Tons Of Dry Matter Research Articles

Productivity and cost of harvesting roadside brushwood and small trees in Sweden: a simulation study

ABSTRACT There is a large biomass potential in harvesting brushwood and young trees on roadsides in Sweden (about 3 PJ yr−1). In this study, a simulation model for analyzing time consumption and profitability of strip-harvesting brushwood and young trees under different conditions was developed and validated. A simple stand generator was used to generate twenty-nine stand types with an average diameter at breast height (DBH) ranging from 4–10 cm and stand density from 2,500 to 20,000 stems ha−1. Thereafter, harvest of these stands was simulated and analyzed. The results showed a positive correlation between harvester performance, DBH, and stand density. At approx. 10,000 stems ha−1, however, the performance flattened out. There was a clear relationship between costs and the number of stems felled. In contrast, the cost per tonne of dry matter was governed by a combination of tree size and number of trees felled (lowest cost when felling many thicker stems and vice versa). It was concluded that this simulation model, using data that was quite easy to obtain, can address one of the main challenges for brushwood harvesting, i.e. identifying areas where operations will be profitable.

Analysis of the Management of Cereal Crop Residues on Farms to Optimise Cattle Feed in the Western Cotton Growing Zone of Burkina Faso

Crop residues are insufficiently valorised by farmers in western Burkina Faso, while cattle face a shortage of forage. The aim of this study was to analyse the management of cereal crop residues in cotton-cereal farming to optimise their use as feed for draught cattle. A sample of 72 cotton farmers was selected from nine villages in the study area by the stratification method and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The quantities of cereal crop residue biomass collected by farmers were assessed directly in the field. The results showed that maize and sorghum stalks were predominantly used in cattle feed (86.1 and 90.3%), composting (50 and 44.4%), and mulching (26.9 and 25%), respectively. The average quantities of cereal crop residues stored were 0.83, 0.16, and 1.19 tonnes of dry matter (tDM) for crop farmers, livestock breeders, and agro-pastoralists, respectively, with respective fodder balances of -3.99, -29.05, and -16.99 Tropical Cattle Units (TCU) for the use of cattle, or -0.88, -0.38, and -1.81 TCU for the use of draught cattle during the lean season. Concentrated feed use was 0.20, 0.05, and 0.21 kg/cattle/day; respectively. The main factors influencing the quantities of cereal residues stored on the farms were the size of the cultivated areas and the farmers’ capacity for transportation. Provision of transport equipment and storage infrastructure would therefore appear to be a solution that could improve the level of fodder residue storage, particularly for draught oxen.

Economic Foundations and Prospects for The Use of Environmentally Safe Biofertilizer from Wastewater Sludge: The Case of Russia

The article presents conclusions based on the results of analytical and experimental work devoted to the formation of economic foundations and the determination of prospects for the use of environmentally safe biofertilizer from wastewater sludge. In Russia, wastewater sludge production is estimated at 2.5 million tons of dry matter per year and accounts for 30-45% of the total amount of production and consumption waste. The purpose of this article is to develop the composition of an organic fertilizer from wastewater sludge, an economic justification for the feasibility and experimental confirmation of the safety of using the resulting fertilizer in soils. Based on analytical studies of wastewater sludge processing directions, the capacity and needs of the biofertilizer market, a comparative analysis of the main producers and consumers of these products, an economic justification for the feasibility of producing biofertilizer from wastewater sludge is presented. As a result of comparative studies, a fertilizer was created from wastewater sludge and sunflower husks. Fertilizer has a positive effect on the growth and development of plants. Using the example of peas of the Alpha variety, it was found that with a 1:1 component ratio and a 20% dose of soil application, the biomass of the root system increased by 18.5%, the root length by 54.6%, and the stem length by 77.1%. The germination of pea seeds has increased by 2 times. The germination energy corresponded to the control indicator. Experimental samples of a new biofertilizer from WS and sunflower husks comply with the requirements of GOST 59 748-2021 «Technical principles of wastewater sludge treatment» and SanPiN 1.2.3685-21 «Hygienic standards and requirements for ensuring the safety and (or) harmlessness of environmental factors to humans». With the identified demand for biofertilizers, a net profit of 191350 thousand rubles is planned with a payback period of 5.7 years. The net present value of the project will amount to 23919 thousand rubles with an internal rate of return of 30.3%.

