Biomass harvesting and collection

Abstract With the development of bioenergy a substantial increase in biomass demand directly caused challenges to biomass harvesting. This chapter introduces the harvesting system for woody biomass, corn stover, sugarcane, and energy grasses. Woody biomass and roundwood are normally harvested using conventional one-pass or two-stage timber harvesting systems, while small-scale timber harvesting systems are becoming more attractive. As a predominant source of biomass, corn stover is often collected with conventional multipass forage harvest systems. Meanwhile agricultural machinery manufacturers are developing the single-pass combined stream harvesting system, which has been proposed as a viable harvest strategy for corn. For sugarcane harvesting, manual cutting with open-burning is not preferred, while green cane harvesting using whole stalk or chopper harvesters have become more favorable. In addition, harvesting of energy crops such as Giant Miscanthus, switchgrass, reed canary grass, and some other grasses can be done with conventional hay harvesting equipment. From the point of view of machinery, integration often provides more benefits to the cost reduction but fewer impacts on the environment; the application of new technologies in precision agriculture will subsequently improve the efficiency and the economy. Intensive biomass harvesting affects the ecosystem in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, soil quality, hydrology, and biodiversity. Life cycle assessment is an emerging tool to comprehensively analyze environmental impacts of harvesting activities, and its results could provide guidance to policy makers and scientists. Furthermore, biomass harvesting best management practices should be established based on science and then applied widely to reduce harmful effects due to biomass removal. Economically, governments should provide sufficient incentives to ensure growers’ incomes and the development of bioenergy.