The Effect of Local Biomass Projects on Energy Balance and GHG Emission: A Life Cycle Approach

Emerging attention has been given to the use of biomass in local areas for its contribution to reducing fossil fuel dependence and mitigating global warming. The objective of the present study is to develop a method that quantitatively assesses the effects of local biomass projects on fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. A practical method based on a life cycle approach is proposed and applied to a case of bioethanol project in Miyako Islands of Japan. The project is aiming to produce bioethanol from molasses within the islands, and to replace the entire gasoline consumed in the islands to E3 fuel (i.e., a mixture of 3% ethanol and 97% gasoline by volume). The assessment using the developed method revealed that, first, the complete shift from gasoline to E3 fuel allows for decreases in fossil fuel consumption and GHG emission. Second, the performance of the project is improved by the integration of the ethanol plant and the sugar factory. Moreover, the assessment found that, in small-scale bioethanol projects, the contribution of capital goods to life cycle fuel consumption and GHG emission is not negligible.     

Halopriming imparts tolerance to salt and PEG induced drought stress in sugarcane

Sugarcane, a glycophyte grown in the tropical and subtropical regions, is frequently subjected to soil salinity, affecting the yield and quality of the harvest. The ameliorative efficiency of salt priming on emergence and plantlet growth was examined in sugarcane cultivars which are known to vary in salt tolerance under field conditions. Salt priming with NaCl (100 mM) improved both the percent and rate of germination of the sets of the tolerant (Co 62175) and moderately tolerant (CoM 265) varieties compared to sensitive (CoC 671) and test variety (Co 86032). Salt priming during germination also improved the growth performance of two-month-old sugarcane plants in terms of shoot length, shoot and root fresh weight when subjected to 15 day iso-osmotic (−0.7 MPa) NaCl (150 mM) or polyethylene glycol (PEG 8000; 20%, w/v) stress. The primed plants exhibited lower salt- and dehydration-induced leaf senescence. The results suggest salt priming as an efficient approach for imparting abiotic stress tolerance in sugarcane.     

Eco‐efficiency,self‐sufficiency and sustainability in transport: The limits for Brazilian sugarcane ethanol policy

This paper examines the historic development of the Brazilian sugarcane ethanol sector and the largely successful attempt to create a sustainable, renewable fuel for the transport sector. The policy that resulted from this process is an example of meeting the need for sustainable transport through the consideration of location‐specific characteristics and appropriate policy. The paper then questions the current and expected trajectory of the sugarcane ethanol sector with the focus on one key question: can sustainability be exported? In this analysis, the paper identifies new threats to the sustainability of Brazilian sugarcane ethanol and potential “opportunity costs” incurred in further development and internationalization of the sector. The paper concludes that exporting sugarcane ethanol may bring unanticipated deleterious consequences, which in turn means that both policy and theory need to be more precise about how sustainable transport is defined and bounded by time and space.     

Cloning and expression analysis of ScBAK1 gene and its alternative spliceosome in sugarcane北大核心CSCD

Alternative splicing (AS) is an important part of regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. BAK1 (Brassinosteroid insensitive1-associated receptor kinase 1) is a specific type of plant serine/threonine protein kinases, and can regulate growth and development and natural immunization. To reveal the responses of sugarcane BAK1 gene to the adverse environment, a ScBAK1 gene and its alternative spliceosome, termed ScBAK1 (GenBank accession number: KP032226) and ScBAK1 S1 (GenBank accession number: KP032227), were cloned from leaf cDNA of Yacheng 05-179 utilizing the methods of electronic cloning and RT-PCR. The open reading frame (ORF) length of ScBAK1/ScBAK1 S1 gene was 1 860bp/1 770bp, encoding 619/589 amino acids residues. The predicted molecular weight of the protein was 69.28 kDa/ 65.76 kDa. Both proteins were located in plasma membrane, estimated as acid, hydrophikic and secretive proteins. Random coil and alpha helix gave priority to extended strand in their secondary structure without beta turn. The most important protein function was cell envelope, secondly biosynthesis of amino acids and cofactors. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression of sugarcane ScBAK1 S1 gene exhibited the reduced expression trend under smut fungus stress and various abiotic exogenous stresses, including SA, CuCl2, PEG, ABA, NaCl and JA, while the expression of ScBAK1 gene was induced by SA, CuCl2, PEG, NaCl and smut fungus stresses. The phenomenon showed that the absent sequences or amounts of ScBAK1 S1 gene plays a key role in the response of ScBAK1 to the stress of sugarcane smut fungus, osmotic stress and cell growth. The differential expression of ScBAK1 and ScBAK1 S1 lays a foundation for further research on the function of ScBAK1 gene under biotic and abiotic stress.     

