production (Khan et al. 2015). Agricultural biomass includes food-based crops,
nonfood-based crops, perennial grass, and animal waste.
Food-based crops provide food to mankind in a daily life. This type of crops
produce either oil or simple sugar as a source (https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/
ForestManagement/documents/WoodyBiomassToolkit.pdf). The food-based crops’
biomass usually are rapeseed, sunflower, soybeans, corn, sugarcane, and sugar beets.
The sugar that can be obtained from corn, sugar beets, and sugarcane are commonly
fermented to produce bioethanol. Meanwhile, rapeseed, sunflower, and soybeans
that have an oilseed usually are refined into biodiesel. However, bioenergy production from food-based crops or first generation feedstock has created a controversy
and criticism due to its potential competition with food and animal feed (Dutta et al.
2014) This situation also resulted in a debate over the food versus fuel which
subsequently diverted attention of the researcher over the world to find solution to
this polemic.
Nonfood-based crops or second generation feedstock are non-edible for the
human or animal consumption. The second generation feedstock includes lignocellulosic feedstock or waste materials from the food-based crops during the processing
for food production (Cantrell et al. 2008; Havlik et al. 2011). The biomass includes
wheat straw, barley, oil palm, oat straw, and nutshells. These waste materials or
agricultural residue could cause a serious environmental problem due to the poor
waste management. Therefore, utilization of this type of biomass into bioenergy can
significantly reduce the environmental pollution and emission of greenhouse gases
(Aditiya et al. 2016).
Perennial grass is the grass that has several years of life cycle and able to grow in
diverge environments (https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ForestManagement/documents/
WoodyBiomassToolkit.pdf). They have been indicated as a leading feedstock for
the bio-based economy for the production of variety of value-added products. This is
due to their low demand on nutrient, wide-range of geographical growth, and high
yield of net energy. There are various type of perennial grasses such as prairie
cordgrass, switchgrass, and miscanthus. Since perennial grass is a lignocellulosic
biomass, pretreatment is needed to break down the cellulose in order to use as a
ferment for the biofuels productions (Sills and Gossett 2011). However, the research
on breeding, agronomy, and postharvest logistics are needed to deliver the high
quality of the products by maximizing the sources and efficiency of the
bioconversion.
Animal waste in this context includes the manure produced from beef cattle, dairy
cattle, hogs, and poultry. Manure generally can be categorized into three forms
which are liquid, slurry, and solid (https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ForestManagement/
documents/WoodyBiomassToolkit.pdf). The solid manure can be burned to produce
gas for energy production. Manure also can be converted into biogas, primarily
methane by bacteria. This waste conversion into energy basically involves an
anaerobic condition by using the anaerobic digesters (Amon et al. 2006).
4 Biobutanol Production from Agricultural Biomass
71
nonfood-based crops, perennial grass, and animal waste.
Food-based crops provide food to mankind in a daily life. This type of crops
produce either oil or simple sugar as a source (https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/
ForestManagement/documents/WoodyBiomassToolkit.pdf). The food-based crops’
biomass usually are rapeseed, sunflower, soybeans, corn, sugarcane, and sugar beets.
The sugar that can be obtained from corn, sugar beets, and sugarcane are commonly
fermented to produce bioethanol. Meanwhile, rapeseed, sunflower, and soybeans
that have an oilseed usually are refined into biodiesel. However, bioenergy production from food-based crops or first generation feedstock has created a controversy
and criticism due to its potential competition with food and animal feed (Dutta et al.
2014) This situation also resulted in a debate over the food versus fuel which
subsequently diverted attention of the researcher over the world to find solution to
this polemic.
Nonfood-based crops or second generation feedstock are non-edible for the
human or animal consumption. The second generation feedstock includes lignocellulosic feedstock or waste materials from the food-based crops during the processing
for food production (Cantrell et al. 2008; Havlik et al. 2011). The biomass includes
wheat straw, barley, oil palm, oat straw, and nutshells. These waste materials or
agricultural residue could cause a serious environmental problem due to the poor
waste management. Therefore, utilization of this type of biomass into bioenergy can
significantly reduce the environmental pollution and emission of greenhouse gases
(Aditiya et al. 2016).
Perennial grass is the grass that has several years of life cycle and able to grow in
diverge environments (https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ForestManagement/documents/
WoodyBiomassToolkit.pdf). They have been indicated as a leading feedstock for
the bio-based economy for the production of variety of value-added products. This is
due to their low demand on nutrient, wide-range of geographical growth, and high
yield of net energy. There are various type of perennial grasses such as prairie
cordgrass, switchgrass, and miscanthus. Since perennial grass is a lignocellulosic
biomass, pretreatment is needed to break down the cellulose in order to use as a
ferment for the biofuels productions (Sills and Gossett 2011). However, the research
on breeding, agronomy, and postharvest logistics are needed to deliver the high
quality of the products by maximizing the sources and efficiency of the
bioconversion.
Animal waste in this context includes the manure produced from beef cattle, dairy
cattle, hogs, and poultry. Manure generally can be categorized into three forms
which are liquid, slurry, and solid (https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ForestManagement/
documents/WoodyBiomassToolkit.pdf). The solid manure can be burned to produce
gas for energy production. Manure also can be converted into biogas, primarily
methane by bacteria. This waste conversion into energy basically involves an
anaerobic condition by using the anaerobic digesters (Amon et al. 2006).
4 Biobutanol Production from Agricultural Biomass
71