IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i11p3033-d235220.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainable Production of Sweet Sorghum as a Bioenergy Crop Using Biosolids Taking into Account Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Author

Listed:
  • Lilianna Głąb

    (Institute of Agroecology and Plant Production, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences 24a Grunwaldzki Square, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Józef Sowiński

    (Institute of Agroecology and Plant Production, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences 24a Grunwaldzki Square, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland)

Abstract

Currently, little data are available on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sweet sorghum production under temperate climate. Similarly, information on the effect of bio-based waste products use on the carbon (C) footprint of sorghum cultivation is rare in the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agronomical and environmental effects of the application of biosolids as a nitrogen source in the production of sweet sorghum as a bioenergy crop. The yield of sorghum biomass was assessed and the GHG emissions arising from crop production were quantified. The present study focused on whether agricultural use of sewage sludge and digestate could be considered an option to improve the C footprint of sorghum production. Biosolids—sewage sludge and digestate—could be recognized as a nutrient substitute without crop yield losses. Nitrogen application had the greatest impact on the external GHG emissions and it was responsible for 54% of these emissions. CO 2eq emissions decreased by 14 and 11%, respectively, when sewage sludge and digestate were applied. This fertilization practice represents a promising strategy for low C agriculture and could be recommended to provide sustainable sorghum production as a bioenergy crop to mitigate GHG emissions.

Suggested Citation

  • Lilianna Głąb & Józef Sowiński, 2019. "Sustainable Production of Sweet Sorghum as a Bioenergy Crop Using Biosolids Taking into Account Greenhouse Gas Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:11:p:3033-:d:235220
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/11/3033/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/11/3033/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Plaza-Bonilla, Daniel & Nogué-Serra, Irene & Raffaillac, Didier & Cantero-Martínez, Carlos & Justes, Éric, 2018. "Carbon footprint of cropping systems with grain legumes and cover crops: A case-study in SW France," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 92-102.
    2. Hennecke, Anna M. & Faist, Mireille & Reinhardt, Jürgen & Junquera, Victoria & Neeft, John & Fehrenbach, Horst, 2013. "Biofuel greenhouse gas calculations under the European Renewable Energy Directive – A comparison of the BioGrace tool vs. the tool of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 55-62.
    3. Peter, Christiane & Helming, Katharina & Nendel, Claas, 2017. "Do greenhouse gas emission calculations from energy crop cultivation reflect actual agricultural management practices? – A review of carbon footprint calculators," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 461-476.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sastre, Carlos M. & Carrasco, Juan & Barro, Ruth & González-Arechavala, Yolanda & Maletta, Emiliano & Santos, Ana M. & Ciria, Pilar, 2016. "Improving bioenergy sustainability evaluations by using soil nitrogen balance coupled with life cycle assessment: A case study for electricity generated from rye biomass," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 847-863.
    2. Abdul-Manan, Amir F.N., 2017. "Lifecycle GHG emissions of palm biodiesel: Unintended market effects negate direct benefits of the Malaysian Economic Transformation Plan (ETP)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 56-65.
    3. Schmitz Gonçalves, Daniel Neves & Goes, George Vasconcelos & de Almeida D'Agosto, Márcio & Albergaria de Mello Bandeira, Renata, 2019. "Energy use and emissions scenarios for transport to gauge progress toward national commitments," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    4. Malça, João & Coelho, António & Freire, Fausto, 2014. "Environmental life-cycle assessment of rapeseed-based biodiesel: Alternative cultivation systems and locations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 837-844.
    5. Obnamia, Jon Albert & Dias, Goretty M. & MacLean, Heather L. & Saville, Bradley A., 2019. "Comparison of U.S. Midwest corn stover ethanol greenhouse gas emissions from GREET and GHGenius," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 591-601.
    6. Sastre, C.M. & Maletta, E. & González-Arechavala, Y. & Ciria, P. & Santos, A.M. & del Val, A. & Pérez, P. & Carrasco, J., 2014. "Centralised electricity production from winter cereals biomass grown under central-northern Spain conditions: Global warming and energy yield assessments," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 737-748.
    7. Liu, Zhen & Tian, Jiali & Wang, Kexin & Lan, Jing, 2023. "The impact of farmland circulation on the carbon footprint of agricultural cultivation in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 792-801.
    8. Ji, Xi & Long, Xianling, 2016. "A review of the ecological and socioeconomic effects of biofuel and energy policy recommendations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 41-52.
    9. Inge Stupak & Jamie Joudrey & C. Tattersall Smith & Luc Pelkmans & Helena Chum & Annette Cowie & Oskar Englund & Chun Sheng Goh & Martin Junginger, 2016. "A global survey of stakeholder views and experiences for systems needed to effectively and efficiently govern sustainability of bioenergy," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 89-118, January.
    10. Pambudi, Nugroho Agung & Itoi, Ryuichi & Jalilinasrabady, Saeid & Jaelani, Khasani, 2015. "Performance improvement of a single-flash geothermal power plant in Dieng, Indonesia, upon conversion to a double-flash system using thermodynamic analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 424-431.
    11. Maria G. Lampridi & Claus G. Sørensen & Dionysis Bochtis, 2019. "Agricultural Sustainability: A Review of Concepts and Methods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-27, September.
    12. Murnaghan, Kitty, 2017. "A comprehensive evaluation of the EU's biofuel policy: From biofuels to agrofuels," IPE Working Papers 81/2017, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    13. de Man, Reinier & German, Laura, 2017. "Certifying the sustainability of biofuels: Promise and reality," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 871-883.
    14. Arkadiusz Piwowar & Joanna Harasym, 2020. "The Importance and Prospects of the Use of Algae in Agribusiness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-13, July.
    15. Sánchez, A.S. & Almeida, M.B. & Torres, E.A. & Kalid, R.A. & Cohim, E. & Gasparatos, A., 2018. "Alternative biodiesel feedstock systems in the Semi-arid region of Brazil: Implications for ecosystem services," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2744-2758.
    16. Nisar, Shahida & Benbi, Dinesh Kumar & Toor, Amardeep Singh, 2021. "Energy budgeting and carbon footprints of three tillage systems in maize-wheat sequence of north-western Indo-Gangetic Plains," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    17. Radonjič, Gregor & Tompa, Saša, 2018. "Carbon footprint calculation in telecommunications companies – The importance and relevance of scope 3 greenhouse gases emissions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 361-375.
    18. Carneiro, Maria Luisa N.M. & Pradelle, Florian & Braga, Sergio L. & Gomes, Marcos Sebastião P. & Martins, Ana Rosa F.A. & Turkovics, Franck & Pradelle, Renata N.C., 2017. "Potential of biofuels from algae: Comparison with fossil fuels, ethanol and biodiesel in Europe and Brazil through life cycle assessment (LCA)," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 632-653.
    19. Evagelia Koutridi & Dimitrios Tsiotas & Olga Christopoulou, 2023. "Examining the Spatial Effect of “Smartness” on the Relationship between Agriculture and Regional Development: The Case of Greece," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, February.
    20. Sastre, C.M. & González-Arechavala, Y. & Santos, A.M., 2015. "Global warming and energy yield evaluation of Spanish wheat straw electricity generation – A LCA that takes into account parameter uncertainty and variability," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 900-911.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:11:p:3033-:d:235220. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.