Lignocellulosic Materials Research Articles

Effect of lignin contents in raw lignocellulosic materials on the efficiency of modification process and the removal of Fe3+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in aqueous solution

Effect of lignin contents in raw lignocellulosic materials on the efficiency of modification process and the removal of Fe3+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in aqueous solution

Pine Nutshells and Their Biochars as Sources of Chemicals, Fuels, Activated Carbons, and Electrode Materials

Pine nutshells (PNSs) are lignocellulosic waste materials with limited use in domestic heating. However, a biorefinery approach may be applied to fractionate PNSs and produce chemicals, materials, and improved solid fuels. In this study, we fractionated PNSs and produced antioxidant extracts, lignins, polysaccharides, chars, and activated carbons and analyzed their potential applications. Pyrolytic kinetic modeling as an alternative method to chemical fractionation was also tested. The results showed that the PNS contains low amounts of extracts with weak thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) antioxidant properties, while its lignin content is remarkable (50.5%). Pyrolytic kinetic modeling was comparable to wet chemical analysis for estimating lignin yield. Moderate-temperature pyrolysis of the PNS resulted in a 23% char yield. The PNS chars showed improved fuel characteristics, retained 36% water, and leached 151 mg/L potassium into the water. The steam activation of PNS biochars at 750 °C resulted in oxygen-enriched activated carbons with specific surface areas up to 467 m2/g. The overall results indicate promising biochar applications of the PNS for soil amendment and supercapacitor uses.

Experimental evolution reveals an effective avenue for d-lactic acid production from glucose-xylose mixtures via enhanced Glk activity and a cAMP-independent CRP mutation.

d-Lactic acid holds significant industrial importance due to its versatility and serves as a crucial component in the synthesis of environmentally friendly and biodegradable thermal-resistant poly-lactic acid. This polymer exhibits promising potential as a substitute for nonbiodegradable, petroleum-based plastics. The production of d-lactic acid from lignocellulosic biomass, a type of biorenewable and nonfood resources, can lower costs and improve product competitiveness. Glucose and xylose are the most abundant sugar monomers in lignocellulosic biomass materials. Despite Escherichia coli possessing native xylose catabolic pathways and transport, their ability to effectively utilize xylose is often hindered in the presence of glucose. Here, the E. coli strain Rec1.0, previously engineered to overcome carbon catabolite repression, was selected as the initial strain for reengineering to produce d-lactic acid. An adaptive evolution approach was employed to achieve highly efficient fermentation of glucose-xylose mixtures. The resulting strain, QJL010, could produce d-lactic acid of 87.5 g/L with a carbon yield of 0.99 mol/mol. Notably, the consumption rates of glucose and xylose reached 0.75 and 0.82 g/gDCW/h, respectively. Further analysis revealed that increased Glk activity, resulting from glk mutations (A142V and R188H), along with their upregulated expression, contributed to an elevated glucose consumption rate. Additionally, a CRP G141D mutation, cAMP-independent, stimulated the expression of the xylR, xylE, and galABC* genes, resulting in an accelerated xylose consumption rate. These findings provide valuable support for the utilization of E. coli platform strains in the production of value-added chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BIOMASS IN ACHIEVING A GLOBAL BIOECONOMY

This manuscript explores the imperative role of biomass in shaping the global bioeconomy, necessitated by escalating energy demands and the consequent environmental challenges posed by fossil fuel dependency. This paper delineates the diverse forms of biomass — from lignocellulosic materials to organic waste and algae — each holding distinct chemical compositions and applications within the bioeconomy. Investigating biomass conversion technologies (i.e. thermochemical, biochemical and chemical) provides a comprehensive understanding of their merits and limitations in energy production and resource optimisation. Specifically, it delves into pyrolysis, gasification, hydrothermal liquefaction, torrefaction, anaerobic digestion and transesterification, elucidating their mechanisms and contributions to energy generation and biofuel production. Moreover, the study incorporates bibliometric analysis, depicting thematic clusters in biomass research and highlighting the evolving trends in its application within the bioeconomy. The primary focus of studies within the initial cluster revolves around utilising biomass for a global bioeconomy through thermochemical conversion methods. Overall, this review underscores the indispensable role of biomass as a renewable and adaptable resource, pivotal in steering the transition towards a sustainable bio-based economy amid global environmental and socio-economic challenges.

