Articles
The potential of spineless cactus as a drought tolerant energy crop for biogas production: a geographic analysis of potential impact depending on water use efficiency (WUE) and mean annual rainfall (MAR) in South Africa
Article number
1343_27
Pages
197 – 206
Language
English
Abstract
Erratic rainfall patterns observed in semi-arid landscapes limit the use of vast spans of land for extensive livestock production throughout the world.
The recent development of intensive cultivation methods of spineless cactus, for fodder production, has enabled the production of large volumes of biomass in semi-arid climates, without irrigation.
Water use efficiencies (WUE) of less than 100 L of water kg‑1 of dry matter (DM) produced, combined with a high proportion of easily fermentable carbohydrates, and relatively fast-growing cycle enables us to use spineless cactus as a prime resource to transform sunlight, erratic rainfall, and CO2 into easily fermentable carbohydrates for a large number of bio-industries.
Biogas and methane yield from anaerobically digested spineless cactus are reported.
A table matrix of four different WUE and MAR of 250 to 600 mm classes, as well as the fresh and dry biomass yield, % of MAR water stored in the biomass, methane yield, CO2 yield, t of CO2 captured ha‑1 were generated.
A geographical analysis of its potential impact in South Africa per class of mean annual rainfall are also reported on.
The results obtained indicates a potential of 2.6 to 12.8 t of CH4 and 5 to 24 t of CO2 gas can be produced ha‑1 year‑1 with a mean annual rainfall (MAR) of 250-600 mm.
The recent development of intensive cultivation methods of spineless cactus, for fodder production, has enabled the production of large volumes of biomass in semi-arid climates, without irrigation.
Water use efficiencies (WUE) of less than 100 L of water kg‑1 of dry matter (DM) produced, combined with a high proportion of easily fermentable carbohydrates, and relatively fast-growing cycle enables us to use spineless cactus as a prime resource to transform sunlight, erratic rainfall, and CO2 into easily fermentable carbohydrates for a large number of bio-industries.
Biogas and methane yield from anaerobically digested spineless cactus are reported.
A table matrix of four different WUE and MAR of 250 to 600 mm classes, as well as the fresh and dry biomass yield, % of MAR water stored in the biomass, methane yield, CO2 yield, t of CO2 captured ha‑1 were generated.
A geographical analysis of its potential impact in South Africa per class of mean annual rainfall are also reported on.
The results obtained indicates a potential of 2.6 to 12.8 t of CH4 and 5 to 24 t of CO2 gas can be produced ha‑1 year‑1 with a mean annual rainfall (MAR) of 250-600 mm.
Publication
Authors
A. Tarrisse, M. de Wit, J.A. van Niekerk
Keywords
anaerobic digestion, biogas, CH4, CO2, MAR, Opuntia, WUE
Groups involved
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