Nutrient Recovery from Integrated Cellulosic Biorefineries

Nutrient Recovery from Integrated Cellulosic Biorefineries (link)
Robert Brown, Iowa State University, Bioeconomy Institute 2008

"That Iowa has some of the richest soil in the world is no secret, and a group of researchers at Iowa State University would like to ensure that Iowa’s soil retains its high quality. These researchers are investigating alternative cropping systems and practices such as applying biochar (also called agrichar) to the soil to protect it from the loss of organic matter and fertility that could accompany the proliferation of biorefineries across Iowa’s landscape. The Iowa State research team is looking at the impact of the removal of large amounts of crop residue from agricultural fields. Their goal is to ensure that farmers will be able to generate the large amounts of biomass feedstocks that cellulosic biorefineries will need to meet the
demands of a developing bioeconomy, while also being able to return carbon
and important nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen back to the soil."

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