Production of lignin-containing nanocellulose from six types of unpretreated lignocellulosic biomass by a one-step process

Lignin-containing nanocellulose (LCN) shows great potential in the fabrication of high performance bio-based materials, and suitable raw materials may achieve the production of LCN in a more economical approach. Therefore, in this study, the morphology, chemical and supramolecular structure of six types of lignocellulosic biomass (Broussonetia papyrifera bark, moso bamboo, rattan, balsa wood, poplar wood and fir wood) were analyzed for the production of LCN by using pure oxalic acid dihydrate (OAD). The results revealed that BPBs is a natural available cellulose-rich materials with extremely high cellulose content, low lignin content, and loosely connected cellulose chains. Compared with the other five types of lignocellulosic biomass materials, the hydrolysis of BPBs without any pretreatments by using OAD produced higher yield of LCN with much more uniform size distribution and smaller size. LCN from BPBs had higher crystallinity and thermal stability than that from the other five lignocellulosic biomass. The finding in this study indicated that Broussonetia papyrifera bark without any pretreatment was a favored material for high yield production of LCN compared with the other woody materials, which provided an economically realizable method on the efficient and high yield production of LCN from unpretreated BPBs by using OAD hydrolysis.

Wood Fiber-Based Triboelectric Material with High Filtration Efficiency and Antibacterial Properties and Its Respiratory Monitoring in Mask.

Self-powered wearable electronic products have rapidly advanced in the fields of sensing and health monitoring, presenting greater challenges for triboelectric materials. The limited surface polarity and structural defects in wood fibers restrict their potential as substitutes for petroleum-based materials. This study used bagasse fiber as the raw material and explored various methods, including functionalizing cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) with polydopamine (PDA), in situ embedding of silver particles, filtration, and freeze-drying. These methods aimed to enhance the triboelectric output, antibacterial properties, and filtration properties of lignocellulosic materials. The Ag/PDA/CNF-based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) demonstrated an open-circuit voltage of 211 V and a short-circuit current of 18.1 μA. An aerogel prepared by freeze-drying the Ag/PDA/CNF material, combined with a polyvinylidene fluoride nanofiber structure fabricated by electrospinning, constitutes the TENG unit. A self-powered respiratory detection mask was created using this combination, achieving a filtration efficiency of 94.23% for 0.3 μm particles and an antibacterial rate exceeding 99%. In addition, it effectively responded to respiratory frequency signals of slow breathing, normal breathing, and shortness of breath, with the output electrical signal correlating with the respiratory frequency. This study considerably contributes to advancing wood fiber-based triboelectric materials as alternatives to petroleum-derived materials in self-powered wearable electronic products for medical applications.

Characterization of Wood, Leaves, Barks, and pod wastes from Prosopis africana biomass for biofuel production

One of the approaches for increasing the contribution of biomass to the renewable energy mix is the valorization of biomass to bioenergy. Evaluating the potential of unconventional biomass sources could significantly accelerate the assessment for suitability as feedstock for bioenergy production as a sustainable solution. The study aimed to characterize the Prosopis africana biomass of wood, barks, leaves, and pods towards providing valuable data for scaling up and incorporating these materials into the bioenergy crop database. Characterizations of wood, leaves, barks, and pod wastes from Prosopis africana biomass were investigated based on the proximate, ultimate, and compositional analysis of pulverized samples of the PA biomass to determine their physical, thermal, and chemical properties towards assessing their potential for valorization to bioenergy. The lignocellulosic materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the pulverized sample wastes have porous structures with varying degrees of crystallinity (wood: 89.20 %, bark: 23.90 %, leaves: 32.48 %, pods: 23.08 %), suggesting different susceptibilities to conversion processes. Notably, the wood sample had the lowest moisture content (3.13 %), and the pod sample had the highest volatile matter content (75.83 %), indicating a high potential for biofuel production. The higher heating values (HHV) and lower heating values (LHV) of the samples ranged from 15.23 to 20.49 MJ/kg and 13.83 to 18.79 MJ/kg, respectively. These calorific values are competitive with established lignocellulosic bioenergy feedstocks, positioning PA biomass as promising candidates for solid biofuel applications.

