Corn Crop Residues Research Articles

Strategies for managing corn crop residue in the context of greenhouse gas emissions.

Food production is one of the most important sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both in primary production and in processing and the logistics chain. The most problematic and risky is the optimization of environmental effects in the stage of primary production. This is due to the significant influence of factors related to climate and soil that are difficult to predict. The scientific literature offers much information on the impact of crop residue management, but the context for assessing the impact of crop residue management in corn production on the carbon footprint is still unclear. The effectiveness of using organic additives like biochar, compost, corn, or straw to maintain soil productivity is well acknowledged. Information about the effects of particular crop residue management strategies on soil carbon sequestration, soil quality, and crop yield in corn cultivation is currently scarce. The research aimed to assess the potential for optimizing corn production through modifications in crop residue management, with a focus on the efficiency indicator being the level of greenhouse gas emissions per functional unit of the product. A 3-year growing experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of different corn crop residue management strategies. The modifications of the corn cultivation technology in terms of the crop residue management strategy had a significant impact on the yield of plants and the amount of GHG emissions. The conversion of corn straw to biochar and its introduction into the soil reduced the GHG emissions from corn cultivation per functional unit, despite the energy expenditure related to straw transport and biochar production. From a 3-year time perspective, a beneficial effect of biochar addition on the size of the commercial yield of plants was observed. In variants with biochar and a reduced level of nitrogen fertilization, no reduction in yields was observed. This confirmed the hypothesis that biochar could be a useful material for the production of slow-acting fertilizers.

Survival of Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum in Soil and in Corn Crop Residues under the Humid Subtropical Climate of Southern Brazil.

Bacterial leaf streak caused by Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum (Xvv) is an emerging disease in several corn-producing regions around the world. In Brazil, there is a lack of information on the survival of this bacterium in soil and crop residues. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the survival of Xvv in soil and also in infected corn crop residues under the humid subtropical climate of southern Brazil. The survival of Xvv in soil was initially investigated in sandy and clayey soils maintained at 20, 25 and 30 °C under controlled conditions. The survival of the bacterium under field conditions was studied in artificially infested clayey soil. The survival of Xvv in corn crop residues was investigated in infected residues maintained on the soil surface or buried in the soil at 20 cm deep. Under controlled conditions, regardless of the type of soil, the bacterium survived longer at 20 °C than at higher temperatures. The bacterium survived for 40 days in clayey soil kept at 20 °C and four days in sandy soil maintained at 30 °C. Under field conditions, the survival of Xvv in the soil was only for 48 h and in infected corn crop residues for up to 15 days in the samples maintained on the soil surface. In samples of infected corn residues buried in the soil, the bacterium was only detected at the time the experiment was set up. In general, the results obtained in this study revealed that Xvv survives for a short period of time in soil and in infected corn crop residues under humid subtropical conditions. Therefore, soil and corn residues may not be highly important sources of primary inoculum for the development of bacterial leaf streak on corn crops under these conditions.

Comparative Study of the Extracellular Holocellulolytic Activity of Fusarium solani and Aspergillus sp. in Corn Stover

Fungal holocellulases are interesting for their possible applications in the bioconversion of corn crop residues into molecules with technological significance. Holocellulase (xylanases and cellulases) production from Fusarium solani and Aspergillus sp. with corn stover as a carbon source was compared using a Box–Wilson design. The fungal holocellulase production was different in both fungi. For F. solani, the maximum endoxylanase and β-xylosidase activities were 14.15 U/mg and 0.75 U/mg at 84 h of fermentation on 350 g/L corn stover, while Aspergillus sp. was 5.90 U/mg and 0.03 U/mg, respectively, at 156 h and 1000 g/L corn stover. The production of holocellulases in both fungi was reduced with increasing carbon sources. The nitrogen source induced the holocellulases in Aspergillus sp., but not in F. solani. Interestingly, when verifying the optimal culture conditions, the production of endoxylanases by F. solani was higher when compared to the predicted value. With regard to the endoxylanase and β-xylosidase activities of Aspergillus sp., these were close to the predicted values. Based on the optimization model, F. solani and Aspergillus sp. produce an interesting holocellulolytic activity in a growth medium with corn stover as the only carbon source. The fermentation time and the amount of corn stover required to obtain maximum holocellulase production are possible advantages for Fusarium solani and Aspergillus sp., respectively.

