Agriculture feedstocks

Sources of Agricultural Feedstocks

Crops

Large quantities of crop residues are derived from farms each year and often destroyed by burning or burial when they could alternatively be recycled to produce energy and fertiliser.  Most herbaceous crop residues are dry and thus most suited to combustion rather than anaerobic digestion.  However high moisture vegetables and fruit residues are ideal for recycling via anaerobic digestion.

Animal effluent

Animals produce excrement which can be recycled to produce energy and biofertiliser.  In the New Zealand context where farm animals are not contained the excrement is distributed directly onto the soil.  In this case the decomposition of the organic matter produces methane direct to atmosphere.  Where farm animals are contained for feeding or milking then the excrement can be easily collected for recycling into energy and high grade fertiliser.

Improving soil fertility

Soil management

Soil management can be improved when agriculture residues are collected and recycled into high grade fertiliser which can be used when and where it will give the most beneficial value to soils.

Biofertiliser

Processing of agricultural residual organic matter in an anaerobic digester produces biogas as well as the digestate. Digestate which meets specified criteria as to being safe to use as a biofertiliser on soils can be certified as a biofertiliser.

• Technical Guide 08: The production and use of digestate as biofertiliser

• Guidelines for Beneficial Use of Organic Materials on Land  

Producers of certified digestate biofertiliser can have their AD facilities accredited.

Farm scale AD plant

• Technical Guide 13: Design, construction and operation of AD equipment for farm waste treatment

• Code of Practice: For on-farm Biogas production and use (piggeries)

• Web180731: Guide to anaerobic digestion treatment of farm waste

Guide for producing and using biogas and biofertiliser on farms

The Canadian Biogas Association has established a website for providing farmers with information that will help them to recycle their farm residues into biogas and biofertiliser. The website is the go-to source for agricultural biogas and biofertiliser information and connections in Canada - www.farmingbiogas.ca

Agricultural Feedstocks Working Group

The Bioenergy Association has established an Agricultural Feedstocks Working Group, and we encourage all interested members to get involved. This group develops and publishes information on agricultural feedstocks, shares expertise and works collaboratively to advance the sector.

The group meets regularly and is open exclusively to members.  If you would like to join, please admin [at] bioenergy.org.nz (contact us).

Additional information

• Use the keyword 'agricultural feedstocks' in the Bioenergy Knowledge Centre to find related documents
• TNGB32 - Agricultural crops for biogas production : Publications