Biomass Feedstock Production and Provision: Overview, Current Status, and Challenges - Engineering and Science of Biomass Feedstock Production and Provision - page 4

Fig. 1.1 The BFPP system consisting of four main production steps between crop production and
biorefi nery processing. The role of systems informatics and analysis and other extraneous factors
impacting the sector are also illustrated

biological, physical, and chemical sciences need to be integrated with engineering
and technology to ensure effective and effi cient production of biomass feedstock.
Some preliminary studies showed that feedstock supply costs including farming and
delivery are up to 35-50 % of the delivered cost of bioethanol [ 15 ]. Therefore, the
importance of biomass feedstock supply in the biofuels value chain is evident.
The BFPP system is shown schematically in Fig. 1.1 . It can be considered as
consisting of fi ve different tasks, each representing a distinct phase in converting
standing crop into biorefi nery feedstock: preharvest crop management and monitor-
ing, harvesting and handling, transportation, storage, and preprocessing. On the
upstream side, the BFPP system interfaces with agronomy for crop selection, estab-
lishment, and growth. On the downstream side, the BFPP system connects with the
biorefi nery or bioprocessing facility that puts quantity, form, and quality constraints.
These tasks are briefl y summarized below:

• Agronomy: This task includes farming operations conducted prior to harvesting,
including crop selection, soil preparation, planting, cultivation, fertilization, weed-
ing, and irrigation and power. The emphasis is on developing the best management
practices, which may need to be optimized for some novel energy crops.

• Preharvest crop monitoring: This task includes precision agriculture through remote

sensing techniques by using tools such as cameras and sensors mounted on towers,