Sugarcane Trash Research Articles

Study of Different Decomposers with Biochar in Sugarcane Trash Management for Enhancing Ratoon Sugar Cane (Saccharum officinarum. L.) Yield

Burning of sugarcane trash is a hazardous practice which has affected soil health, air, human health etc. leading to massive impact as well as monetary losses. The present study aimed Assessing of different decomposers with biochar in sugarcane trash management for enhancing ratoon sugar cane yield at farmers field. Average of two years in data in table revealed that yield, economics of soil properties and nutrients. It is observed that. Average of two years root length 4.83cm and Sugarcane yield 97.92 t/ha recorded higher yield with application of Compost Culture 15 kg/ha and biochar 1 t/ha with retention of Sugarcane trash residue followed by application of liquid discomposure 15lit/ ha with biochar 1 ton/ha (93.79t/ha) compared to farmer practice if burning of trash in field itself Same trend followed economics which is 18.23% increase over the farmer practice (trash burning) and same trend followed in economics and available of nutrients.

The Role of Sugarcane Trash in Soil Fertility and Plant Growth: A Review

Sugarcane needs a hot and humid climate and can be grown on a variety of soils that can retain moisture. Owing to its long life cycle it heavily depletes soil nutrients during its growth period. Sugarcane, being a heavy feeder requires nearly 208 kg N, 53 kg P2O5, and 280 kg K2O from the soil to produce 100 t ha-1 sugarcane. Sugarcane, being a C4 plant, produces a large quantity of biomass. Approximately 10-15 t of trash, constituting 10-12% weight of cane harvested, is produced by the sugarcane crop. Generally, cane trash contains 68% organic matter, 0.42% N, 0.15% P, 0.57% K, 0.48% Ca, and 0.12% Mg, besides 25.7, 20.45, 236.4, and 16.8 ppm Zn, Fe, Mn and Ca, respectively. Trash conserves soil moisture, C, and N in the soil and provides energy to increase the yield. The trash application conserves the nutrients in the soil, also aids their availability to the plant, and reduces the fertilizer requirements through recycling nutrients in the soil from residue. Organic mulches also create a better physical, chemical, and biological environment of soils and in turn, improve crop productivity. Burning of trash deteriorate the fertility as well as soil health. It also reduces the soil microbial activity and destabilize of soil aggregates. Significant N losses from residues can occur during burning by high temperature volatilization. In the burnt system, >70% of the organic matter and nutrients in the trash are lost to the atmosphere.

Degradation of Sugarcane Trash by Primary Treatment Methods

Abstract: India is the second largest sugar producing country in the world and producing 70 tons/ha (28.34 tons/acre) of sugarcane. India is agricultural based country and 70% people of India depend on the agriculture. India produces the rice, wheat and other crops in the largest quantity. One ton of sugarcane trash contains 5.4 kg of N, 1.3kg of P2O5, and 3.1 kg of K2O and small quantities of micronutrients. Annual production of sugarcane is 285 Mt/Yr. and dry residue generated is 107.5 Mt/Yr. In this study degradation of sugarcane trash is conducted by vessel composting method. 100 gram of trash is taken in each container and 30 gram of treatments like pressmud, lime powder, cow dung, waste decomposer, bacteria inoculum are added in different containers. To find the fastening the degradation of sugarcane trash all these treatments are compared with trash control by conducting the NPK analysis at 0, 15, and 30days. From the experiment setup results trash with pressmud and trash with lime are showing significant results

Evaluating the performance of traditional paddy (Oryza sativa L.) landraces under floating cultivation techniques in southern Tamil Nadu

Floating rice cultivation, a novel method, is essential for boosting crop yields and resilience amid climate change using flood-prone and water-saturated environments. This approach leverages aquatic resources such as lakes and reservoirs, enhancing agricultural productivity and ecosystem health. This study was conducted in 2023 at the Department of Agronomy, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai to assess the suitability and production potential of cultivating traditional paddy varieties viz., Chinnar and Chithiraikar under floating conditions. Various substrates including soil, coir pith, wooden chips, sugarcane trash, thermocol, leaf compost, and jute bags were levelled out over paddy seeding trays (60 × 30 cm) and placed over bamboo rafts (120 × 120 cm) which served as the float base. Various parameters viz., germination (%), leaf area index (LAI), vigour index, plant population, dry matter production (g/m2), grain yield (kg/ha) and straw yield (kg/ha) were analysed. Results revealed that better crop establishment and crop growth were highly influenced by nursery and conditions with coconut coir outperforming other substrates. However, findings indicated that thermocol substrate is more productive in realizing higher yield attributes and yield (9.83 g/plant, 9.90 g/plant, respectively) of both Chinnar and Chithiraikar landraces of rice. Thus, floating rice cultivation offers a sustainable way to enhance productivity and adaptability, with traditional paddy varieties suitable for soilless media, though further research is needed to optimize its effectiveness.

