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In the context of sustainability, the integration of renewable energy into industrial processes not only minimizes dependence on fossil fuels but also contributes to the efficient management of industrial waste. By transforming organic waste, including agri-food and urban waste, into biogas, green energy can be generated, thus reducing the impact on the environment and closing the loop of material used in the economic circuit. Thus, a sustainable system can be promoted, where resources are continuously reused and exploited. Statistical methods and a decision tree with the Classification and Regression Trees (CRT) algorithm were employed to analyze data. The paper focuses on the importance of industrial waste and biogas for the generation, transformation, and consumption of energy in the EU (European Union)-27 countries. To provide a thorough analysis, we have divided these countries based on real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, grouping them above/below the annual average for the period 2012–2021/2022. Descriptive statistics revealed observable differences between the two groups, but the paper aimed to provide evidence regarding the existence of these differences as statistically significant. Using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, the non-normal distribution of the data was confirmed, requiring non-parametric inferential methods. The Mann–Whitney U test revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups for all the studied variables. This comprehensive approach highlights the distinct energy-related characteristics influenced by economic development in the EU-27. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article focuses on agrivoltaic production systems (AV). The transition towards renewable energy sources, driven by the need to respond to climate change, competition for land use, and the scarcity of fossil fuels, has led to the consideration of new ways to optimise land use while producing clean energy. AV systems not only generate energy but also allow agricultural and livestock yields to be maintained or even increased under PV structures, offering a sustainable production strategy that may be more acceptable to local communities than traditional PV installations. This review assesses the technical feasibility of AV systems, the environmental, economic and social benefits, as well as the challenges faced and the legal framework regulating their implementation. It is highlighted that despite the advantages in land use efficiency and dual food and energy production, there are important challenges related to the initial investment required, the need for technological adaptation, social and regulatory obstacles, or the effects of shading on production. This paper underlines the importance of further research and development of these systems to overcome technical and economic constraints and maximise their potential benefits. It is concluded that although they present significant challenges, AV management offers promising opportunities to improve land efficiency and contribute to several sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to determine the impact of composted mushroom substrate and composted municipal waste on the quality and yield of Miscanthus sinensis Andersson biomass. The plant was grown on anthropogenic soil, cultured earth type and hortisol subtype, with a pH of 6.81. Before planting rhizomes, experimental plots were treated with composted mushroom substrate and composted municipal waste, applied separately or in combination, each dose introducing 170 N kg·ha−1 to the soil. During the experiment, observations of plant development and growth were carried out, and the yield was determined. Each growing season's measurements were taken of the grass height, the number and diameter of stems and the number of leaf blades and of nodes per stem. In order to determine the level of plant stress, relative chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were determined. The measurements were carried out in a non-invasive way, using the SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter and OS30p+ plant stress meter. For the research hypothesis, it was assumed that the one-time addition of composted mushroom substrate and composted municipal waste to the soil would increase yields. The experiment also aimed to assess the impact of both types of compost on the yield and morphological characteristics of Miscanthus sinensis. Its yields increased steadily, and, in the third year of cultivation, were higher by 52%. The highest average yields were noted on plots fertilized only with composted mushroom substrate (KPP100%), with 8.44 Mg·ha−1 DM, and with compost from municipal waste (KOM100%), with 7.91 Mg·ha−1 DM. The experience presents a solution to the problem of increasing amounts of organic waste and represents an improvement in cultivation techniques to increase crop yields, improve their quality and increase resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. This paper highlights the possibility of applying environmentally friendly organic waste materials to energy crops used as a sustainable energy source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In essence, the core of APV is to manage light while considering the unique conditions of crops, enabling farmers to create a more sustainable and productive cultivation environment and then use excess solar energy for PV electricity generation. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) [[1]], deploying renewable energy technologies is crucial for achieving the net-zero emissions target by 2050. The crop cultivation performance of APV-utilizing cells such as amorphous silicon and cadmium telluride is suboptimal because the light transmission spectrum of thin-film solar cells is not aligned with the range required for crop photosynthesis. The second paper, written by Wagner M et al. [[21]], found that installing overhead APV on agricultural land has positive ecological outcomes; the study also demonstrated that, under certain conditions, APV can promote the expansion of renewable energy production resources without reducing food production resources. [Extracted from the article]