AVALIAÇÃO DA PRODUTIVIDADE E VALOR NUTRITIVO DE MILHO PARA SILAGEM NO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO NA SAFRA 2022/2023

he objective of this work was to evaluate the mass yield for silage, its nutritive value and the grain yield of 15 maize cultivars. The experiments were carried out in the 2022/2023 harvest, in Mococa, Tatuí and Votuporanga. There were plots of six lines of five meters, with four replications, in a randomized block design. There was interaction (p>F) between cultivars and locations for plant height (AP), dry matter yield (PMS), grain yields at ensilage (PGS) and at maturity (PGM), starch content, acid detergent fiber (FDA) and neutral detergent fiber (FDNom). It is interesting to note that the cultivar AG 8701 PRO3 showed a high potential for milk yield per hectare in the three locations, indicating its productive stability in different soil and climate conditions, while other cultivars performed differently depending on the environment. The average dry matter productivity was 20.99 t.ha-1 in Mococa, 19.06 t.ha-1 in Tatuí and 15.38 t.ha-1 in Votuporanga. The grain productivity at the time of ensiling was 8.49, 7.00 and 6.23 t.ha-1 for Mococa, Tatuí and Votuporanga, respectively, these grains being of great importance in the nutritional value of the forage, due to the presence of starch, positively influencing milk yield per ton of dry matter. Keywords: Starch, fiber, Milk, TDN, Production.

Renewable energy sources and their role in the future of energy system of Republic of Srpska

In the last decades use of energy on the global level has been increased exponentially. In the global ranges participation of fossil fuels in primary energy consumption in 2019 was 84,32%., which was one of the reasons for the ncreased interest for renewable energy sources, and secone one is gobal combating climate changes. Paris agreement (bellow the level of 2,0оC). It is especially important to emphasize that the European Union in its strategic plans is going in the direction of decarbonization of society by 2050 and is trying to impose itself as a world leader in new technologies, energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources. The holder of the electric power sector of the Republic of Srpska is „Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske", which is organized as a mixed holding. It includes the thermal power plants Gacko (300 MW, lignite) and Ugljevik (300 MW, brown coal), along with their associated coal mines, and three hydropower plants on Trebišnjica (314 MW), Drina (315 MW) and Vrbas (110 MW), and four small hydropower plants. Beside of the state company in Republic of Srpska, thermal power plant Stanari (300 MW), which is private ownership, also producing electric energy. The same company is the owner of the concesion on Stanari coal mine. Beside of that, some private owned renewable energy plants also producing electric energy, and which excercize incentives for that, 16 small hydro power plants (40,82 MW), and according to data from 2018 there were 48 small and big solar electric plants. Production of coal thermal power plants in 2016 in Republic of Srpska was 4,8 TWh, while electricity production from hydro power plants was 2,5 TWh. One of general characteristics of electric power sector is non-adequate strategic planning, slow pace of reforms, and thanking to electric power sector, economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the energy most inefficient and carbon most intensive in Europe. Heat energy in Republic of Srpska is mostly used in the households, which makes around 76% of the final consumprion of heat. District heating systems in Republic of Srpska exists strictly in the urban areas or some parts of the urban areas. According to available data around 40.000 of the appartments are connected to district heating systems, which is around 2,3 million of m2 and 460.000 m2 of thebussines users. They are supplied by 12 district heating systems organized as public enterprises. Taking in to consideration long-term goal of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and therefore Republic of Srpska is a full membership in European Union, it should be emphasized that renewable energy sources are very high on its priorities lists. Hydro energy potential of Republic of Srpska is currently used around 32%. By making insught in sector status, general impression is that hydro potential is not continuously realized, brcasue large projects are postponed or canceled, and development of smal hydropower projects is slow. When it comes to solar potential, Bosnia and Herzegovina belongs to the countries that are considered locationally desirable for the use of solar energy, because it has an average of 1840.9 hours of sunshine per year, while in the south the number reaches 2352.5 hours. It is considered economically feasible to install 1000-1200 MW of wind farms in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to available data geothermal energy in Republic of Srpska is relared to the artesian wells of its north part from Una to Drina River with the temperatures from 37 – 75 oC. Technical potential of wooden biomass in Republic of Srpska, according to Biomass Atlas is estimated to 939.911 tons of dry matter annualy, while potential of biomass from secondary processes of treatmet is 449.273 tons of dry matter annualy. According to the calculations of the Energy Community of Southeast Europe, BiH had a real opportunity to increase the share of renewable sources in the total energy potential from 26.5% in 2005 to 33% by 2020, a similar relationship in Republika Srpska. Looking back two decades and the development of processes related to the use of renewable energy sources in Republika Srpska, the conclusion is that this development is slow and does not follow the trends of the European Union, but also the obligations that Bosnia and Herzegovina undertook in the Energy Community Treaty. There are many reasons for that, and some of the key barriers are corruption at all levels of government, but also insufficient development of transmission systems to be able to receive significant capacities of intermittent RES. Renewable energy sources can play a significant role in the economy of Republika Srpska, but how much that role will really be, primarily depends on the decision makers in Republika Srpska according to this resource.