Study the Utilization of Biochar Derived from Sugarcane Waste to Enhance the Biogas Efficiency During the Anaerobic Digestion Process for Treating Pig Farm Wastewater

This experiment aims to study the use of biochar (Biochar, BC) from sugarcane trash through the pyrolysis process at different temperatures of 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700°C. Then add BC to the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) system of wastewater from pig farms, then analyze the characteristics of wastewater and the amount of biogas obtained before and after treatment and to study the characteristics of decomposition, the generation of biogas (Biogas) to the reduction of organic matter in wastewater (COD). From this experiment, it can be concluded that all 6 systems are producing biogas, such as: the normal system and the system with BC filling at different burning temperatures: 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700℃ in the amount of 0.4g into the system. .64, 46.13, 51.90 and 65.98% respectively. From the experiments of all systems, it is observed that the system filled with BC at a temperature of 700℃ is able to produce biogas the best because the high heating temperature will cause the electrons of the charcoal to break easily and cause more holes to be a place for microbes to grow well. A comparison of the conventional system and adding biochar with the same amount but different temperature into the sewage treatment system without using air can be concluded that the conventional system is the generation of biogas is still low efficiency and the system of adding BC at the temperature of 300, 400, 500, 600℃ in the same amount. Notice that the generation of biogas is higher in order and the filling of BC at a temperature of 700℃ is able to produce biogas higher than other systems.

Enhancement of xylooligosaccharides production as a novel antioxidant source through autoclave-assisted oxalic acid pretreatment of sugarcane trash

Enhancement of xylooligosaccharides production as a novel antioxidant source through autoclave-assisted oxalic acid pretreatment of sugarcane trash

Predictive modelling of HHV and LHV for sugar industry by-products: a study on sugarcane trash leaves, bagasse, and filter cake

ABSTRACT This study aimed to enhance the efficiency of by-product raw materials from the sugar industry for use as fuel. The approach involved developing an equation to calculate the higher heating value (HHV) for each type of raw material using a regression method. Additionally, a simplex-centroid mixture design (SCMD) was employed to estimate the lower heating value (LHV) based on the mixing ratios by weight of sugarcane trash leaves (SCL), sugarcane bagasse (SCB), and filter cake (FTC). The results demonstrated that the developed model accurately estimated the HHV for each raw material. The ultimate analysis showed high statistical appropriateness, with an R2 of 0.83. The standard error of estimation was 0.74 MJ/kg, and the mean absolute error was 0.76%. Furthermore, the SCMD effectively estimated the LHV of the SCL, SCB, and FTC mixture ratios, achieving an R2 of 99.77%. The evaluation and validation of the prediction equation revealed a mean absolute error of 7.57% and a mean bias error of 6.31%. The findings of this study can be used to enhance the combustion efficiency of sugar industry by-products for use as fuel by selecting the optimal mixing ratio for each type of raw material.

Green preparations of nanolignin from acid-saccharification-treated sugarcane trash

Characterization of isolated lignin and utilization of nanotechnology to produce nanolignin as a functional material are paramount. Lignin was extracted from acid-saccharification sugarcane trash (SCT-ASac) to produce acid-saccharification lignin (ASac-lignin). Then, lignin was further processed to nanolignin by a self-assembly dialysis process using THF:ethanol (1:1) as the solvent. The chemical, physical, and thermal properties of the lignin were evaluated, and the nanolignin size was confirmed via morphological analysis and PSA. SCT-ASac treatment prior to lignin isolation affects the structure of SCT and enhances the accessibility of lignin. Furthermore, this pretreatment can reduce residual carbohydrates, increasing the purity value. ASac-lignin has a nonconjugated phenolic group structure with a high number of β-O-4 bonds, a syringyl content, aromatic groups with low thermal stability, and a molecular weight with good phenolic hydroxyl content and total phenolic compounds. The obtained nanolignin is a spherical and more uniform particle with sizes less than 100 nm. ASac-nanolignin has the potential to be an environmentally friendly material in derivative lignin synthesis.