With the global energy crisis and the decline of fossil fuel resources, biofuels are gaining attention as alternative energy sources. China, as a major developing country, has long depended on coal and is now looking to biofuels to diversify its energy structure and ensure sustainable development. However, due to its large population and limited arable land, it cannot widely use corn or sugarcane as raw materials for bioenergy. Instead, the Chinese government encourages the planting of non-food crops on marginal lands to safeguard food security and support the biofuel sector. The Southern China Karst Region, with its typical karst landscape and fragile ecological environment, offers a wealth of potential marginal land resources that are suitable for planting non-food energy crops. This area is also one of the most impoverished rural regions in China, confronting a variety of challenges, such as harsh natural conditions, scarcity of land, and ecological deterioration. Idesia polycarpa, as a fast-growing tree species that is drought-tolerant and can thrive in poor soil, is well adapted to the karst region and has important value for ecological restoration and biodiesel production. By integrating 19 bioclimatic variables and karst landform data, our analysis reveals that the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model surpasses the Random Forest (RF) model in predictive accuracy for Idesia polycarpa's distribution. The karst areas of Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, and Guizhou provinces are identified as highly suitable for the species, aligning with regions of ecological vulnerability and poverty. This research provides critical insights into the strategic cultivation of Idesia polycarpa, contributing to ecological restoration, local economic development, and the advancement of China's biofuel industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sequential cropping in the Biogasdoneright™ (BDR™) system in Italy has recently gained attention to combine food and renewable energy production in a sustainable way, as well as for carbon sequestration. However, little is known on the potential to expand the practice in other regions of Europe. In this paper, sequential crop calendars were developed for different EU climate regions, and the EU biomethane potential of the anaerobic digestion (AD) of sequential crops was estimated for a Conservative_Scenario and a Maximum_Scenario, assuming different percentages of primary crop land dedicated to the practice and biogas yields. A total EU biomethane potential of 46 bcm/yr and 185 bcm/yr was estimated from the AD of sequential crops in the two scenarios, respectively, and the Continental region registered the highest potential compared to the other regions. The additional benefits of the combination of sequential cropping with other agricultural conservation practices and digestate use included in BDR™ systems were also discussed. In conclusion, the paper shows that with appropriate innovations in crop management, sequential cropping could be applied in different agroclimatic regions of Europe, contributing to climate and renewable energy targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The domestic biogas market has been developing rapidly, and legislation (The Act) supporting the use of renewable energy sources has come into force. In light of this act and investment support from national programs co-financed by the European Union (EU), the total number of biogas plants has recently increased from a few to 600. The total capacity of electricity generation of those 600 installed plants exceeds 360 Megawatts (MW) (as of mid-2018). Such dynamic growth is expected to continue, and the targets of the National Renewable Energy Action Plan are projected to be met. The use of waste material, which was urgently needed, was the original aim of biogas plants. However, in certain cases, the original purpose has transformed, and phytomass is very often derived from purpose-grown energy crops. Maize is the most common and widely grown energy crop in the Czech Republic. Nevertheless, maize production raises several environmental issues. One way to potentially reduce maize's harmful effects is to replace it with other suitable crops. Perennial energy crops, for example, are possible alternatives to maize. A newly introduced species for the conditions of the Czech Republic, Elymus elongatus subsp. ponticus cv. Szarvasi-1, and some other well-known species—Phalaris arundinacea L. and Miscanthus × giganteus—are suitable for Czech Republic climate conditions. This paper presents the findings of the research and evaluation of environmental, energy-related, and economic aspects of growing these crops for use in biogas plants. These findings are based on 5-year small-plot field trials. The energy-related aspects of producing Elymus elongatus subsp. ponticus cv. Szarvasi-1, Phalaris arundinacea L., and Miscanthus x giganteus are reported on