BIOBASE
Aarhus University research framework for agricultural biomass production
Research Infrastructure
Within Aarhus University’s Centre for Circular Bioeconomy (CBIO) and the Danish Center for Food and Agriculture (DCA), the Biobase platform focuses on research and development of agricultural biomass production systems targeting refining of biomass to various products and value chains in bioeconomy and recirculation concepts.
Background information
Aim
The aim of Biobase research infrastructure is to establish, maintain and improve field trials for providing high-quality data from a plethora of agroecosystems, ranging from conventional grain crops (maize, triticale, grain rotation) to perennial grasses (festulolium, tall fescue) and herb (grass-clover mixture) crops, their combination (e.g., double-cropping green triticale or maize with rye), and less known crops such as hemp, lucerne and energy beet. Thes experimental factors are replicated in four blocks to provide robust data for the data processing and results dissemination. activities Our work supports scientifically the bio-based economy in Europe for replacing fossil carbon raw materials with fresh and renewable carbon raw materials, including for energy production.
Bird’s eye on Aarhus University Biobase main field experiments within the research infrastructure at the Department of Agroecology in Denmark. Photo: Rene Larsen.
The research infrastructure Biobase of Aarhus University establishes and manages field trials and associated equipment. Photo: Uffe Jørgensen.
The Biobase research infrastructure was originally established in 2013 by the BioValue SPIR - Strategic Platform for Innovation and Research on value added products from biomass, a large project funded by The Danish Council for Strategic Research and the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation. It included all Danish universities, a number of large Danish businesses, and GTS and Innovation networks, including the Innovation Network for Biomass. After 2018, the research infrastructure was integrated within the research station infrastructure of the Department of Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University.
Funding structure
Originally funded by the Innovation Fund Denmark, Biobase research infrastructure is now funded partly from Aarhus University internal funding, partly from a number of externally funded projects on agricultural production systems and biomass delivery for the bioeconomy.
Achievements
Some of our most important science achievements within CBIO agricultural biomass research infrastructure tackle the agronomic and the environmental characteristics of the agricultural biomass targeting future biorefineries:
We design agroecosystems with prolonged coverage of the soil with biomass, thereby balancing biomass production and nitrogen leaching.
Agroecosystems of perennial herbs produce large protein yields as promising and local alternative to the environmentally-costly overseas export of soy for animal feed.
Some of our findings also suggest lower nitrous oxide emissions from agroecosystems of perennial herbs compared to annual crops, despite their intensive field management.
Land conversion from annual to perennial crops could be the win-win strategy for soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration.
Effect of crop season on nitrogen leaching and of biomass-protein link related to plant life duration (from Manevski et al., 2018 and Solati et al., 2018).
The Biobase research infrastructure of Aarhus University is located on several sites in Denmark to describe pedo-climatic variance (illustration: Kiril Manevski; photo: Rene Larsen).
Methods, stakeholder engagements and tools
“We work on creating high-quality field trials for representative agroecosystems to monitor and measure and kick-start a biobased economy with sustainable high-value products such as proteins, biopolymers, and new biochemical or biological components for the industry," say Researcher Kiril Manevski and Associate Professor Morten Ambye-Jensen.
They are responsible for the engineering research and development activities regarding biomass production systems and technologies for refining green biomass.
Further information
Publication: The Fundamentals Of Bioeconomy The Biobased Society
“We are already moving towards “the biobased society”: less waste generated by optimally utilizing what we grow, harvest, produce and eat; development of bio-based alternatives to fossil-based products: bioenergy, bioplastics and biochemicals. Plus locally produced protein-rich animal feed and new types of healthy food ingredients; and last but not least the circulation of nutrients back to the soil. Already now we can get more types of products from biomass than from oil”
Production and management of agricultural biomass is the initial value within the Aarhus University’s Biobase research infrastructure ultimately targeting refining of biomass. Illustration: Kiril Manevski
Activities
Establishment of new and management and improvement of ongoing field trials, including operations planning and implementation- sowing and re-sowing plants, fertilization and irrigation, pests and diseases management, equipment installation, data collection and compilation and remote sensing campaigns.
We visualize, quality-control and analyze all the data from the field trials.
One of our final goals is to openly share the new knowledge with the world scientific community and with the general public.
GET IN CONTACT!
Kiril Manevsk
Senior advisor, Researcher
Dept. of Agroecology, Aarhus University
Blichers Allé 20, Postboks 50
8830 Tjele, Denmark