Consolidation and cytotoxicity analysis of a purification strategy for biotechnological xylitol production using fixed bed column adsorption and nanofiltration membranes

Agro-industrial waste is increasingly utilized in biotechnological processes to convert lignocellulosic materials into high-value products, such as xylitol. This polyol can be produced using biotechnological methods that mitigate environmental impacts, but it entails high purification costs. The article proposes a comparative study between two sequential strategies for purifying biotechnological xylitol. The first strategy involves membrane filtration followed by column adsorption. While the second strategy only covers column adsorption with twice the adsorbent bed. Additionally, the study includes a cytotoxicity evaluation of various purified xylitol fractions. Column adsorption was conducted at 70 °C with a flow rate of 1.2 mL min−1 using activated carbon as the adsorbent. It proved to be efficient in separating colored compounds, proteins, and ethanol, with retention coefficients of 99.23 %, 84.0 %, and 96.71 %, respectively. The purification factor of xylitol/ethanol was 14.84. Nanofiltration was performed using a poly (piperazine amide) membrane at 40 °C and 30 bar, resulting in a protein retention of 43.55 % and a xylitol purity of 27.73 %. Finally, purified xylitol fractions underwent cytotoxicity analysis using the MTT assay, conducted in intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2). One of the analyzed fractions did not induce toxicity, demonstrating that activated carbon column adsorption was the most effective strategy for purifying biotechnologically produced xylitol. These findings contribute to enhancing the viability of biotechnological xylitol production from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate.

Thermal pretreatment of swine waste to improve biodegradability in the anaerobic digestion process. Effect on the physicochemical characteristics of the substrate

In anaerobic digestion (AD) processes, hydrolysis is considered the limiting stage in the degradation of solid wastes. Such is the case of swine manure digestion, which due to the complex physical and chemical structure of the lignocellulosic material that composes it, an energy wastage has been observed in terms of methane production. Among the strategies used to improve the hydrolysis stage, it is possible to mention the thermal pretreatment of the substrate, which can significantly improve the biodegradability of the material used as raw material in AD. In this study, the effect of temperature (60–177 °C) and exposure time (30–60 min) on the physicochemical properties of the substrate such as pH, volatile organic acids (VOAs), total inorganic carbonates (TIC), volatile solids (SV), total solids (ST), soluble chemical oxygen demand (CODs) and biochemical methane potential (BMP) were determined. The temperature factor had a higher level of significance compared to the exposure time on the parameters of pH, VOAs, and TIC before and after the biogas generation process. However, the effect was different for CODs, where time was more significant than treatment temperature. As for the parameters of total and volatile solids content (ST and SV), the factors evaluated (temperature and exposure time) did not show significant effect. Also, the pretreatments showed an increase in biochemical methane potential, outperforming the untreated substrate by up to 70.4 % (121.74vs.71.44 mLCH4 gVS-1). The best combination of heating temperature and operating time was 120 °C and 45 min, which promoted the hydrolysis step that was reflected in an increase in CODs and improvement in methane production by 42 % over the untreated substrate

Differential impacts of furfural and acetic acid on the bioenergetics and fermentation performance of Scheffersomyces stipitis

Lignocellulosic material is a leading carbon source for economically viable biotechnological processes; however, compounds such furfural and acetic acid exhibit toxicity to yeasts. Nonetheless, research about the molecular mechanism of furfural and acetic acid toxicity is still scarce in yeasts like Scheffersomyces stipitis. Thus, this study aims to elucidate the impact of furfural and acetic acid on S. stipitis regarding bioenergetic and fermentation parameters. Here, we provide evidence that furfural and acetic acid induce a delay in cell growth and extend the lag phase. The mitochondrial membrane potential decreased in all treatments with no significant differences between inhibitors or concentrations. Interestingly, reactive oxygen species increased when the inhibitor concentrations were from 0.1 to 0.3 % (v/v). The glycolytic flux was not significantly (p > 0.05) altered by acetic acid, but furfural caused different effects. Ethanol production decreased significantly (4.32 g·L-1 in furfural and 5.06 g·L-1 in acetic acid) compared to the control (26.3 g·L-1). In contrast, biomass levels were not significantly different in most treatments compared to the control. This study enhances our understanding of the effects of furfural and acetic acid at the mitochondrial level in a pentose-fermenting yeast like S. stipitis.