the basis of experiments that included measuring the real methane yield from a production unit. The economic analysis is based on a model of every single growing and technological operation and costs. The environmental burden of the individual growing methods was assessed with a simplified life cycle assessment (LCA) using the impact category of Climate Change and the SimaPro 8.5.2.0 software tool, including an integrated method called ReCiPe. The research findings show that Szarvasi-1 produces 5.7–6.7 Euros (EUR) per Gigajoule (GJ) of energy, depending on the growing technology used. Szarvasi-1 generates an average energy profit of 101.4 GJ ha−1, which is half of that produced by maize (214.1 GJ ha−1). The environmental burden per energy unit of maize amounts to 16 kg of carbon dioxide eq GJ−1 compared with the environmental burden per energy unit of Szarvasi-1, which amounts to 7.2–15.6 kg of CO2 eq GJ−1, depending on the yield rate. On the basis of the above-mentioned yield rate of Szarvasi-1, it cannot be definitively recommended for the purpose of biogas plants in the Czech Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing energy demands and fossil fuel consumption causing global warming has motivated research to find alternative energy sources such as biofuels. Giant reed (Arundo donax L.), a lignocellulosic, perennial, rhizomatous grass has been proposed as an important bioenergy crop for advanced biofuel in the Mediterranean area. Anaerobic digestion for advanced biomethane seems to be a promising approach. However, the presence of lignin in lignocellulosic biomass represents the main obstacle to its production (due to its recalcitrance). Thus, to use effectively lignocellulosic biomass in anaerobic digestion, one or more pretreatment steps are needed to aid microorganisms access to the plant cell wall. To this end, the present study investigated the effect of fungal pretreatment of giant reeds obtained from two different harvesting time (autumn and winter) on biomethane production by anaerobic digestion using two white rot fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus and Irpex lactus, respectively). The highest biomass lignin degradation after 30 days incubation with P. ostreatus in both autumn (27.1%) and winter (31.5%) harvest time. P. ostreatus pretreatment showed promising results for anaerobic digestion of giant reed achieving a cumulative yield of 130.9 NmL g−1 VS for the winter harvest, whereas I. lacteus showed a decrease in methane yield as compared with the untreated biomass (77.4 NmL g−1 VS and 73.3 NmL g−1 VS for winter and autumn harvest, respectively). I. lacteus pretreatment resulted in a loss of both holocellulose and lignin, indicating that this strain was less selective than P. ostreatus. Further studies are necessary to identify white rot fungi more suitable to lignocellulosic biomass and optimize biological pretreatment conditions to reduce its duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pineapple waste accounts for a significant part of waste accumulated in landfill which will further contribute to the release of greenhouse gases. With the rising pineapple demands worldwide, the abundance of pineapple waste and its disposal techniques are a major concern. Exploiting the pineapple waste into valuable products could be the most sustainable way of managing these residues due to their useful properties and compositions. In this review, we concentrated on producing useful products from on-farm pineapple waste and processing waste. Bioenergy is the most suitable option for green energy to encounter the increasing demand for renewable energy and promotes sustainable development for agricultural waste. The presence of protease enzyme in pineapple waste makes it a suitable raw material for bromelain production. The high cellulose content present in pineapple waste has a potential for the production of cellulose nanocrystals, biodegradable packaging and bio-adsorbent, and can potentially be applied in the polymer, food and textile industries. Other than that, it is also a suitable substrate for the production of wine, vinegar and organic acid due to its high sugar content, especially from the peel wastes. The potentials of bioenergy production through biofuels (bioethanol, biobutanol and biodiesel) and biogas (biomethane and biohydrogen) were also assessed. The commercial use of pineapples is also highlighted. Despite the opportunities, future perspectives and challenges concerning pineapple waste utilisation to value-added goods were also addressed. Pineapple waste conversions have shown to reduce waste generation, and the products derived from the conversion would support the waste-to-wealth concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many countries, Jerusalem artichoke (JA) is a source of biomass for renewable energy production and alternative biofuel feedstock, and it is used for feed and food production. The species also has medicinal properties, and it is used in soil reclamation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of N fertilization on the yield and macronutrient concentrations in JA tubers. The effect of N fertilization (control plot, unfertilized, 80 and 120 kg ha−1) on aerial biomass yield, tuber yield, and the mineral composition of tubers in three JA cultivars ("cv.") (Rubik, Albik, and Gute Gelbe) was investigated in a field experiment. Tuber yield (40.99 Mg ha−1) and aerial biomass yield (62.76 Mg ha−1) were highest in cv. Gute Gelbe fertilized with 120 kg N ha−1 in the warm and moderately wet growing season of 2018. Agronomic N-use efficiency (AE) was