Extraction, properties and use of nanocellulose from corn crop residues

Extraction, properties and use of nanocellulose from corn crop residues

Bioconversion of Corn Crop Residues: Lactic Acid Production through Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation

Lactic acid (LA) is a chemical building block with wide applications in the food, cosmetics, and chemical industries. Its polymer polylactic acid further increases this range of applications as a green and biocompatible alternative to petrol-based plastics. Corn is the fourth largest crop in the world, and its residues represent a potentially renewable feedstock for industrial lactic acid production through simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). The main goal of this work is to summarize and compare the pretreatment methods, enzymatic formulations and microbial strains that have been combined in a SSF setup for bioconversion of corn crop residues into LA. Additionally, the main concerns of scaling-up and the innovation readiness level towards commercial implementation of this technology are also discussed. The analysis on commercial implementation renders the current state of SSF technology unsustainable, mainly due to high wastewater generation and saccharification costs. Nonetheless, there are promising strategies that are being tested and are focused on addressing these issues. The present work proves that the study and optimization of SSF as a biorefinery framework represents a step towards the adoption of potentially sustainable waste management practices.

Proof of concept for developing novel feeds for cattle from wasted food and crop biomass to enhance agri-food system efficiency

Modern agri-food systems generate large amounts of crop-based biomass that are unfit for direct human consumption but potentially suitable for livestock feeding in production of meats, milk, and eggs. This study aims to develop novel feeds for cattle from some of those biomass materials through the natural microbial-driven processes of ensiling. Fruit and vegetables resembling supermarket discards were ensiled alone or co-ensiled with corn crop residues, mushroom wastes, etc. via laboratory experiments. Longitudinal sample analyses showed that (co-)ensiling was successful, with pH and fermentation acids changing rapidly into desirable ranges (pH < 4.5, the acids 5–13% DM with lactic acid dominating). The (co-)ensiled products had key nutritional parameters comparable to those of good quality forages commonly used on dairy farms. Additionally, in vitro incubation experiments indicated that the ensiled products could substitute certain conventional feeds while maintaining diet digestibility. Findings from this pilot study provide a proof of principle that quality novel feeds for cattle can be generated by co-ensiling food discards and low-value crop residues. Future research and animal feeding trials to demonstrate the utility of this approach can help societies more effectively utilize untapped biomass resources, strengthening the regenerative capacity of agri-food systems towards a more sustainable food future.

3-Phase heuristics for capacitated multiple-depot vehicle routing problem with separate backhaul and linehaul with a case study on corn residue management system

The focus of this work is routing problems in which backhaul and linehaul customers are grouped to a depot, and where the total traveled distance of all routes is minimized. We propose an improved mathematical model for the multiple-depot capacitated vehicle routing problem. Under this modified model, each depot contains separate travel routes for backhaul and linehaul customers. We also propose a 3-phase heuristic based on greedy algorithm in the first 2 phases and on random search in the third phase to ensure reasonable execution time as well as to obtain a better local optimum. Solutions from the heuristic are compared to the optimal solution of small generated problems with up to 24 nodes. Then we compare the performance of the proposed heuristic with the most recent literature and discover that 3 out of 33 benchmark problems can be executed with better solutions. There are 10 problems whose objective function values are the same as the best solutions of the 5 referenced works while the remaining 20 problems are within 3% of those solutions. We also tackle 9 normal distribution benchmark problems with up to 1000 nodes with varying numbers of linehaul customers and depots. We apply the proposed heuristic and compare results with two recent heuristics on these 9 problems. We also solve, using the proposed heuristic, a real-world problem of a corn crop residue transportation system for 16 provinces in northern Thailand encompassing 974 corn fields, 127 co-ops, and 274 factories.

