| Soil Quality and Biofuel Production Contributor(s): Lal, Rattan (Editor), Stewart, B. a. (Editor) |
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ISBN: 1439800731 ISBN-13: 9781439800737 Publisher: CRC Press OUR PRICE: $237.50 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: December 2009 Annotation: With one teaspoon of crop residue potentially able to produce as much as 100 gallons of ethanol, it is no wonder that biomass is being considered a viable alternative to grain-based biofuel. However, crop residue removal techniques can lead to severe adverse effects on the soil and environment. This volume presents the state-of-the-knowledge to collate, review, and synthesize the available information pertaining to biofuel production. It addresses the strain that crop residue removal places on soil quality; the proper means of farming systems for biofuel production; the various plant species used for bioenergy plantations; and the myths and facts surrounding biofuels. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Technology & Engineering | Agriculture - Agronomy - Soil Science - Technology & Engineering | Power Resources - Alternative & Renewable - Technology & Engineering | Environmental - General |
| Dewey: 662.669 |
| LCCN: 2009042283 |
| Series: Advances in Soil Science |
| Physical Information: 0.9" H x 6.1" W x 9.1" (1.15 lbs) 224 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: From its humble beginning in the late 19th century―when Henry Ford's first car was designed to run on ethanol―biofuel production has been on the rise with more than 26 billion liters produced in the U.S. in 2007. Ethanol made from biomass (rather than grains) holds great promise, including numerous economic and environmental benefits. However, the adverse interactions of energy, climate, food, and soil quality cannot be ignored. In eight concise chapters, Soil Quality and Biofuel Production presents a state-of-the-knowledge review of soil properties and processes negatively impacted by crop residue removal. It outlines the ecological consequences of biofuels and evaluates land use in the production of raw material for biofuel. The book then spotlights pressing issues related to corn and cellulosic ethanol and also soil erosion. It offers advice for achieving economic balance in the competition for arable land between food and biofuel along with residue harvest management techniques. A thought-provoking discussion of the opportunities and challenges that biofuel presents rounds out the book's coverage. The logistics of producing biomass in a sustainable manner remain a major challenge and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Serious questions linger concerning viable sources of biofuel feedstock, competition for resources needed to produce biomass, and energy output/input ratios. Soil Quality and Biofuel Production provides environmental scientists and agricultural engineers with the knowledge they need to address them. |