Uncertainty in land-use adaptation persists despite crop model projections showing lower impacts under high warming

Climate change is expected to impact crop yields and alter resource availability. However, the understanding of the potential of agricultural land-use adaptation and its costs under climate warming is limited. Here, we use a global land system model to assess land-use-based adaptation and its cost under a set of crop model projections, including CO2 fertilization, based on climate model outputs. In our simulations of a low-emissions scenario, the land system responds through slight changes in cropland area in 2100, with costs close to zero. For a high emissions scenario and impacts uncertainty, the response tends toward cropland area changes and investments in technology, with average adaptation costs between −1.5 and +19 US$05 per ton of dry matter per year. Land-use adaptation can reduce adverse climate effects and use favorable changes, like local gains in crop yields. However, variance among high-emissions impact projections creates challenges for effective adaptation planning.

European farmers’ response to crop residue prices and implications for bioenergy policies

To achieve the European bioenergy objectives, member states are likely to implement support policies targeting the use of lignocellulosic biomass for advanced bioenergy. Such policies could increase prices. In this study, we argue that with higher prices and new market opportunities for lignocellulosic biomass, farmers will account for crop residues in their choice of production and use of inputs. We test this hypothesis in an economic model of the EU agricultural supply coupled with a crop model to assess the effect of crop residue prices on residue supply, land allocation, yields, fertiliser use, and nitrogen pollution. We find that 120 million tonnes of dry matter (tDM) of crop residues are co-produced when they are unpriced. The price-induced additional supply is elastic to price but limited to 8% at €100/tDM and 13% at €200/tDM of the unpriced production. However, the increase in residue prices induces farmers to increase their crop areas and yields, which leads to significantly higher fertiliser consumption and nitrous oxide emission. These results indicate to policy makers that supporting prices would not substantially increase crop residue potential but could have collateral effects on the environment. They raise issues of coordination between bioenergy and agri-environmental policies in the EU.

Availability and Energy Generation Potential of Cattle Rumen Content collected from Vegetable Market Abattoir in Benin City, Nigeria

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a proven technology for treating biomass materials with a view of producing bioenergy and recovering nutrients. Cattle rumen content (CRC) is an example of a waste biomass material that can be a viable feedstock for AD process. This paper accesses the availability and energy generation potential of cattle rumen content (CRC) collected from vegetable market abattoir in Benin City, Nigeria for a ten-year data of slaughtered cattle in Nigeria. Data obtained revealed that an average 99581.303 Metric tons of dry matter from CRC is generated per annum and with a theoretical biomethane yield of 444.90 ml/gVS can potentially generate 420 GW (gigawatts) in form of biomethane annually in Nigeria through the AD process. When compared with other renewable energy sources in Nigeria, it potentially meets 6.44 % supply from other renewable energy sources, and exceeds energy currently being generated from wind and solar sources combined. Anaerobic digestion if deployed is an effective technology to harness the potential that CRC presents Nigeria as a country for affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), clean water sanitation and sustainable communities (SDG 6 and 11), and zero hunger (SDG 2) through soil nutrient enhancement.

