Soil Quality and Biofuel Production (Advances in Soil Science) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1439800731 ISBN 13: 9781439800737

Publisher: CRC Press, 2009

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author:

Rattan Lal, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

B.A. Stewart, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, USA

Review:

In summary, the book is well written and contains lots of valuable information. The presentation and figures are of high quality and the book contains a wealth of information suitable for a range of audiences. In my opinion this book represents a worthy purchase although the price is somewhat restrictive for students. It will make good reading for many agronomy, plant nutrition and agricultural extension professionals.
--Davey Jones, The Journal of Experimental Agriculture. 2010

About this edition

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1439800731
• ISBN 13: 9781439800737
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224
• Editor: Lal Rattan, Stewart B.A.