Selective Use of Corn Crop Residues: Energy Viability

The corn crop is one of the most important crops worldwide. However, the management of the residues generated is not efficient enough, which diminishes the competitiveness of this crop. An interesting option for the valorization of these wastes is their thermal use. In order to make the management of this residue as much efficient as possible, it is vital to know the different processes related to a corn harvest, and try to adapt the use of this waste depending on its characteristics. Thus, in this work, and on the basis of a conventional corn harvest, a differentiated analysis of the residue generated was carried out, including its characterization and assessing its behavior during pyrolysis and combustion. The results pointed out the importance of collecting residue immediately after its generation and avoiding its contact with the soil as this factor tends to worsen its thermal properties and ash content. Concerning the selective collection, it is highly advisable if the subsequent thermal use is going to be a pyrolytic process. In the case of combustion, even though the samples that contain corn stalk showed better combustion properties, this improvement did not outweigh the adverse effects related to the increase in ash content, especially for its pelletizing.

Avaliação do risco ergonômico de um operador agrícola em atividade de trituração de restos culturais

O objetivo do trabalho foi o de avaliar atividade de um operador, quanto a suas posições no posto de trabalho e a sua exposição a níveis de ruído em uma operação de trituração de restos culturais da cultura do milho. Além disso, sugerir possíveis alterações para a melhoria das condições de trabalho do operador. O estudo foi realizado no município de Santa Maria – RS, no qual foi avaliado o posto de trabalho de um operador de um trator agrícola durante a realização de uma atividade de trituração dos restos culturais de uma lavoura de milho, na qual foi utilizado um trator de 75cv e um triturador de restos culturais de 12 martelos. A operação foi registrada por fotos e vídeos, e estas foram avaliadas pelos métodos OWAS, REBA, RULA e QEC com o uso do software Ergolandia 7.0. Ademais, o nível de ruído foi medido com o uso de um decibelímetro. De acordo com os dados medidos foi possível verificar que o nível de ruído de 97,1dB sendo esse valor superior ao estabelecido pela NR 15 e com a análise dos métodos foi constatado a necessidade de realizar intervenções ergonômicas para que a atividade possa ser desempenhada de forma a não ocasionar riscos à saúde do operador.

Alternativas para o controle de plantas espontâneas no cultivo do abacaxizeiro

O objetivo do estudo foi verificar a viabilidade de utilizar restos culturais como cobertura de solo, além de métodos tradicionais, como forma de controlar as plantas espontâneas no cultivo do abacaxizeiro. O delineamento experimental empregado foi em blocos ao acaso, com três repetições, sendo utilizados oito tratamentos nas entrelinhas do abacaxizeiro: (1) herbicida; (2) roçada; (3) capina manual; cobertura do solo com (4) folhas e talos de caeté; (5) restos culturais de milho; (6) restos culturais de feijão; (7) folhas de cana-de-açúcar e (8) folhas de bananeira. Cada parcela foi constituída por quatro fileiras de abacaxizeiro em espaçamento de 1,0 x 0,2 m; cada fileira foi composta por 12 plantas, totalizando 48 por parcela. Avaliaram-se características morfométricas e qualitativas dos frutos de abacaxi, além da produção de plantas espontâneas. Os resultados indicaram que as maiores produções de massa seca das plantas espontâneas ocorreram nos tratamentos com herbicida e roçada em contaste com a produzida pelo feijão. A cobertura de solo com folhas de bananeira foi a mais promissora, pois foi similar aos tratamentos tradicionais capina e herbicida quanto à produtividade de abacaxi, dimensões dos frutos, massa de frutos sem coroa e qualidade de frutos, bem como controle de plantas espontâneas.