highest in cv. Gute Gelbe. In the treatment supplied with 80 kg N ha−1, the fresh matter yield (FMY) of tubers was determined at 66.4 kg kg−1 N, whereas in the treatment fertilized with 120 kg N ha−1, the FMY of tubers reached 101.8 kg kg−1 N. The evaluated JA cultivars differed in their responses to an increase in the N fertilizer (marginal efficiency—ME) rate from 80 to 120 kg ha−1. The strongest response was observed in cv. Gute Gelbe, where the tuber yield increased by 172.6 kg kg−1 N. The tubers of cv. Gute Gelbe were characterized by significantly higher concentrations of N, K, Mg, and S compared with the other cultivars. The concentrations of macronutrients in the tubers (without Mg) were higher in spring. Nitrogen fertilization did not cause differences in the concentrations of P, K, Ca, Mg, and S, but it increased the N concentration in tubers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the cultivation of energy crops is the production of renewable energy, the substitution of fossil energy resources, and a substantial contribution to energy supply. Thus, energy yield and energy efficiency are the most important criteria for the assessment of energy crops and biomass-based renewable energy chains. Maize is the energy crop with the highest cultivation acreage in Germany because of its high energy yields, but is the subject of controversial debate because of possible detrimental effects on agro-ecosystems. This raises the question as to which energy crops and production systems could be used instead of maize, in order to increase crop diversity and lower environmental impacts. We examined yields, energy inputs, energy outputs, and energy efficiency of alternative energy crops (combinations of catch crops and main crops) compared to maize in four-year field experiments at three southern German sites by means of process analyses. Maize showed moderate energy inputs (11.3–13.2 GJ ha−1), with catch crops ranging from 6.2 to 10.7 GJ ha−1 and main crops ranging from 7.6 to 24.8 GJ ha−1. At all three sites, maize had the highest net energy output compared to the other crops ( x ¯ = 354–493 GJ ha−1), but was surpassed by combinations of catch and main crops at some sites (winter rye/maize: x ¯ = 389–538 GJ ha−1). Although some combinations yielded higher net energy outputs than maize, no other crop or combination of crops outperformed maize regarding energy use efficiency (energy output/energy input: x ¯ = 32–45). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-firing coal and biomass in existing power plants facilitates influential advancement in the use of renewable energy resources and carbon emissions reduction. Biomass is intended as a CO2-zero net emission because, during its rise, it uses the same fraction of CO2 from the air as that released during its combustion. In addition, the content of nitrogen and sulfur in biomass is lower than in coal. Therefore, the emissions of NOx and SOx can be minimized by co-firing it with coal. In general, the effect of biomass direct co-firing on safety, pulverizing system performance, furnace efficiency, and NOx emission in full-scale furnaces is rarely studied. In this study, biomass direct co-firing was carried out in a 55 MW tangentially fired pulverized coal furnace. The effects of biomass co-firing on safety, the performance of the pulverizing system, furnace efficiency, and pollutant emissions (unburned carbon and NOx) are studied. The results show that the blending of biomass fuel with less than 20% of coal has no issue with respect to auto-ignition and safety. The performance of the pulverizing system is affected up to a certain limit due to the difficulty of grinding the biomass particles into required fineness. The biomass co-firing up to 20% is feasible, but greater than this percentage will severely affect the furnace efficiency. The co-firing of biomass enhanced the NOx reduction significantly and further improved the performance of the SNCR process. This study could provide guidance for the application of biomass co-firing in industrial furnaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress is one of the major agronomic concerns that lead towards a sharp decline in sugarcane yield. An urgent demand to overcome drought is critical to ensure sugarcane production. Mutation breeding is one of the promising tools available to produce stress-resistant plants, with the induction of new alleles due to point mutation within existing sugarcane germplasm. The current study was directed to chemically mutagenize the calli of two sugarcane cultivars (ROC22 and FN39) via 0.1% EMS, with focus on inducing mutations in their genome. The 1644 regenerated plants of ROC22 and 1398 of FN39 were exposed to 28% PEG-6000 stimulated osmotic stress. Eighteen plants of ROC22 and 2 plants of FN39, that survived after in vitro osmotic stress treatment, were then subjected to preliminary greenhouse pot trials to confirm drought tolerance by analyzing them using various physiological parameters, including photosystem II (PSII) photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), leaf chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic rate. The genetic diversity among drought-resistant mutant lines was further assessed by 15 pairs of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers amplification and CEL (Celery) I endonuclease digestion, to investigate the mutated sites. Mutant lines of ROC22 (i.e., MR22-15 and MR22-20) were found to be promising for future drought resistance breeding, due to better physiological adaptation under drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]