Characterization of Several Pellets from Agroforestry Residues: A Comparative Analysis of Physical and Energy Efficiency

The use of agroforestry biomass provides several advantages, both from an environmental point of view, in terms of the mitigation of global warming, and in terms of a circular economy for agricultural or agroforestry companies that reuse pruning residues as a source of energy. However, even if the use of energy pellets resulting from the pruning residues of various agroforestry species has excellent potential for the valorization of agricultural by-products, the physicochemical characteristics of these pellets have been scarcely studied by the scientific community. In this context, this study aims to assess the valorization potential of various lignocellulosic material residues produced during agroforestry activities. The objectives of the study include evaluating the chemical and physical characteristics of pellets produced with different mixtures of agroforestry biomass (olive, citrus, black locust, poplar, paulownia, etc.) in order to determine the optimal pellet blend from an energy and physicochemical perspective. The results of this study demonstrate that this comprehensive analysis provides valuable information on the optimization of biomass mixtures for better energy valorization, addressing both compositional and combustion-related challenges. In fact, it is observed that the addition of citrus and olive biomass to the various mixtures increases their energy potential. Furthermore, all of the pellets analyzed are found to possess an adequate and useful durability index (PDI) for their handling during storage and transport operations. This study demonstrates that olive and citrus pruning residues can be used to improve biomasses that have poor suitability in energetic, physical, and chemical terms. Further studies could be useful to understand which specific interaction mechanisms have an influence on emissions in order to optimize mixtures using different biomass sources for sustainable energy production.

Cryptococcus laurentii: a wild yeast for xylanase production from agricultural by-products.

The development of technologies that allow the production of enzymes at a competitive cost is of great importance for several biotechnological applications, and the use of agro-industrial by-products is an excellent alternative to minimize costs and reduce environmental impacts. This study aimed to produce endo-xylanases using agro-industrial substrates rich in hemicellulose as sources of xylan in culture media. For this purpose, the yeast Cryptococcus laurentti and five lignocellulosic materials (defatted rice bran, rice husk, corn cob, oat husks, and soybean tegument), with and without pretreatment, were used as a source of xylan for enzyme production. To insert the by-products in the culture medium, they were dried and treated (if applicable) with 4% (w.v-1) NaOH and then added in a concentration of 2% (w.v-1). The cultures were agitated for 96h, and the aliquots were removed to determine the enzymatic activities. Among the by-products studied, the maximum activity (8.7 U. mL-1 at pH 7.3) was obtained where rice bran was used. In contrast, corn cob was the by-product that resulted in lower enzyme production (1.6 U.mL-1). Thus, the defatted rice bran deserves special attention in front of the other by-products used since it provides the necessary substrate for producing endo-xylanases by yeast.

The Significance of Lignocellulosic Raw Materials on the Pore Structure of Activated Carbons Prepared by Steam Activation.

Five different lignocellulosic raw materials (coconut shells, Moso bamboo, sawtooth oak, Chinese fir, and Masson pine) were used to prepare activated carbons by steam activation at 850 °C to evaluate the effects of their structures on physical activation. The chemical compositions, botanic forms, and pore structures of the lignocellulose-based charcoal samples were systematically characterized by proximate and ultimate analyses, scanning electron microscopy, and mercury injection porosimetry. It was found that the rate of the activation reaction between charcoal and steam is determined by the porosity of the precursor. Pore structure results show that the steam activation of coconut shell and bamboo charcoals primarily produced micropores, thus yielding microporous activated carbon materials with just a few mesopores, even following a high burn-off of >66%. The steam activation of sawtooth oak charcoals produced mainly micropores at a low burn-off of <50% and both micropores and mesopores at a high burn-off of >50%. The steam activation of Chinese fir and Masson pine charcoals produced mainly mesopores at a burn-off of 0-80%. These mesopores were remarkably broadened to >20 nm on extending the activation time, resulting in a high vitamin B12 (VB12) adsorption capacity of ~530 mg/g. In conclusion, the raw lignocellulosic materials used as precursors have a decisive effect on the development of pore structures in activated carbon materials obtained through physical activation.