Process Economy of Alternative Fuel Production from Sewage Sludge and Waste Celluloses Biomass

The treatment and disposal of sewage sludge is one of the most important and critical problems of wastewater treatment plants. 8.7 million tonnes of dry matter of sewage sludge were produced annually in the European Union in the year 2020. Due to the fact that sewage sludge contains a large number of substances that are not beneficial for human health, the conditions for sludge management will be significantly tightened in the EU countries. One option for sludge liquidation is the production of biofuel in a form of granules or pellets from sewage sludge enriched by waste celluloses. The achieved results show that the resulting quality of such alternative biofuel is fully comparable to conventional fossil fuels. The economic analysis is based on the simulation of cash flows associated with the implementation of the project over the lifetime and the calculation of levelised cost (LCOE). Results shows (under the current economic situation) that solar dryer technology ensures the lowest LCOE at the level of 26 EUR/GJ in fuel. If the LCOE of the alternative biofuel includes the price of the saved emission allowance and the future costs of sewage sludge disposal, the resulting price is directly competitive with lignite. The results thus clearly show that there is an ecological and economically competitive substitute for solid fossil fuels, which may be an important step for the future use of local combustion sources such as district heating plants.

Fibrolytic Enzymes Increase Fermentation Losses and Reduce Fiber Content of Sorghum Silage

Abstract Fiber digestibility is a key-point of forage usage in ruminant production systems. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of fibrolytic enzyme blend on whole-plant sorghum silage fermentation profile, fermentative losses, chemical composition, in vitro degradation, and aerobic stability. It used fifty experimental silos (plastic bucket, 28 cm i.d. and 25 cm in height) in a blocked randomized design to evaluate the following fibrolytic enzyme levels: 0, 150, 300, 450, and 600 mL per ton of dry matter (DM). Enzymes had 300 U/mL of xylanase and 300 U/mL of cellulase. Enzymes linearly increased acetic acid, branched-chain organic acids, and ethanol concentration of silage. Although there was no treatment effect on silage DM recovery over the ensiling process, enzyme levels linearly increased gas, effluent, and total losses. Intermediary levels of enzymes (from 312 to 342 mL/ton DM) decreased fiber content (NDF and ADF), whereas improved NFC silage content. Besides, enzymes did not affect DM and NDF degradation and tended to linearly reduce acid detergent fiber in vitro degradation. The enzymes addition linearly decreased silage temperature after aerobic exposure. However, there was no treatment effect on silage pH after aerobic exposure also during the time that silage remained with a temperature lower than 2°C above environmental temperature. Thus, fibrolytic enzymes reduce fiber content, promote a heterolactic fermentation, and reduce silage temperature after aerobic exposure. However, this increases fermentative losses and has no positive effect on in vitro degradation and the time of aerobic stability.

Use of corn cob through xylan extraction and its potential use as a substrate for the quantification of xylanase enzymatic activity

In Mexico, it is estimated that the amount of residues produced by the planting of the ten main crops is approximately 45 million tons of dry matter, of which just over 25 million tons are corn cob. The corn cob contains large amounts of hemicellulose, mainly composed of xylan, which can have various industrial uses. For this reason, in the present study, fresh and dry corn cob was used with two particle sizes: 0.105 mm and 0.42 mm, to carry out an exhaustive alkaline extraction of xylan and where eight fractions of hemicelluloses extracts were obtained. Each of the fractions were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis for eight hours with a commercial xylanase (Livanol Devisco 1500) and as internal control, beechwood xylan (Sigma Aldrich, X4252) was used, of which only 6.9 ± 2.25 g/L were released. reducing sugars. It was found that the fractions from the steam treatment and the fraction from the alkaline extraction precipitated with alcohol, both for fresh corn cob, were released a quantity of reducing sugars very similar to commercial xylan with 7.10 ± 2.02 and 7.24 ± 0.37 g/L, respectively. Finally, it was possible to determine that although the 8 fractions obtained in the present study can be used as substrates to determine the xylanase enzymatic activity, the best was the fraction of the alkaline extraction since 0.236 ± 0.03 IU/mL were quantified, while for the commercial substrate (beechwood xylan) an activity of 0.287 ± 0.01 IU/mL was obtained.