Reuse of sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) to produce ceramic materials

Sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) is a residue resulting from the burning of bagasse in boilers in the sugarcane/alcohol industry. SCBA has a very high silica concentration and contains aluminum, iron, alkalis and alkaline earth oxides in smaller amounts. In this work, the properties of sintered ceramic bodies were evaluated based on the concentration of SCBA, which replaced non-plastic material. The ash was mixed (up to 60 wt%) with a clayed raw material that is used to produce roof tiles. Prismatic probes were pressed and sintered at different temperatures (up to 1200 °C). Technological tests of ceramic probes showed that the addition of ash has little influence on the ceramic properties up to 1000 °C. X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis data showed that, above this temperature the ash participates in the sintering process and in the formation of new important phases. The results reported show that the reuse of SCBA in the ceramic industry is feasible.     

Emission factors for PCDD/PCDF and dl-PCB from open burning of biomass

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants includes in its aims the minimisation of unintentional releases of polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) and dioxin like PCB (dl-PCB) to the environment. Development and implementation of policies to achieve this aim require accurate national inventories of releases of PCDD/PCDF/dl-PCB. To support this objective, the Conference of Parties established a process to review and update the UNEP Standardized Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Dioxin and Furan Releases. An assessment of all emission inventories was that for many countries open burning of biomass and waste was identified as the major source of PCDD/PCDF releases. However, the experimental data underpinning the release estimates used were limited in number and, consequently, confidence in the accuracy of the emissions predictions was low. There has been significant progress in measurement technology since the last edition of the Toolkit in 2005. In this paper we reassess published emission factors for release of PCDD/PCDF and dl-PCB to land and air.In total, four types of biomass and 111 emission factors were assessed. It was found that there are no systematic differences in emission factors apparent between biomass types or fire classes. The data set is best described by a lognormal distribution. The geometric mean emission factors (EFs) for releases of PCDD/PCDF to air for the four biomass classes used in the Toolkit (sugarcane, cereal crops, forest and savannah/grass) are 1.6 μg TEQ (t fuel)⁻¹, 0.49 μg TEQ (t fuel)⁻¹, 1.0 μg TEQ (t fuel)⁻¹ and 0.4 μg TEQ (t fuel)⁻¹, respectively. Corresponding EFs for release of PCDD/PCDF to land are 3.0 ng TEQ (kg ash)⁻¹, 1.1 ng TEQ (kg ash)⁻¹, 1.1 ng TEQ (kg ash)⁻¹ and 0.67 ng TEQ (kg ash)⁻¹. There are now also sufficient published data available to evaluate EFs for dl-PCB release to air for sugarcane, forest and grass/savannah; these are 0.03 μg TEQ (t fuel)⁻¹, 0.09 μg TEQ (t fuel)⁻¹ and 0.01 μg TEQ (t fuel)⁻¹, respectively. The average EF for dl-PCB release to land is 0.19 ng TEQ (kg ash)⁻¹. Application of these EFs to national emissions of PCDD/PCDF for global estimates from open burning will lower previous estimates of PCDD/PCDF releases to air and to land by 85% and 90%, respectively. For some countries, the ranking of their major sources will be changed and open burning of biomass will become less significant than previously concluded.     

Bioconversion of sugarcane bagasse into a protein-rich product by white rot fungus

The fungus Pleurotus ostreatus NRRL-2366 degraded 56.7% and 45.9% of untreated and chemically pretreated (delignified) sugarcane bagasse, respectively, during 14-day incubation in a submerged fermentation process. The biodegradation percentages of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin were 33.0%, 72.5% and 14.5%, respectively. An increment of 22.6% of crude protein content in the residual fermented material was observed. Chemical composition of the end-product and its amino acids profile were reported.     