Greenhouse gas emission implications of small-scale sugarcane farmers’ trash management practices: A case for bioenergy production in South Africa

Sugarcane trash is a source of biomass available for energy generation. However, this potential has not been explored in the South African small-scale sugarcane sector. The current trash management practices of farmers, especially, pre-harvest burning, have huge negative environmental implications. Sustainable management of sugarcane trash could help address several challenges in the sugarcane industry including the high cost of irrigation. Therefore, this study is meant to assess small-scale growers’ trash management practices and their implications on greenhouse gas emissions. It also ascertains the potential for using sugarcane trash in the co-generation of electricity. The study was conducted in two communities in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces with 330 small-scale farmers. A probit regression was used to determine factors that influence farmers’ trash management practices. Other analyses such as estimations of the amount of available trash, burning emissions and potential energy from sugarcane were informed by previous studies. The findings showed that pre-burning of sugarcane is a common practice among smallholder producers in South Africa. However, some farmers have attempted to move away from this practice opting to leave their sugarcane in the field or use it for compost. The farmers’ burning of sugarcane releases an estimated 0.08 tCO2-e per ha into the atmosphere. In total, the estimated greenhouse gas emissions from sugarcane burning of all small-scale growers in the two provinces are 725 tCO2-e per annum. The findings also revealed that having more land, poor endowment with psychological capital, lack of access to extension, limited resources, and working in silos compound the practice of burning sugarcane. The estimated energy potential from small-scale sugarcane producers in the country, using a 50 % recovery efficiency and 36 % energy conversion efficiency is 150,323.3 MWh. The study proposes several recommendations for improving trash management practices and initiating the co-generation of electricity from trash in the small-scale sugarcane industry.

Composting of Sugarcane Trash Using Trichoderma Isolated from Sugarcane Field

Composting of Sugarcane Trash Using Trichoderma Isolated from Sugarcane Field

Evaluating different green manuring plant species and stool destruction methods for enhancing sugarcane yield at Wonji-Shoa Sugar Estate, Ethiopia

The long-term intensive production system employed in the Sugar Estates in Ethiopia, characterized by monoculture, preharvest burning, and excessive tillage, has led to soil degradation with a concomitant decline in sugarcane yield. Therefore, a study was conducted at Wonji-Shoa Sugar Estate (WSSE) with the objective of evaluating the effectiveness of different green manuring plant species and cane stool destruction methods (SDMs) in improving cane yield. To that end, seven green manure plant species (sunn-hemp, lablab, cowpea, soybean, mungbean, dhaincha, and sugarcane trash) were evaluated under three SDMs (cultivating-out, spraying-out with herbicide, and maintaining the stool as it is) using a split-plot design. The experimental fields were established on two major soil types, with green manure crops incorporated into the soil before planting the sugarcane. The dry matter production and nitrogen contribution of the green manure plants, as well as the height, population, diameter, and yields of sugarcane, were determined and subsequently subjected to statistical and economic analysis. The results showed that cowpea, followed by lablab, dhaincha, and sunn hemp, were the most effective green manures in terms of improving cane performance, with up to 17–20 % yield advantage and 21–40 % net economic benefits over the control treatment. Additionally, the spraying-out MSD was as effective as the cultivating-out MSD, but both outperformed maintaining the stool. In conclusion, utilizing these green manuring crops in combination with the spraying-out SDM presents notable advantages for improved cane yield and enhanced economic benefits in a sustainable manner. Adoption of these practices, therefore, holds significant potential for reversing the constantly declining sugarcane yields at WSSE.

Composting of sugarcane trash by using a microbial consortium

Composting of sugarcane trash by using a microbial consortium

Bioethanol Production from Characterized Pre-treated Sugarcane Trash and Jatropha Agrowastes

Low production costs and a potential feedstock supply make lignocellulosic ethanol (bioethanol) an important source of advanced biofuels. The physical and chemical preparation of this kind of lignocellulosic feedstock led to a high ethanol yield. In order to increase the yield of fermentable sugars, pretreatment is an essential process step that alters the lignocellulosic structure and improves its accessibility for the expensive hydrolytic enzymes. In this context, the chemical composition of sugarcane trash (dry leaves, green leaves, and tops) and jatropha (shell and seed cake) was determined to be mainly cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide were applied in an attempt to facilitate the solubilization of lignin and hemicelluloses in five agrowastes. The extraction of hydrogen peroxide was much better than that of sodium hydroxide. A comparative study was done using SEM, EDXA, and FTIR to evaluate the difference between the two methods. The pretreated wastes were subjected to saccharification by commercial cellulases (30 IU/g substrate). The obtained glucose was fortified with nutrients and fermented statically by Saccharomyces cerevisiae F-307 for bioethanol production. The results revealed the bioethanol yields were 325.4, 310.8, 282.9, 302.4 and 264.0 mg ethanol/g treated agrowastes from green leaves of sugarcane, jatropha deolied seed cake, tops sugarcane, dry leaves of sugarcane, and jatropha shell, respectively. This study emphasizes the value of lignocellulosic agricultural waste as a resource for the production of biofuels as well as the significance of the extraction process.

