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Volume 8, Issue 5 (Suppl) J Bioremediat Biodegrad, an open access journal
ISSN: 2155-6199 Biofuels Congress 2017
September 05-06, 2017
Page 21
conferenceseries.com
September 05-06, 2017 | London, UK
Biofuels and Bioenergy
6th World Congress on
Goetz M Richter, J Bioremediat Biodegrad 2017, 8:5(Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2155-6199-C1-007
Biomass resource optimization tools in the food-fuel-environment context
Multiple and increasing demands for renewable resources affect the bio-economy as a whole but escalate in particular
around bioenergy and biofuel. For many reasons, perennial crops, like short-rotation coppice (SRC), Miscanthus and
grassland are attractive choices. The purpose of this talk is to illustrate in three examples the use of advanced mathematical
optimization tools to increase the production and performance of whole systems exploiting synergies and calculating trade-
offs.
Methodology: (1) A process-based model (PBM) for simulating trait and environmental effects on plant growth is to optimize
G x E solutions for low-input SRC. (2) Up-scaled PBMs using scenario simulations for different crop systems were used to
estimate available biomass resources and the yield gap resulting from fertilizer and livestock reduction. (3) A whole systems
optimization framework, the Bioenergy Value Chain Model (BVCM) is presented that allows evaluating the biomass flow
through the value chain under market and ecosystem constraints.
Findings: The PBM for SRC-willow identified a limited number of robust trait-related parameters that can be used to
accelerate the selection and breeding process. An environmental (pedo-climatic) scenario analysis enabled us to ascertain
the best variety for droughty environments with the highest water use efficiency and least impact on water resources. For UK
grassland system we estimated a yield gap of 6 to 20 million tons of exploitable biomass when recommended N-fertilizer would
be applied. Extending these results to the BVCM additional biogas from grassland biomass trade-offs from increased nitrous
oxide emissions are calculated.
Conclusion: PBM for plant growth will be extended to optimize SRC traits for the industrial scale land reclamation of heavy
metal contamination. Recommendations for best combinations of genotype x environment x management can be derived from
these simulations and scaled up to optimize land use between bioenergy, food and other ecosystem services.
Fig: Modelling Tool Cascade
Biography
Dr Goetz Richter holds degrees in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and has established himself as agricultural systems modeller with track records in climate
change impact assessment, CC adaptation and mitigation using arable and perennial crops. Funded by Defra, the European Commission and RCUK, his group develops
models for Soil-Plant-Atmosphere interactions at various scales, as tools for breeders to improve perennial biomass crops. For industry and policy-makers he provides
agricultural feedstock maps for the bio-economy, used in the whole system optimization, e.g. for the Biomass /Energy Value Chain Models, initially funded by The Energy
Technologies Institute and since 2013 by EPSRC. He optimizes process models using a Bayesian approach to improve our understanding of the Gene x Environment x
Management interaction. He recently won an Innovate-UK project “Advancing Earth Observation Applications in Agriculture” which will enable to validate yield forecasts
and assess the yield gap at the landscape scale.
Goetz M Richter
Rothamsted Research, UK