Environmental, land-use and economic implications of Brazilian sugarcane expansion 1996–2006

Governments are promoting biofuels and the resulting changes in land use and crop reallocation to biofuels production have raised concerns about impacts on environment and food security. The promotion of biofuels has also been questioned based on suggested marginal contribution to greenhouse gas emissions reduction, partly due to induced land use change causing greenhouse gas emissions. This study reports how the expansion of sugarcane in Brazil during 1996–2006 affected indicators for environment, land use and economy. The results indicate that sugarcane expansion did not in general contribute to direct deforestation in the traditional agricultural region where most of the expansion took place. The amount of forests on farmland in this area is below the minimum stated in law and the situation did not change over the studied period. Sugarcane expansion resulted in a significant reduction of pastures and cattle heads and higher economic growth than in neighboring areas. It could not be established to what extent the discontinuation of cattle production induced expansion of pastures in other areas, possibly leading to indirect deforestation. However, the results indicate that a possible migration of the cattle production reached further than the neighboring of expansion regions. Occurring at much smaller rates, expansion of sugarcane in regions such as the Amazon and the Northeast region was related to direct deforestation and competition with food crops, and appear not to have induced economic growth. These regions are not expected to experience substantial increases of sugarcane in the near future, but mitigating measures are warranted.     

Strategies for Management of Sicyos polyacanthus Cogn. (Cucurbitaceae) in Sugarcane Crops of Tucumán,Argentina

Abstract

Sicyos polyacanthus is one of the most important weed in sugarcane crops of Tucumán (Argentina). The objective of this work was to establish strategies that would decrease the weed incidence in the crop to a minimum level. The study was carried out during 1998–2003 at five localities of sugarcane production of Tucumán (Argentina). The plots were 20 m long (192 m²) with 6 furrows and each plot was replicated five times. Treatments were: (i) Mechanical–chemical cultivation without fire; (ii) Mechanical–chemical culltivation with fire; (iii) Mechanical cultivation with handle pulled and with fire; (iv) Mechanical cultivation with handle pulled without fire; (v) Mechanical and chemical variants with fertilization and without fertilization; (vi) Mechanical and chemical variants with watering and without watering; (vii) Fallow and rotation, at the sugarcane crop renovation; (viii) Mechanical and chemical variants for plant cane and ratoon cane; and (ix) Mulching of harvest rests. The results suggest that besides the use of preemergent herbicides, fire marks the entry point of control, influencing fluxes and seed viability. It appears that fallow, mulching, and rotation of crops is fundamental for eliminating seeds that live short time in the soil and increase the mortality rate of species.     

Emissions of PCDD and PCDF from combustion of forest fuels and sugarcane: a comparison between field measurements and simulations in a laboratory burn facility

Release of PCDD and PCDF from biomass combustion such as forest and agricultural crop fires has been nominated as an important source for these chemicals despite minimal characterisation. Available emission factors that have been experimentally determined in laboratory and field experiments vary by several orders of magnitude from <0.5 μg TEQ (t fuel consumed)⁻¹ to >100 μg TEQ (t fuel consumed)⁻¹. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of experimental methods on the emission factor.A portable field sampler was used to measure PCDD/PCDF emissions from forest fires and the same fuel when burnt over a brick hearth to eliminate potential soil effects. A laboratory burn facility was used to sample emissions from the same fuels. There was very good agreement in emission factors to air (EF_Air) for forest fuel (Duke Forest, NC) of 0.52 (range: 0.40-0.79), 0.59 (range: 0.18-1.2) and 0.75 (range: 0.27-1.2) μg TEQ_WHO2005 (t fuel consumed)⁻¹ for the in-field, over a brick hearth, and burn facility experiments, respectively. Similarly, experiments with sugarcane showed very good agreement with EF_Air of 1.1 (range: 0.40-2.2), 1.5 (range: 0.84-2.2) and 1.7 (range: 0.34-4.4) μg TEQ (t fuel consumed)⁻¹ for in-field, over a brick hearth, open field and burn facility experiments respectively. Field sampling and laboratory simulations were in good agreement, and no significant changes in emissions of PCDD/PCDF could be attributed to fuel storage and transport to laboratory test facilities.