The effect of nitrogen fertility rate and seeding rate on yield, nutritive value and economics of forage corn in a low corn heat unit region of Western Canada

Grazing whole plant forage corn ( Zea mays L.) during winter by gestating beef cows ( Bos taurus ) is an alterative feeding strategy in Saskatchewan, Canada. Seeding rate for target plant population and N fertility rates for grazing corn have been based on grain corn research results. The objectives of this study were to determine seeding rate and N fertility rate effects and interaction on forage corn yield and nutritive value. Trials were conducted over three growing seasons (2016, 2017, and 2018) at six sites: Scott, Lanigan, Melfort, Yorkton, Outlook, and Redvers Saskatchewan, that ranged from 2100 to 2450 corn heat unit (CHU) rating. Three N fertility rates, 112, 168 and 225 kg ha −1 , and 3 seeding rates, 75,000, 100,000 and 125,000 seeds ha −1 , were evaluated with corn hybrids that were adapted to each site. Dry matter (DM) forage yield at the half-milk line stage was determined and samples analyzed by NIRS at a commercial lab for nutritive value. Increased seeding rate from 75,000 to 125,000 seeds ha −1 resulted in increased DM yield by 1.0 ± 0.1 Mg ha −1 and increased total digestible nutrients (TDN) yield while crude protein (CP) and P concentrations decreased. Fiber, TDN, and carbohydrate concentrations were not affected by seeding rate. Increased N fertility from 112 to 225 kg ha −1 resulted in increased DM yield by 0.6 ± 0.1 Mg ha −1 , and increased CP yield, and TDN yield. CP and soluble protein concentrations increased while neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDF- dig ) concentration decreased with increased N fertility. Mineral concentrations also increased with increasing N fertility. There were no seeding rate x N rate interactions for yield or nutritive value. Site-years varied in most yield and nutritive value variables. N rate x site-year interactions were significant for DM yield, CP yield and TDN yield because the effect of N fertility was significant at only one third to one half of the site-years. Cost of production per tonne of DM or TDN increased with increased seeding rate but neither was affected by N fertility rate. Net revenue was reduced from $522 ha −1 to $462 ha −1 by increased seeding rate while there was no effect of N fertility rate on net revenue. Current seeding rate and N fertilizer rates for grazing corn in Saskatchewan will provide producers with the highest net return. • Grazing corn yield increased by 1.0 Mg ha −1 when seeding rate increased. • Increased N fertilizer rate increased yield by 0.6 0 Mg ha −1 . • Seeding rate and N fertility rate affected nutritive value of grazing corn. • Highest net returns of grazing corn occurred at recommended seeding and N rates. • Variation in nutritive value among site-years means feed testing is essential.

Availability, nutritional balance, and needs for dairy cattle feed resources in Derashe Special District, Southern Ethiopia