Residue and Agronomic Management to Reduce the Continuous Corn Yield Penalty

Accelerated residue degradation and nutrient cycling will be necessary to maximize yield potential in corn (Zea mays L.) grown continuously and in other high-volume residue situations. This study aimed to test if residue management and agronomic inputs could lessen the continuous corn yield penalty (CCYP) compared to a corn following soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation. Field experiments conducted during 2017 and 2018 at Champaign, IL, USA compared plots of 15th year continuous corn to long-term corn-soybean rotation plots. The previous year’s corn crop residue was either downsized (chopped) or harvested with standard knife rollers, with further chemical management of either a biocatalyst or ammonium sulfate, or it was left untreated. A standard management system of 79,000 plants ha−1 and a base rate of nitrogen fertilizer was compared to an intensive management system of 111,000 plants ha−1 with additional fertilizer and a foliar fungicide. Although continuous corn cropping stress was not detected until R2 (kernel blister stage), the CCYP was 1.30 Mg ha−1. Sizing residue enhanced overwinter residue decomposition and increased yield by 0.31 Mg ha−1 regardless of rotation and by 0.53 Mg ha−1 in continuous corn. Intensive inputs in combination with residue sizing increased grain yield of continuous corn by 1.15 Mg ha−1 over standard-management rotated yields. Therefore, combining mechanical and agronomic managements can reduce corn residue and the CCYP for more sustainable crop production.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of corn crop residues with high solid loadings: New insights into the impact of bioextrusion on biomass deconstruction using carbohydrate-binding modules

Lignocellulosic biomass is a sustainable source of renewable substrate to produce low carbon footprint energy and materials. Biomass conversion is usually performed in two steps: a biomass pretreatment for improving cellulose accessibility followed by enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. In this study we investigated the efficiency of a bioextrusion pretreatment (extrusion in the presence of cellulase enzyme) for production of reducing sugars from corn crop agricultural residues. Our results demonstrate that bioextrusion increased the reducing sugar conversion yield by at least 94% at high solid/liquid ratio (14%–40%). Monitoring biomass surface with carbohydrate-binding modules (FTCM-depletion assay) revealed that well known negative impact of high solid/liquid ratio on conversion yield is not due to the lack of exposed cellulose which was abundant under such conditions. Bioextrusion was found to be less efficient on alkaline pretreated biomass but being a mild and solvent limiting pretreatment, it might help to minimize the waste stream.

Amending sugarcane monoculture through rotation breaks and fungicides: effects on soil chemical and microbial properties, and sucrose yields

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) monoculture was amended with leguminous rotation breaks (cowpea, Vigna unguiculata; and soybean, Glycine max) and compared with growers’ practice (sweet corn, Zea mays var. saccharata rotation; and bare fallow). After incorporation of rotation-break residues, fungicidal treatments (mancozeb, mefenoxam and azoxystrobin) were applied on seed-cane pieces laid in the furrows before row closure, with the objective of determining effects of both crop rotation and fungicides on soil properties and sugarcane agronomic performance. Aboveground biomass yields of sweet corn, soybean and cowpea were 5.54, 5.17 and 4.48 t ha–1, and carbon:nitrogen ratios of sweet corn, soybean and cowpea crop residues were 25.47, 11.92 and 11.61, respectively. Following residue incorporation, phospholipid fatty acid analyses of soil microbial communities at pre-plant and early-growth stages of sugarcane indicated significant differences in abundance of Gram-positive bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi biomarkers, whereas no differences were found in Gram-negative bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. At pre-planting, fungi:bacteria ratios in sweet corn and bare fallow plots were significantly higher than in cowpea or soybean rotation plots and similar to ratios at early-growth sampling. Soybean rotation produced higher cane yield than sweet corn, and both soybean and bare fallow produced higher sucrose yield than sweet corn rotation in 2016 plant cane, but no significant yield differences occurred in 2017 plant cane. The results of 2016 plant cane persisted in the 2017 first ratoon, where the sweet corn rotation had lower yields than cowpea and soybean rotations. All three fungicides significantly improved cane yield and sugar yield compared with the untreated check in plant cane, with both mancozeb and mefenoxam performing similarly in 2016, but with mefenoxam performing better in 2017 plant cane. Overall, introduction of cowpea and soybean rotations, coupled with seed-piece fungicidal application, seems a promising practice for improving sugarcane yields on Histosols.