Competitive sequestration behavior and mechanism of Cd2+, Pb2+and Ni2+ ions from single, binary and ternary metal laden solution by Hevea brasiliensis wood sawdust (HBS)

HeveaBrasiliensis wood sawdust (HBS), a lignocellulosic material, was employed for the eradication of Cd(II), Pb(II), and Ni(II) from synthetic single and multi-metalsystem. In the realm of multimetal adsorption, HBS exhibited the most substantial adsorption capacities for heavy metals, in the order: Pb(II) > Cd(II) > Ni(II). Experiments involving batch process were carried out to explore the rolesofpH, contact duration, HBS quantity, and preliminary metal concentrations on the adsorption capacity. Optimal conditions for biosorption of metal ions were determined as pH 5.0, dosage of 7 gL−1, and an equilibrium time of 90 min. The pseudo-second-order kinetics andLangmuirisotherm had a favorable alignment with the biosorption of all individual metal ions. Adsorption capacity was 8.45, 13.01 and 6.04 mg g− 1 for Cd, Pb and Ni respectively in single metal system. In binary and ternary system the capacity and adsorption percentages decreases significantly due the presence of competitive metal ions. HBS demonstrated effectiveness in treating real wastewater containing Cd2+, Pb2+and Ni2+ ionsin both single and mixed metal solutions, highlighting the necessity of thoroughly considering the impact of competitive adsorption. SEM with EDS results indicated single metal fixing in a multi-ion solution followed complex mechanisms. The surface area and functional group studies were conducted utilizing BET and a FTIR Spectrometer. Electrostatic attraction and complexation mechanisms were identified as responsible factor for capturing metal ions to the active surfaces of the bio sorbent. Cost analysis reflected the adsorbent cost was $0.021 per liter of mixed contaminated ternary effluent (30 mg L−1).

Thermal and rheological properties and processability of thermoplastic lignocellulose

AbstractFossil‐free biobased materials like thermoplastic lignocellulose are gaining attention because of climate issues. However, there is a challenge to make these as thermoplastic as commonly used thermoplastics. Arboform® is one of today's commercially available thermoplastic lignocellulose materials. In this work, the processability of this material was studied in detail and the effects of plasticizers on its processability, rheological, and mechanical properties were determined. Thermal/calorimetry analysis indicated that the processing temperature window was shifted to lower temperature with the use of tributyl citrate (TBC) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG 400) plasticizers, thus enabling extrusion at lower temperature. TBC and PEG 400 decreased both the glass transition temperature and melting point of the polylactide component. Surprisingly, they also affected the lignin component, as observed by the decreasing lignin decomposition temperature. It is observed that TBC and PEG400 lowered the stiffness of the compression molded material in the temperature range investigated (−30–180°C), and tensile tests in the presence of TBC revealed a decrease in ductility. Notable is that, in contrast to most thermoplastics, the Arboform® melt increases in viscosity and elastic moduli when the processing temperature was increased (from 180 to 200°C) or when processing time was increased.

Evaluation of co-culture of cellulolytic fungi for enhanced cellulase and xylanase activity and saccharification of untreated lignocellulosic material.

Bioethanol production from lignocellulosic materials is hindered by the high costs of pretreatment and the enzymes. The present study aimed to evaluate whether co-cultivation of four selected cellulolytic fungi yields higher cellulase and xylanase activities compared to the monocultures and to investigate whether the enzymes from the co-cultures yield higher saccharification on selected plant materials without thermo-chemical pretreatment. The fungal isolates, Trichoderma reesei F118, Penicillium javanicum FS7, Talaromyces sp. F113, and Talaromyces pinophilus FM9, were grown as monocultures and binary co-cultures under submerged conditions for 7days. The cellulase and xylanase activities of the culture filtrates were measured, and the culture filtrates were employed for the saccharification of sugarcane leaves, Guinea grass leaves, and water hyacinth stems and leaves. Total reducing sugars and individual sugars released from each plant material were quantified. The co-culture of Talaromyces sp. F113 with Penicillium javanicum FS7 and of T. reesei F118 with T. pinophilus FM9 produced significantly higher cellulase activities compared to the corresponding monocultures whereas no effect was observed on xylanase activities. Overall, the highest amounts of total reducing sugars and individual sugars were obtained from Guinea grass leaves saccharified with the co-culture of T. reesei F118 with T. pinophilus FM9, yielding 63.5% saccharification. Guinea grass leaves were found to be the most susceptible to enzymatic saccharification without pre-treatment, while water hyacinth stems and leaves were the least. Accordingly, the study suggests that fungal co-cultivation could be a promising approach for the saccharification of lignocellulosic materials for bioethanol production.

