Crop and Pasture Biomass and Bioproducts
Summary
Crop and pasture biomass encompasses the harvestable organic matter from arable and grassland systems, including cereals, oilseeds, legumes, dedicated energy grasses and mixed swards. Beyond direct forage for ruminants or mechanical harvesting for silage and hay, this biomass serves as a versatile feedstock for the circular bioeconomy. Lignocellulosic residues—straw, stover, bagasse and hulls—can be converted into fuels, bio-based chemicals, polymers and animal feeds. Key conversion pathways range from thermochemical processes (combustion, gasification, pyrolysis, torrefaction) to biochemical routes (anaerobic digestion, enzymatic saccharification and fermentation). Advanced biorefinery concepts integrate these chains to co-produce bioethanol, biodiesel precursors, renewable polymers and nutrient-rich coproducts. Agronomic innovations and supply-chain optimisation—such as harvesting schedules aligned to peak biomass quality, decentralised preprocessing depots and ensiling techniques—support consistent feedstock logistics. Digital tools and predictive modelling guide depot placement, logistics routing and yield forecasting on variable landscapes. Well-designed crop rotations with cover crops and perennial pastures enhance soil organic matter, fix nitrogen through legumes, sequester carbon and provide habitat connectivity. Collectively, these strategies underpin resilient agricultural systems that produce food, feed, fibre and energy while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and promoting rural development.
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Crop and Pasture Biomass and Bioproducts publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in crop and pasture biomass and bioproducts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Lignocellulosic biomass: Plant material composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, forming the structural matrix of stems and straw.
Biorefinery: An integrated facility that fractionates biomass feeds into fuels, power and value-added bioproducts.
Saccharification: Enzymatic hydrolysis of polysaccharides into fermentable monosaccharides such as glucose and xylose.
Consolidated bioprocessing: Unified production where enzyme secretion, biomass hydrolysis and fermentation occur in a single reactor.
Ensiling: Anaerobic wet-storage method that preserves forage quality via lactic acid fermentation, limiting dry matter loss.
Densification: Mechanical compaction of biomass into pellets or briquettes to increase bulk density and improve transport efficiency.
Torrefaction: Mild thermal treatment (200–300 °C) under inert atmosphere to enhance grindability, energy density and hydrophobicity of biomass.
Preprocessing depot: A satellite facility near production sites where biomass is harvested, dried or pretreated to standardise quality for transport.
References
- Matching diverse feedstocks to conversion processes for the future bioeconomy. Current Opinion in Biotechnology (2023).
- Towards a bioeconomy: How sugarcane fibre price structure stimulates farm-level decisions and sugarcane biorefinery feedstock supply. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (2023).
- Potential of teff as alternative crop for Mediterranean farming systems: Effect of genotype and mowing time on forage yield and quality. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research (2024).
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