Minimum total distance clustering and balanced distance clustering in northern Thailand's corn crop residue management system

The authors study the corn crop residue management system for 16 provinces in northern Thailand encompassing 127 agricultural cooperatives (co-ops), 974 corn fields and 274 customers. To solve the system's problems, we find clusters where co-ops will pick up crop residues from corn fields, process them into biomass fuel and sell the fuel to customers. Each cluster consists of a co-op, a set of corn fields and a set of customers, the latter two being on separate routes from the co-op. To minimize the system's transportation cost and balance transportation cost between clusters, we propose a mathematical model with two objective functions, construct two heuristics, and apply the two heuristics to solve the problem.

Compressive Strength and Leaching Behavior of Mortars with Biomass Ash

This study investigated the use of a biomass ash produced by a fuel combination made with wood, corn stover, and corn cob as cement replacement for the production of mortar. Biomasses are now widely accepted as a substitute for conventional fuels and are becoming essential for cost-effective production of energy. This study aimed to provide an opportunity for the annual agricultural corn-crop residue, corn stover and cob, which is increasingly being used as fuel for its valuable energy content. Measurements of workability, compressive strength, and leachate properties (pH, salinity, heavy metals and calcium ion release) of mortar specimen, at different cement substitution levels and ages, were evaluated. The results obtained reveal definitive possibilities for such mixed biomass ash to be used in cement-based materials, such as mortars. Moreover, a multiple regression analysis has been reported between the mass of calcium ions leached and the mixture composition with the compressive strength. Data show that further confirmation, on a longer span of time and of other types of mechanical properties and environmental tests, would be necessary to fully implement the use of such biomass ashes in various types of cement-based construction materials, in order to divert them from landfill disposal.

Determination of optimal biomass pretreatment strategies for biofuel production: investigation of relationships between surface-exposed polysaccharides and their enzymatic conversion using carbohydrate-binding modules

BackgroundPretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is a key step for its efficient bioconversion into ethanol. Determining the best pretreatment and its parameters requires monitoring its impacts on the biomass material. Here, we used fluorescent protein-tagged carbohydrate-binding modules method (FTCM)-depletion assay to study the relationship between surface-exposed polysaccharides and enzymatic hydrolysis of LCB.ResultsOur results indicated that alkali extrusion pretreatment led to the highest hydrolysis rates for alfalfa stover, cattail stems and flax shives, despite its lower lignin removal efficiency compared to alkali pretreatment. Corn crop residues were more sensitive to alkali pretreatments, leading to higher hydrolysis rates. A clear relationship was consistently observed between total surface-exposed cellulose detected by the FTCM-depletion assay and biomass enzymatic hydrolysis. Comparison of bioconversion yield and total composition analysis (by NREL/TP-510-42618) of LCB prior to or after pretreatments did not show any close relationship. Lignin removal efficiency and total cellulose content (by NREL/TP-510-42618) led to an unreliable prediction of enzymatic polysaccharide hydrolysis.ConclusionsFluorescent protein-tagged carbohydrate-binding modules method (FTCM)-depletion assay provided direct evidence that cellulose exposure is the key determinant of hydrolysis yield. The clear and robust relationships that were observed between the cellulose accessibility by FTCM probes and enzymatic hydrolysis rates change could be evolved into a powerful prediction tool that might help develop optimal biomass pretreatment strategies for biofuel production.

Adsorptive fractionation of corn, wheat, and soybean crop residue derived water-extractable organic matter on iron (oxy)hydroxide

Plant biomass is the primary source material for the formation of soil organic matter, which comprises the largest terrestrial pool of the global C cycle. Adsorption of water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) to soil mineral surfaces is a critical step in the process of organic matter accumulation. In this study, we examined the molecular fractionation of WEOM derived from field-grown corn, wheat, and soybean crop residues upon adsorption to iron (oxy)hydroxide (FeOOH) mineral using ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry. The results show that aromatic, N-containing aliphatic as well as lignin-like molecules with higher O/C atomic ratios have preferential affinity for FeOOH surfaces. Lignin-like molecules with low and high numbers of O atoms were adsorbed, while those with intermediate O numbers were not adsorbed. This pattern is likely due to two different mechanisms of adsorption that is dependent on molecular size: smaller molecules with low O numbers bond through an inner-sphere ligand exchange mechanism, and the larger molecules with high O numbers bond through the formation of multiple H-bonds between the WEOM and FeOOH surface functional groups. Adsorption of WEOM to soil mineral surfaces has wide ecosystem implications, since adsorbed organic matter molecules are now believed to be more protected from microbial decomposition reactions. This study shows that WEOM chemical composition is an important factor controlling its adsorption to mineral surfaces. Understanding these soil and crop chemical interactions at the molecular level will be increasingly important for developing production systems that maintain high SOM levels and soil health in the decades ahead.