The goal of this study, which was conducted in the Derashe District of Southern Ethiopia, was to balance the district's needs for dairy cattle with the availability of feed resources. Data were gathered by field observations, key informant interviews, and a standardized questionnaire. With 149 responses, the district was divided into three agro-ecologies. Using a technique called probability proportional to size-sampling, the number of responders was calculated. Lowland,mid-altitude, and highland regions all had average land sizes of 1.67, 0.27, and 1.38 ha, respectively. The research district's entire livestock population was calculated to be 134,948.84 TLU. Cattle made up 83.23% of this, followed by goats 6.19%, donkeys 5.09%, sheep 3.51%, chickens 1.19%, mules 0.53%, horses 0.18 percent, and camels 0.002% of the district's total TLU of the animal population. There were 9.5 heads of local and crossbred cows in each household'saverage herd. Dairy cattle in the study locations primarily ate natural pasture, crop residues, crop aftershock grazing, standing hay, maize that had been thinned, and unconventional feeds (Cheka atella and Areke atella). Grazing land produced 97.75 tons of dry matter per year, crop leftovers 827.21 tons, conventional feeds 264.78 tons, fodder trees and shrubs 1.29 tons, crop aftermath grazing 110 tons, concentrates 0.5 tons, and forest land 30.54 tons. A total TLU value of 1693.5 was obtained by analyzing the overall feed balance in terms of DM yield annually. The present TLU units with a negative balance of 2513.16 tons demand about 3861.85 tons of DM annually. There was a deficit of 140 tons in the total CP produced and needed for the TLU, which came to 477.18 and 617.72 CP tons, respectively. Overall metabolizable energy (ME) produced and needed for the TLU were 25,739.3 and 73683.72 tons MJ, respectively, with a negative balance of 47,944.42 tons MJ of ME. Free grazing, stall feeding, and tethering were the three main feeding methods used in the research locations. Lack of feed, a lack of grazing pasture, subpar extension services, and a lack ofwater were the main obstacles and issues for the development of dairy cattle. Possibilities for increasing dairy feed output include favorable meteorological conditions, cereal crop productivity, and road access. The growth of forage, the collecting and storage of crop leftovers under sheds, the conservation of forage, particularly hay and silage, and the facilitation of feed selling mechanisms in local market areas could all help ease feed scarcity issues.

Differences between chemical analysis and portable near-infrared reflectance spectrometry in maize hybrids

The aim of this study is to compare the differences between four maize hybrids in terms of nutrient determination by portable near-infrared reflectance spectrometer (pNIRS) and chemical analysis; each of the hybrids was grown in the same locality from 2018 to 2020. The topic relates to the variability of the feed value of maize being an important feedstuff in livestock nutrition. The nutritional values determined by pNIRS in comparison with the chemical analysis were higher (P < 0.001) in starch and ash content but lower in dry matter, neutral detergent fibre and crude protein (CP) content. The digestibility levels of neutral detergent fibre and the net energy of lactation as well as the potential milk production per hectare in relation to each tonne of dry matter were also lower. According to this result, it would be necessary to calibrate all tested indicators for a given spectrometer. However, the pNIRS results are useful for evaluating nutrient variability; the standard deviation of the values found in pNIRS was mostly lower than that determined chemically. The pNIRS results are also useful for making practical adjustments to the total mixed rations when calculated from actual chemical analysis if the correlation between the two methods is used; the correlation between the pNIRS and chemical results was found to be significant (P < 0.05) in terms of all the indicators.

Areal and chemical composition of wild inulin-containing plants on the territory of RSO-Alania

In the presented work, an assessment of the raw material resources of the roots and rhizomes of wild inulin-containing plants of high elecampane (Inula helenium L.), greater burdock (Arctium lappa L.), medicinal dandelion (Taraxacum officianale Wigg.) was carried out, the possible annual volume of harvesting of roots and rhizomes in the territory North Ossetia-Alania. In Russia, the volumes of inulin production are small, therefore, pharmaceutical industries are forced to use more expensive imported inulin, which increases the cost of diabetic products. In this connection, the search for new sources of inulin is relevant. It has been established that the possible annual volume of blanks is 3.0-3.5 tons of dry matter. The chemical composition, the content of biologically active substances of the investigated types of inulin-containing raw materials are analyzed. It was noted that in the roots and rhizomes of elecampane, the high content of inulin is 37.0% -39.4%, in the roots of dandelion officinalis - 36.1% -37.0%, burdock - 37.2% - 38.8%. The maximum amount of phenolic compounds 7.3% was found in the roots and rhizomes of elecampane, the minimum - in the roots of burdock 5.0%. The content of pectin compounds was: 12.0% of the mass of dry matter - in high elecampane, 10.4% of the mass of dry matter - in burdock and 10.0% of the mass of dry matter - in dandelion officinalis. Some fragmentation, lack of information on a more complete chemical composition of metabolites of species of the genera burdock, dandelion and elecampane opens up wide opportunities for subsequent researchers.

