This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on using crops as biofuel.
The first chapter reviews the key issues and challenges faced when expanding sugarcane cultivation for bioenergy, primarily, competition with food crops, loss of biodiversity, water, air and soil pollution, as well as a potential increase in pest problems.
The second chapter describes current technologies and constraints of biodiesel production, including the need for a consistent supply of feedstock to ensure a sustainable biodiesel industry. The chapter also examines life cycle assessment (LCA) of canola/rapeseed biodiesel production.
The third chapter addresses the sustainability of biofuels derived from palm oil and discusses the impact of their production on our ecosystems. The chapter also reviews the economics of biofuel and the levels of governmental support needed for sustainable production.
The fourth chapter examines the potential of varying grassland types for biomass production. It details the options for use of grassland biomass, citing its suitability for combustion, pyrolysis, biorefining and for use in bioenergy applications.
The final chapter reviews best agronomic practices for increasing overall biomass output in the face of pressing environmental changes. It also utilises the LCA framework to review strategies for crop improvement, such as crop rotations.
Chapter 1 - Cultivating sugarcane for use in bioenergy applications: key issues: Hardev S. Sandhu, University of Florida, USA; 1 Introduction2 Key issues and challenges in cultivating sugarcane for bioenergy applications3 Addressing the key challenges4 Case studies in how research can be used to improve cultivation in practice5 Future trends in research6 Concluding remarks7 References Chapter 2 Production of biodiesel from oilseeds: canola/rapeseed: B. Brian He and Dev Shrestha, University of Idaho, USA; 1 Introduction2 Current technologies and constraints of biodiesel production3 Life cycle assessment of canola/rapeseed biodiesel4 Future trends and conclusion5 Where to look for further information6 References Chapter 3 Use of palm oil for biofuel: Jean-Marc Roda, CIRAD and Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia; 1 Introduction2 Trends in biofuels3 Production of palm-based biofuels4 Biodiesel economics5 Imports and defiscalisation: the odd alliance6 The geopolitics of agribusiness: competition between productions systems7 Conclusions8 References Chapter 4 Use of grassland for bioenergy and biorefining: Ulrich Thumm, University of Hohenheim, Germany; 1 Introduction2 Grassland biomass and biomass quality3 Alternative uses for biomass from permanent grassland4 Prospects for using grasslands for bioenergy5 Conclusions6 Where to look for further information7 References Chapter 5 Improvement options for agricultural crop production for food, feed and bioenergy: Benoît Gabrielle, AgroParisTech and Université Paris-Saclay, France; and Pietro Goglio, Wageningen University, The Netherlands and Cranfield University, UK; 1 Introduction: the case for improving the performance of crop production systems2 Methodological background3 Improvement options4 Summary5 Future trends in research6 Where to look for further information7 References