Biodegradation of sugarcane trash into substrates of utilizable products using lignocellulolytic microorganisms

Biodegradation of sugarcane trash was conducted using lignocellulolytic microorganisms, Bacillus subtilis (MW715021) and Schizophyllum commune (MW720154) strains. Throughout the biodegradation process, various physicochemical, biochemical, and microbial parameters were monitored. The weight, organic carbon, and C:N ratio of the sugarcane residue progressively decreased from 20 to 120 days of incubation. Among different treatments, T7 (Sugarcane trash + Bacillus subtilis + Schizophyllum commune) exhibited significantly the lowest weight, organic carbon, and C:N ratio of 61.60 g, 17.85%, and 13.02, respectively. The pH of the substrate decreased slightly at the initial period of biodegradation then it increased slightly and became stable at near about neutral pH. The Electrical Conductivity (EC) of the substrate was increased with the advancement of incubation periods. The Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) content of the substrate increased with the duration of incubation. A higher TKN content of 1.37% was recorded in T7 on 120 days of incubation. The nutrient content (P2O5, K2O, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) of the substrate was increased with the advancement of the decomposition period. The cellulose and lignin content was reduced from 40.78 to 21.54 % to 23.16 and 10.84 %, respectively in T7. Lignocellulolytic enzymes i.e. cellulase, laccase, lignin peroxidase, and manganese peroxidase were increased at initial degradation periods up to 60 days then it declined at a later stage of biodegradation. The microbial population increased with incubation periods up to 60 days then after it was declined at a later stage of biodegradation.

Comparison of Thermochemical and Physical Properties of Some Indonesian Agricultural Wastes

Indonesia is one of the largest agricultural countries in the world. Two main agricultural sub-sectors in Indonesia are food crops and estate crops. Agricultural waste is one of the biomass energy sources that has the potential to replace fossil energy sources. The weakness of energy sources from different types of agricultural waste is their heterogeneous thermochemical and physical properties. The objective of the experimental study is to compare the thermochemical and physical properties of fourteen selected agricultural wastes in Indonesia. The thermochemical properties that were compared are high heating value (HHV), percentage of lignocellulosic components, and ultimate analysis, while that of physical properties are the grindability, hydrophilicity, and proximate analysis. A material with high fixed carbon, low moisture, and low ash contents is preferred as a solid fuel source. Based on the experimental results of proximate analysis, coffee husk has the highest fixed carbon content (20.85%). Empty fruit bunch has the lowest moisture content (7.04%). Palm kernel shell has the lowest ash content (1.82%). Based on the results of the ultimate analysis, the palm kernel shell is the sample with the highest carbon content (49.42%), while the empty fruit bunch has the highest hydrogen content (6.69%). The coconut shell was identified as containing the lowest nitrogen (0.14%) and sulfur 0.052%). Peanut shell is the easiest to grind, while empty fruit bunch is the hardest to grind materials. The hydrophilicity of sugarcane trash is lower than other samples (9.34%). Coconut shell has the highest percentage of cellulose (47.21%). Several pairs of agricultural waste have similar properties that can be used as considerations for handling management and co-utilization.

High furfural and levoglucosan selectivity from stepwise torrefaction and fast pyrolysis of sugarcane trash washed with citric acid

Converting agricultural waste biomass into value-added chemicals is attractive. However, a low selectivity for target chemicals hinders practical applications. This study presents a stepwise strategy to convert sugarcane trash (ST) into furfural and levoglucosan with high selectivity. The approach includes citric acid washing to reduce mineral content in ST, followed by torrefaction at different temperatures (210 °C, 250 °C and 290 °C) in a tube furnace and then fast pyrolysis at 500 °C in a micro-reactor. This study highlights the valorization potential of the torrefaction liquid, an often overlooked by-product from torrefaction, through significantly increasing furfural selectivity during the torrefaction of washed ST. Furthermore, the vapors from subsequent fast pyrolysis of washed-torrefied ST exhibited reduced acetic acid content compared to that of solely washed ST, which is advantageous for minimizing the acidity of the resulting bio-oil. Moreover, fast pyrolysis of ST, treated with washing and torrefaction at 250 °C, achieved a high levoglucosan yield while maintaining a high furfural yield obtained in the prior torrefaction step. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into future research and industrial applications in agricultural waste biomass utilization.