Assessing feed security for beef production within livestock-intensive regions

CONTEXTFeed insecurity caused by increases in animal inventories and variability in feed production due to climate change is an emerging issue in livestock production. Regional feed transfers are one strategy used to address local feed shortages and minimize feed insecurity. OBJECTIVEThis study assessed the importance of regional feed transfers for beef production in Alberta, Canada, by estimating regional feed production and demand based on livestock (beef, dairy, poultry, swine, sheep, bison, and horses) numbers and categories, enabling calculation of regional deficits and surpluses. METHODSTransfers from crop-producing regions in Alberta were estimated to address potential feed shortages for beef production in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016. The analysis included feeds that could be cost-effectively transported, namely, barley grain, wheat grain, grass hay, and grass-legume hay. Feed demands of beef and other livestock were estimated at the county level and aggregated to seven land-use framework (LUF) regions. Feed balances available for beef production were estimated for the four feeds based on crop yields in each year. Feed transfers from surplus to deficit LUF regions were hierarchically estimated based on transport distance. Feed inputs from outside the province were not considered in the analysis due to the lack of data on cross-boundary imports. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe average feed demand for beef production between 2001 and 2016 in Alberta was 2.71, 0.68, 2.21, and 1.95 M tonnes of dry matter (DM) for barley grain, wheat grain, grass hay, and grass-legume hay, respectively. The results indicated that the South Saskatchewan region of Alberta had the greatest feed deficit and required transfers from other regions in all years. Feed balances were consistently negative in this region between 2001 and 2016, with barley grain ranging from −97.2% to −34.2% (deficit), wheat grain from −31.4% (deficit) to 19.3% (surplus), grass hay from −147.2% (deficit) to 1.6% (surplus), and native grass-legume hay from −167.7% to −15.7% (deficit). Unmet demand of barley grain (2006), grass hay (2001) and grass-legume hay (2001, 2006) at the provincial level were likely met by importing these feedstuffs from outside of the province. SIGNIFICANCEThe methodology presented here can be adapted to other intensive livestock producing regions to assess feed security issues associated with climate change and devise effective feed transfer strategies and provide information that can be used for future consideration of the regional impact of these practices on greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, as well as other environmental indices.

Turning curse into cure: Potential of water hyacinth for bio-refining - A contextual investigation of Lake Tana

Water hyacinth (WH, Eichhornia crassipes, ’Emboch’ in Ethiopia) is a highly disturbing class of invasive and noxious aquatic plants found worldwide in other water bodies and as such is a prime problem in Lake Tana. One approach to successfully control the rapid invasion of WH is to utilize it as a feedstock to produce high-valued commodities in a biorefinery framework. Preliminary life cycle analysis carried out in the study shows that WH biomass is a competitive feedstock for biorefinery systems with a unit cost at $ 24.40 per ton of dry matter. Based on the annual generation capacity of 0.71 million tons of dry mass in lake Tana and following the standard biorefinery process protocols, the predictions indicate that the economic potential of converting WH biomass into 38.8 billion liters of biomethane alone to be at $ 38.8 million, 74.2 million liters of bioethanol alone at $ 51.9 million, and o.52 million tons organic agro-fertilizer alone at $ 130.5/78.3 million as a partial substitute for Anhydrous Ammonia or Muriate of Potash (MOP) fertilizers. Hence the integrated WH management and utilization as a biorefinery feedstock ranks it among the world’s most competitive feedstocks with attractive socio-economic and environmental benefits.

