Energybeet for Biogas Simon Witheford & Steffi Eggers

2

Breeding for energy = Energy Crops from KWS

Triticale

Energybeet Energymaize

Hybrid Rye Sunflower

OSR

04/02/2015 KWS UK - Seeding the future

3

3

EC/SEg 04.02.2015

> 8000 AD Plants in Germany

4

Department and/or Author's Initials Date

Breeding for Energy

126 biogas plants in the UK ~ 70 farm based plants

3000 hectares of Energy Beet for biogas in 2014 Forecasting 5000 hectares 2015

5

Energy Beet Sales – Germany and UK

Department and/or Author's Initials Date

6

Biogas Feedstocks – a farmers viewpoint

1. Security of supply (Contact grown, acreage, rental)

2. Growing costs (Cost per tonne of feedstock) 3. Yield /agronomic security (Budgeted yield, lodging) 4. Farm income (Diversified income at the farm gate)

> 4 Key considerations among many others

04/02/2015 KWS UK - Seeding the future

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Basis for methane yield – a conflicting argument?

Range of breeding targets

Whole Plant Digestibility, Starch, CWD, Fresh Yield ???

• Poor correlation to methane yield

• Variation in fermentation quality

• Clear correlation to methane yield

• Main breeding target

Conclusion

DM Yield / ha = Methane Yield / ha

unabhängiger Datensatzy = 0.4701x + 174.6

R2 = 0.1328

Kalibrationsdatensatzy = 0.5287x + 154.53

R2 = 0.5252

280

290

300

310

320

330

340

350

360

370

280 290 300 310 320 330 340 350 360 370

Methanausbeute Nl/ kg oTS (Labor)

Me

tha

na

usb

eu

te N

l/ k

g o

TS

(N

IRS

)

04/02/2015 KWS UK - Seeding the future

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Financial Returns by Feedstock

High yields Yield stability over seasons Spring cropping option

Department and/or Author's Initials Date

Crop Yield/ha (Fresh

Weight)

DM % DM Yield/ha

Biogas Yield/t DM

(m3)

Methane Conv. %

Methane Yield/t

DM (m3)

Methane Yield/ha

(m3)

Total Income/ha

Relative Yield

Energybeet 70 24 16.80 740 54% 400 6713 6,023 120

Energy maize 55 30 16.50 650 52% 338 5577 5,004 100

Hybrid Rye 45 35 15.75 620 53% 329 5175 4,643 93

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EP / R. Lehrke 26.10.2010

Methane conversion of feedstocks

Methane/unit organic DM

Source: Biogas Handbuch Bayern

0

100

200

300

400

500 S

ud

an g

ras

Rye

-W

CS

Gra

s si

lag

e

Mai

ze s

ilag

e

Ener

gyb

eet

Met

hane

yie

ld (

l n/k

g oD

M)

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ener

gyb

eet/

ro

ot +

lea

ves

Mai

ze,

Sor

gh

um

Source: KWS

% of carbon converted into biogas

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Retention Time of Organic Matter in Anaerobic Digesters

www.kws-k

February 15

sugar (Mono-, Disaccharide)

starch (Polysaccharide)

proteins

pectin (Polysaccharide)

hemicellulose (Polysaccharide)

cellulose (Polysaccharide)

lignin

hydraulic retention time (HRT) area of the technical – economic

limits with respect to the retention time

Source: Vollmer in Eder/Schulz 2006 Biogas Praxis

Sugar: fastest raw material for

biogas production

11

Breeding for Energybeet – estb. 2008

Energybeet represents a new segment distinct from the sugar market

Sugarbeet Energybeet

White Sugar Yield Dry Matter Yield

Sugar Content Dry matter Content

Low Amino N Digestibility

Impurities Leaf yield

Dirt Tare Bolting Rust Powdery Mildew

Rhizomania Resistance Nematode Resistance

04/02/2015 KWS UK - Seeding the future

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Amount of DM per tonne of fresh beet

Department and/or Author's Initials Date

£0.18/KG DM*

£0.15/kg DM*

*Assuming 1 tonne of beet is sold for £35 per tonne

13

Are these suitable for livestock? YES

Remove the water and DM value is equal

Department and/or Author's Initials Date

Energybeet Fodder Beet Sugarbeet

Dry Matter (%) 22 - 24% 16 – 19% 22 – 24%

D Value 78D 78D 78D

ME (MJ/kg DM) 12.5 – 13.5 12.5 – 13.5 12.5 – 13.5

Crude Protein (g DM) 6 – 8 6 – 8 6 - 8

Target - Maximum DM yield per ha

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KWS Energybeet varieties

Department and/or Author's Initials Date

Variety Name Type Dry Matter Yield (rel.)

Dry Matter

Content (rel.)

Fresh Root Yield (rel.)

Dirt Tare (rel.)*

Actual results 28.72 t/ha 120.90 t/ha

GERTY KWS* ENERGY BEET 100 23.75 100 100

CINDY KWS ENERGY BEET 98 24.13 97 63

BERETTA FEED BEET 104 24.37 101 93

MAGNUM Fodder Beet 96 21.83 105 74

LINOVA KWS NEW ENERGY BEET 106 24.87 101 103

Source: Trials data 2013 - 2014, 6 trial locations from NIAB, KWS UK & English Sugar Beet Seed Company

*GERTY KWS is the control

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Beet Storage

5 % gradient 2 % gradient

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Bulging beet clamp

04/02/2015 KWS UK - Seeding the future

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Development of effluent and silaged beet in 2011/2012

KWS UK - Seeding the future 04/02/2015

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KWS UK - Seeding the future 04/02/2015

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Optimal Ensiled Beet After Eight Months Storage in the Clamp

04/02/2015 KWS UK - Seeding the future

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Conclusions High efficient use of acreage Sugar ferments extremely fast Energy beet is a cost effective feedstock for biogas Quality aspects of energy beets differ from sugar

beet characteristics KWS foresees a strong future for energy beets as

major feedstock for anaerobic digesters

04/02/2015 KWS UK - Seeding the future