Identification and evaluation of microbial consortium for accelerated sugarcane trash decomposition

The present study was carried out to evaluate the microbial consortium developed at Agricultural Research Station, Perumallapalle for accelerating the sugarcane trash decomposition during 2020-2023. Application of the microbial consortium @2kg/ton of sugarcane trash showed least decomposition time ie., 89 days with C:N ratio of 18.77:1 while it took about 147 days in control treatment with C: N ratio of 30: 1. Maximum loss in mass (37.34%) and volume (44.55%) was observed in T3 treatment as against the control treatment with 21.23 % loss in mass and 30.11%loss in volume. The nutrient content in terms of total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total potassium content was also estimated in each treatment and maximum values was observed in T3 treatment with 0.93% N, 0.45% P and 1.12% K.

Boosting sugarcane trash decomposition: synergistic action and proximity effect of xylanase and feruloyl esterase co-displayed on the cell surface of Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffi)

Xylanase and feruloyl esterase co-displayed on yeast surface boosts lignocellulosic biomass degradation through synergistic effect caused by their proximity.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Various Decomposers in Sugarcane Trash Composting

Sugarcane produces about 10 to 12 tonnes of dry leaves per hectare per crop. The detrashing is done during its growth period. This trash contains organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. The sugarcane trash incorporation in the soil influences physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. There is a reduction in soil EC, improvement in the water holding capacity, better soil aggregation and thereby improves porosity in the soil. Villupuram district one of the highest sugarcane producing district in Tamil Nadu. The farmers in this district are not aware about the sugarcane trash composting and burning the trashes in the field itself. Burning of sugarcane trash is a hazardous practice which has affected soil health, air, human health etc. leading to massive impact as well as monetary losses. The present study aimed at assessing the various decomposers in sugarcane trash. the average compost yield of TNAU Biomineralizer is 1.04 ton whereas the compost yield of Waste decomposer is 1.23 tonnes and which is 18 % increase over TNAU Biomineralizer. Regarding the duration of composting process, the waste decomposer taken only 63 days in an average to decompose the sugarcane trash whereas TNAU biomineralizer taken 73 days in average to decompose the sugarcane trash. The composting process is faster in waste decomposer applied sugarcane heap than the TNAU Biomineralizer applied heap. The C:N ratio of TNAU bio mineralizer applied sugarcane trash was 28:1 whereas the C:N ratio of waste composer applied sugarcane trash was 25:1. Composting process is faster in waste decomposer applied sugarcane heap than the TNAU Biomineralizer applied heap. The compost yield was also comparatively high in waste decomposer applied sugarcane heap.

Sugarcane Trash Biochar Released Least Extractable Phosphorus in an Acidic Incubated Soil

ABSTRACT Recycling of phosphorus (P) from feedstocks to soils can provide sustainability in agriculture. In our incubation study, we investigated the effects of adding cow manure-derived vermicompost (CMV), cow manure (CM), sugarcane trash biochar (STB), and triple super phosphate (TSP) to extractable P in a sandy loam soil. P was added to the soil at rates of 0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg kg−1 based on their total P contents. The amended soils were incubated for 1, 4, 8, and 16 weeks (wk) at room temperature and extractable P samples were measured (by water, Olsen, Mehlich-3 and Bray and Kurtz) and soil pH was monitored. After 1 wk of incubation, the extractable P values were 1.4 mg kg−1 with STB at the smallest while the highest was 79 mg kg−1 with TSP. The corresponding P values in the CMV and CM amended soils were 33 mg kg−1 and 31 mg kg−1. The reductions of extractable P from 1 to 16 wks of incubation were 40%, 35%, and 80% in the CMV, CM and TSP amended soils, respectively, while they increased from 1.43 mg kg−1 to 6.05 mg kg−1 ((320%) in the STB amended soil. Among the amendments, a significant positive relationship was observed between extractable P and the pH in soils amended with STB. The findings revealed that varying P extractability in soils depends on amendment types and duration of incubation. Sugarcane trash biochar did not exhibit an ability to substitute inorganic P fertilizer for assessing bioavailable P.