Paper details

Title:

Economic Balance and Integrated Assessment of Food/Feed Crops and Energy Cover Crops in Double Cropping Systems for on Farm Biogas Production

Author(s):

Marsac, S., Hermet, L., Dagorn, N., Monicard, T., Damiano, A., Kech, H., Bes de Berc, L., Richard, C., Guerault, H., Batel, U., Grandeur, C., Roux, T., Olou, A., Oudoire, G.

Document(s):

Abstract:

Double cropping system for both energy and food/feed production are a way for energy and agroecology transition. Energy cover crops represent nowadays 13% of the feedstock of French biogas plants and over the next 5 years it is estimated at 3% of the national field crop area. New cropping systems must be designed and locally adapted. RECITAL project aimed at building regional recommendations based on a multistakeholder experimental network and integrated assessment methodology. Double cropping systems are built on a balance between productivity and profitability of each crop of the rotation (biomass- energy cover crop and food/feed) and for the overall rotation. A mathematical optimization method was developed to determine the optimum harvest date for the energy cover crop from an economic point. This consisted in maximizing the total net margin of the succession cover crop + food/feed crop, which depends on the yield, price, and costs of the two crops. Different indicators of sustainability were also calculated with Systerre® tool and methodology in 5 French area and representative farms.

Keywords:

biogas, biomass, cost analysis, cultivation, rotation

Topic:

Sustainability, Impacts and Policies

Subtopic:

Resource efficient economy

Event:

31st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Session:

2CO.8.2

Pages:

333 - 345

ISBN:

978-88-89407-23-3

Paper DOI:

10.5071/31stEUBCE2023-2CO.8.2

Price:

FREE