and valorizing agricultural waste such as those from spring onion (SO) cultivation and chicken breeding (chicken manure–CM). However, the low content of Total Organic Carbon in the waste from SO and the high concentration of total [...] Read more.
Composting is an adequate method for treating and valorizing agricultural waste such as those from spring onion (SO) cultivation and chicken breeding (chicken manure–CM). However, the low content of Total Organic Carbon in the waste from SO and the high concentration of total nitrogen in CM are limitations for the composting process. This research studied the co-composting of SO and CM in a moorland ecosystem, together with locally available co-substrates such as biowaste (BW) and woodchips (WC), focusing on the effect of co-composting in process development and end-product quality. A pilot-scale experiment was carried out using three treatments in triplicated composting piles: (i) Treatment A: 43% CM + 41% BW + 16% WC; (ii) Treatment B: 52% CM + 32% SO + 16% WC, and (iii) Treatment C: 70% SO + 30% WC. Treatments A and B reached thermophilic temperatures after two days of the process start and remained at that level for 17 days. However, treatment B reached environmental temperature during curing in a shorter time (43 days) than treatment A (53 days). Treatment C did not achieve thermophilic temperatures. Tests carried out at the end of the process showed end-product stability and non-phytotoxic characteristics (germination indexes 80%). The fertility index of the products showed that treatments A and B presented values of 4.3 (over 5.0) while treatment C obtained a value of 2.5. From the perspective of agricultural use, products from the three treatments had limitations due to deficiencies in essential nutrients like phosphorus. Still, they had potential as a soil amendment for restoration processes. In summary, we have demonstrated that this waste, in combination with other organic materials, could be a good amendment for the composting process and the end product. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling Biomass for Agriculture and Bioenergy Production)
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Review

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29 pages, 3552 KiB  
Review
Land Application of Biosolids-Derived Biochar in Australia: A Review
by Payel Sinha, Serhiy Marchuk, Peter Harris, Diogenes L. Antille and Bernadette K. McCabe
Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 10909; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410909 - 12 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1816
Abstract
Thermal treatment in Australia is gaining interest due to legislative changes, waste reduction goals, and the need to address contaminants’ risks in biosolids used for agriculture. The resulting biochar product has the potential to be beneficially recycled as a soil amendment. On-farm management [...] Read more.
Thermal treatment in Australia is gaining interest due to legislative changes, waste reduction goals, and the need to address contaminants’ risks in biosolids used for agriculture. The resulting biochar product has the potential to be beneficially recycled as a soil amendment. On-farm management practices were reviewed to identify barriers that need to be overcome to increase recycling and examine the role of pyrolysis and gasification in effectively improving the quality and safety of biochar intended for land application. Key findings revealed the following: (1) thermal treatment can effectively eliminate persistent organic pollutants, microplastics, and pathogens, and (2) more than 90% of the total heavy metals content in biosolids may become immobilized when these are converted to biochar, thus reducing their bioavailability following land application. While the reported research on the short-term effects of biosolids-derived biochar suggests promising agronomic results, there is a dearth of information on long-term effects. Other knowledge gaps include the optimization of land application rates, understanding of the rate of breakdown, and the fate of contaminants in soil and water, including heavy metal mobility and redistribution in the environment by processes such as erosion and runoff following land application. An improved understanding of nutrients and contaminants dynamics in soils receiving biosolids-derived biochar is a pre-requisite for their safe use in Australian agriculture, and therefore, it is highlighted as a priority area for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling Biomass for Agriculture and Bioenergy Production)
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21 pages, 920 KiB  
Review
Potentials of Biomass Waste Valorization: Case of South America
by Sofía Sampaolesi, Laura Estefanía Briand, Mario Carlos Nazareno Saparrat and María Victoria Toledo
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8343; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108343 - 21 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1737
Abstract
Various surveys carried out by the government and scientific projects on the availability of direct and indirect waste biomass in South America have reported that Brazil and Colombia produce 97% of the total waste biomass in the region, directly obtained from their extensive [...] Read more.
Various surveys carried out by the government and scientific projects on the availability of direct and indirect waste biomass in South America have reported that Brazil and Colombia produce 97% of the total waste biomass in the region, directly obtained from their extensive plantations of sugarcane. In addition, Argentina generates 45% of the total indirect biomass, followed by Brazil, Peru, Chile and Paraguay. The major source of those residues comprises sub-products of the wood (43%) and alimentary industries (20% from sugarcane and 11% from tea). Meaningful quantities of agricultural waste originate from soybean and corn, as the continent produces 50% and 11% of the global harvest of these crops. The higher content of cellulose in eucalyptus and willow waste (49%), among woody residues, along with their low lignin levels, makes them more suitable for delignification and exploitation as a biorefinery feedstock. Regarding the remains of agroindustrial activities, sugarcane bagasse (53%), corn cob (40%), wheat straw (49%) and banana hulls (38%) are the remarkable ones. In this context, the latest research concerning the use of commercial enzymatic cocktails for cellulose and hemicellulose deconstruction and the consequent feedstock hydrolysis is reviewed. In addition, we introduce the potential applications of cellulases isolated from native Latin American microbiota explored by South American research groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling Biomass for Agriculture and Bioenergy Production)
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