Pretreatment and saccharification of corn cobs using partially purified fungal ligninozymes

AbstractCorn cobs consist primarily of a lignocellulosic material comprising hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin in a crystalline state, which is resistant to microbial saccharification. Bioethanol production from corn cobs has rarely been attempted, especially using chemical pretreatment methods.The present study deals with the production and purification of fungal (Phanerochaete chrysosporium MTCC 787 and Pleurotus florida PAU 22‐01) extracellular ligninolytic enzymes – lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP), and laccase (Lac) – followed by their utilization for the biological pretreatment of corn cobs along with saccharification using commercial cellulase. Crude LiP, MnP, and Lac demonstrated specific activity of 2.23, 2.1, and 2.63 U/mg, respectively.The one‐step purification of crude enzyme using diethyl amino ethyl (DEAE) cellulose ion exchange chromatography resulted in 11.3, 10.1 and 8.62‐fold purification of LiP, MnP and Lac activity, respectively, with corresponding specific activity of 25.1 U/mg (LiP), 21.2 U/mg (MnP) and 22.7 U/mg (Lac) in the partially purified ligninozymes. Using the latter, biological pretreatment of 2.5 g corn cobs in a reaction volume of 30 mL containing approximately 200 units of Lac, Lip and MnP enzymes (in phosphate buffer, pH 6) resulted in a maximum of 78.4% delignification with a saccharification efficiency of 97.1% using commercial cellulases.

Steam pretreatment of lignocellulosic material for enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis - Lab scale studies and pilot scale application

Steam pretreatment of lignocellulosic material for enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis - Lab scale studies and pilot scale application

Torrefaction and pyrolysis of agrowaste-derived materials: Properties and quality of products

Huge amounts of agricultural residues or wastes represent an interesting lignocellulosic material which can be used for energy recovery by pyrolysis as an alternative to incineration. Together with the energy production, biochar (solid residue), can be with an advantage used as a soil conditioner or for other applications such as adsorbents, supporting the principles of circular economy. Here we studied the effect of torrefaction and pyrolysis temperature from 250 to 700 °C on the composition and properties of pyrolysis gas and biochar from four types of agrowaste-derived materials: sunflower harvest residues, grain harvest residues, separate from digestion, and extracted sunflower meal. The paper provides dataset on detailed composition of pyrolysis gases, indicating the differences due to different composition of the feedstock materials and describes the main parameters affecting the use of biochar as soil amendment. Torrefaction proved to be unsuitable for the production of soil amendment quality biochar and the temperature higher than 400 °C is recommended in order to produce good quality biochar while transforming most of the energy content of feedstock to primary pyrolysis products.

Optimizing Nitrogen Fertilization for Enhanced Rice Straw Degradation and Oilseed Rape Yield in Challenging Winter Conditions: Insights from Southwest China

The crop straw returning to the field is a widely accepted method to utilize and remediate huge agricultural waste in a short period. However, the low temperatures and dry conditions of the winter season in Southwest China can be challenging for the biodegradation of crop straw in the field. With a similar aim, we designed a short-term study where rice straw was applied to the field with different concentrations of nitrogen (N) fertilizer while keeping phosphorus (P) constant; CK, (N0P0); T1, (N0P90); T2, (N60P90); T3, (N120P90); and T4, (N180P90) were added to evaluate its impact on straw degradation during cold weather. We found that high fertilization (T4) significantly improved crop yield, organic matter, and lignocellulose degradation under cold temperatures (21.5–3.2 °C). It also significantly improved soil nitrogen agronomic efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, and nitrogen physiological efficiency. The yield was highest in T4 (1690 and 1399 kg/ha), while T3 acted positively on soil lignocellulolytic enzyme activity, which in turn resulted in higher degradation of OM and lignocellulosic material. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed that total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available nitrogen, and available phosphorus were important variables that had a significant impact on soil EC, bulk density, water holding capacity, and soil enzymes. We found that nitrogen application significantly changed the soil bacterial community by increasing the richness and evenness of lignocellulolytic bacteria, which aided the degradation of straw in a short duration. This study’s finding indicates that the decomposition of crop straw in the field under cold weather stress was dependent on nutrient input, and N, in an appropriate amount (N120-180), was suitable to achieve higher yield and higher decomposition of straw in such an environment.