Characterization of Emergence Flows of Volunteer Corn as Function of the Type of Harvest Grain Loss

Volunteer corn resistant to glyphosate is constant as weed in soybeans planted in succession. This work aimed to identify the emergence flows of volunteer corn plants in the period of time from the harvest of corn planted following soybean (autumn corn) to the plenty establishment of the canopy of the following soybean crop (summer soybean), as a function of different types of propagules generated by preceding corn harvest losses. Four field experiments were carried out in 2013 and 2014, at a Cerrado location (Sinop, MT) and a subtropical location (Londrina, PR), Brazil. Treatments included the distribution of corn crop residues (factor “A”) either on soil surface or incorporated into superficial soil layers. Four types of propagules (factor “B”) were characterized as ears with whole husk; ears with half husk; broken ears, no husk; and loose grains. The density of emerged plants was recorded fortnightly between August and December. When partially incorporated into soil, propagules generate an increased density of emerged plants as compared to the surface deposition treatments. The main sources of volunteer plants, in descending order of importance, were: (1) loose grains, (2) broken ears, (3) ears with damaged husk, and (4) ears with intact husk. Ears emerged later compared to loose grains or broken ears. Climatic conditions influence the emergence pattern. For the climate of (Savannah-like) Cerrado, the beginning of the rainy season is preponderant for the start of corn emergence. Under subtropical climatic conditions, mild low temperatures, associated or not to rainfall, determine the emergence peaks.

Effect of alkaline pretreatment on biogas production from corn (Zea mays) crop residues biomass

Effect of alkaline pretreatment on biogas production from corn (Zea mays) crop residues biomass

Inclusion of calcium hydroxide-treated corn stover as a partial forage replacement in diets for lactating dairy cows

Chemical treatment may improve the nutritional value of corn crop residues, commonly referred to as corn stover, and the potential use of this feed resource for ruminants, including lactating dairy cows. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of prestorage chopping, hydration, and treatment of corn stover with Ca(OH)2 on the feeding value for milk production, milk composition, and dry matter intake (DMI). Multiparous mid-lactation Holstein cows (n = 30) were stratified by parity and milk production and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 diets. Corn stover was chopped, hydrated, and treated with 6% Ca(OH)2 (as-fed basis) and stored in horizontal silo bags. Cows received a control (CON) total mixed ration (TMR) or a TMR in which a mixture of treated corn stover and distillers grains replaced either alfalfa haylage (AHsub) or alfalfa haylage and an additional portion of corn silage (AH+CSsub). Treated corn stover was fed in a TMR at 0, 15, and 30% of the diet DM for the CON, AHsub, and AH+CSsub diets, respectively. Cows were individually fed in tiestalls for 10 wk. Milk production was not altered by treatment. Compared with the CON diet, DMI was reduced when the AHsub diet was fed and tended to be reduced when cows were fed the AH+CSsub diet (25.9, 22.7, and 23.1 ± 0.88 kg/d for CON, AHsub, and AH+CSsub diets, respectively). Energy-corrected milk production per unit of DMI (kg/kg) tended to increase with treated corn stover feeding. Milk composition, energy-corrected milk production, and energy-corrected milk per unit of DMI (kg/kg) were not different among treatments for the 10-wk feeding period. Cows fed the AHsub and AH+CSsub diets had consistent DMI over the 10-wk treatment period, whereas DMI for cows fed the CON diet increased slightly over time. Milk production was not affected by the duration of feeding. These data indicate that corn stover processing, prestorage hydration, and treatment with calcium hydroxide can serve as an alternative to traditional haycrop and corn silage in diets fed to mid-lactation dairy cows.