Industrial Symbiosis through the Use of Biosolids as Fertilizer in Romanian Agriculture

Biosolids’ use in agriculture is an example of industrial symbiosis. The application of biosolids (BS) in agriculture is considered one of the most sustainable sewage sludge (SS) management options, but the quality of biosolids has to meet certain requirements regarding the characteristics of the sludge, those of the land and of the type of crop. Web of Science database has been used to search for the relevant literature. The review of studies undertaken in order to determine the economic effects of the use of biosolids in agriculture shows, in the majority, an increase in crop yield and the reduction in costs, due to the reduction in the requirements for the application of chemical or synthetic fertilizers. If the entire sewage sludge production in Romania for 2019 had been used as fertilizer, the estimated cost reduction for farmers would have been almost 3 million Euros—considering the 230.59 thousand tons of dry matter produced in 2019. The estimated savings for 2019 of the sewage and water utilities, if the sewage sludge had been used in agriculture instead of depositing it at the landfill, would have been about 3.9 million Euros. However, the limits of the symbiosis are due to the size of the farms, the type of plants cultivated, pH, slope inclination, heavy metal content and social acceptance. It is impossible to use all the sewage sludge in agriculture, but these figures are a good estimation of the economic effects.

EVALUATION OF MEXICAN NATIVE AND HYBRID MAIZE (ZEA MAYS) SILAGES FOR SUSTAINABLE MILK PRODUCTION

<p><strong>Background</strong>. Maize cultivation and dairy cattle represent two of the main economic activities in Mexico. <strong>Objective</strong>. Determine the forage yield (ton / ha) and forage quality of the maize silage produced in Mexico and estimate potential milk production. <strong>Methodology</strong>. For this purpose, 13 studies carried out in Mexico, were analyzed according to study area (north vs. center of Mexico) and variety (native vs. hybrid). For inclusion in the final database, the studies should have been including agronomic and chemical variables such as: dry matter yield (DMY) (ton / ha), plant density (number of plants / ha), dry matter content (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), ash or organic matter (OM), dry matter digestibility (DMD), neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), starch and fat content. The data were analyzed using a completely randomized statistical design. <strong>Results</strong>. The forage DMY (dry matter yield) / ha, and the milk production (ton DM / ha) were higher (P <0.0001) for the central region with respect to the northern region. Regarding to the milk production (kg milk/ ha) the native silages produced more (P <0.05) than the hybrids. A positive correlation was observed for the content of NEL (net energy of lactation) (MJ / kg DM) and kg milk / ton DM. <strong>Implications</strong>. The native maize of Mexico thus has the potential to provide greater production of milk / ha and kg Milk/ per ton DM with respect to hybrid maize, due to the higher digestibility of the NDF that causes the higher NEl.<strong> Conclusions.</strong> The use of native maize in Mexico is a viable alternative for use as a silage in feed for dairy cows, with higher milk production per hectare and per ton of dry matter compared to hybrid maize.</p>

Applying the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production framework to map provisioning ecosystem services and their relation to ecosystem functioning across the European Union

Human intervention on land enhances the supply of provisioning ecosystem services, but also exerts pressures on ecosystem functioning. We utilize the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP) framework to assess these relations in European agriculture, for 220 NUTS2 regions. We put a particular focus on individual land system components, i.e. croplands, grasslands, and livestock husbandry and relate associated biomass flows to the potential net primary productivity NPP. For the reference year 2012, we find that 469 g dm/m2/yr (38% of NPPpot) of used biomass were harvested on total agricultural land, and that one tonne of annually harvested biomass is associated with 1.67 tonnes dry matter (dm) of HANPP, ranging from 0.8 to 8.1 tonnes dry matter (dm) across all regions. EU livestock systems are a large consumer of these provisioning ecosystem services, and invoking higher HANPP flows than current HANPP on cropland and grassland within the EU, even exceeding the potential NPP in one fifth of all NUTS2 regions. NPP remaining in ecosystems after provisioning society with biomass is essential for the functioning of ecosystems and is 563 g dm/m2/yr or 46% of NPPpot on all agricultural land. We conclude from our analysis that the HANPP framework provides useful indicators that should be integrated in future ecosystem service assessments.