1,722,030 research outputs found
General Logistic Aspects
No full textA system is a collection of different elements that together produce results not obtainable by the elements alone. In this study, the system is a biodiesel- or a vegetable oil-based supply chain for energy purposes, variable under different technology level and raw material used. In this chapter, two examples of biodiesel supply chains at the industrial and the family farming scale, respectively, are outlined. In both cases, the major logistic problems are represented by transport costs and oil storability As a general rule, the higher the free fatty acid content, the lower the durability of an oil, although oils for energy purposes may be stored for longer time than oils for food uses
Economic Aspects: Assessment of Cropping Costs and Net Incomes
No full textCropping costs were assessed according to the crop techniques described in the specific scenarios of the previous chapters, concerning large-scale and family farming in South America and Africa. Estimation of costs was primarily derived from Embrapa agroeconomic section, FAOSTAT website (2009) and Mozambique Biofuels Assessment. Each entry accounts for manpower cost (even if family labour), raw materials and machinery costs (e.g., fertilization cost includes fertilizer, tractor plus fertilizer spreader cost per hour or man-days required per ha, fuel consumption, etc.), and fixed costs for administration and maintenance. For perennial crops, the establishment costs (nursery and planting) are divided by the economic lifespan of each crop, and calculated as annual equivalent cost. According to the above-described methodology, the annual costs to grow the six oil crops in large scale and family farming systems in Brazil and Mozambique are reported: they vary from a few hundreds Euros per hectare for some crops under family farming in Mozambique, to more than one thousand Euros, still in family farming, in Brazil. There is no clear relationship between cropping costs and net income, as the yield (grain or fruits) expected from each crop and the respective market prices widely vary in the two Countries. respective market prices widely vary in the two Countries: in Brazil, the two annual crops (sunflower and soybean) and perennial castorbean appear to outperform the rest of perennial species (oil palm, coconut palm and Jatropha), under large scale farming. Under family farming, net income is often negative in Brazil, if the cost of manpower is accounted for; this is particularly true in the case of the two annual species, which are intrinsically unsuited for a labour-intensive cropping. In contrast to Brazil, family farming in Mozambique exhibits more consistent, positive net incomes; the limited influence of manpower cost is clearly perceived
Identification of Suitable Plants for Oil Production in Dependence on Climate and Soil
No full textThe type of climate in a given area determines which plant species may be grown. Climatic classifications are, therefore, very important, as they allow to predict with an acceptable approximation which crops can be introduced to a new region. The Köppen Climate Classification System is most widely used for classifying the world’s climates. Its categories are based on the annual and monthly averages of temperature and precipitation. The major oil crops require specific conditions to be successfully grown. In general, the tree oil crops are palms that need warm environment such as tropical and subtropical zones, while the grain oil crops are more diffused in temperate to continental areas. Soil quality influences the growth of oil crops to a lesser degree than climate. However, soil fertility and soil characteristics significantly affect their yield. The principal soil types are: Alfisols, Andisols, Aridosols, Entisols, Gelisols, Histosols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Oxisols, Spodosols, Ultisols and Vertisols. Their characteristics and potential for oil plant cropping are briefly reviewed
Oil Crops
No full textThe intrinsic characteristics of the oil crops which can potentially be grown in a given area are the main factor for the choice of the best suited species for that area. The oil palms (Elaeis spp.) comprise two species of the Arecaceae family, grown in commercial plantations for the production of edible oil since a long time; more recently, they are being dedicated to biodiesel production. Plants are monoecious, their fruits being drupes; they seldom are more than 8-10 m high in crop fields. The palm oil cycle starts with a long establishment phase, without any fruit yield for a few years. A modern palm plantation can yield more than 20 t/ha of fruits, which means almost 5 t of palm oil, plus additional kernel oil (around 60% of palm oil yield). Other palm species for oil production include the Macaúba or macaw palm (Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart.), which is raising a certain interest in Brazil, and the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.), which is grown throughout the tropics for food and industrial uses. Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is a perennial, semi-evergreen shrub with glabrous, ascending branches, growing in tropical and subtropical regions, tolerating drought. The plant is poisonous, since it contains a toxin; the seed contains 27-40% of non-edible oil, which can be extracted to be directly used or further processed into biodiesel. Castorbean (Ricinus communis L.) is a fast-growing, suckering perennial shrub which can reach the size of a small tree. In the tropics, castorbean is perennial, whereas in temperate regions it cannot survive winter temperatures and is grown as an annual crop. The seed contains 40-60% of oil which is rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an annual herbaceous oil seed species. The plant is cropped in many warm regions of the world. It grows in the warm season, but is quite tolerant to low temperatures. At maturity, the dry fruit (achene) contains 40-50% oil. After oil pressing, the residual meal is rich in protein (about 30%), having a high value as animal feed. Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merryl) is a leguminous species native to East Asia. Soybean is a short-day plant. Successful growth requires warm weather: optimum conditions are temperatures of 20 to 30 °C. The seed mainly contains protein (40%) and oil (20%) on a dry weight basis. The seed is normally processed into a vegetable oil, and in a defatted soybean meal which is a primary source of protein for animal nutrition. Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera d.C.), is a yellow flowering member of the Brassicaceae family. Oilseed rape is typical of temperate-cold climate; in Central Europe and in the U.S. it is normally sown in the early autumn or in the early spring; the crop cycle ends in June or July. The seed is globose, small and contains about 40-45% of oil (dry weight basis) and 20-25% of protein
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