Ethanol production from crop residues and soil organic carbon

In decision making about the use of residues from annual crops for ethanol production, alternative applications of these residues should be considered. Especially important is the use of such residues for stabilizing and increasing levels of soil organic carbon. Such alternative use leads to a limited scope for residue removal from the field. Scope for removal of residues from annual crops can however, ceteris paribus, be increased when such crops generate relatively large amounts of biomass. Also selecting residues that contain relatively high levels of available cellulose and hemicellulose for removal or returning suitable ‘waste’ from processing crop residues that is rich in refractory compounds such as lignin to the field may increase scope for removal of crop residues for ethanol production.