Preserving the Iowa corn crop: energy use and CO2 release

A study was undertaken to estimate energy use and CO2 release due to postharvest preservation of the 38.8 x 10(6)-Mg (1.52 x 10(9)-bu) Iowa corn crop. About 87% of the crop is artificially dried. Other preservation methods include cribbing ear corn (7%), oxygen-limiting storage (5%) and chemical pre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inApplied engineering in agriculture Vol. 14; no. 3
Main Author Bern, C.J. (Iowa State University, Ames, IA.)
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 1998
Subjects
CARBON DIOXIDE
CONSOMMATION D'ENERGIE
CONSUMO DE ENERGIA
CONTENIDO DE HUMEDAD
DIOXIDO DE CARBONO
DIOXYDE DE CARBONE
DRYING
EMISSION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FUENTE DE ENERGIA
GAS PRODUCTION
GASES
GAZ
IOWA
MAIS
MAIZ
MAIZE
METHODE
METHODS
METODOS
MOISTURE CONTENT
PRESERVACION
PRESERVATION
SECADO
SECHAGE
SOURCE D'ENERGIE
TENEUR EN EAU
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Summary:A study was undertaken to estimate energy use and CO2 release due to postharvest preservation of the 38.8 x 10(6)-Mg (1.52 x 10(9)-bu) Iowa corn crop. About 87% of the crop is artificially dried. Other preservation methods include cribbing ear corn (7%), oxygen-limiting storage (5%) and chemical preservative treatment (1%). Preservation of the corn crop requires, in total, 18 200 TJ of energy and releases 1614 Gg of CO2. Combustion of fuel (liquefied petroleum or natural gas) and electricity accounted for 77 and 10% of total energy use, respectively. CO2 from combustion of fuel and generation of electricity accounted for 57 and 32% of the CO2 release, respectively. Preservation methods varied in total energy use and CO2 release from farm natural-air drying at 1020 MJ/Mg corn and 262 kg CO2/Mg corn to chemical preservative treatment at 116 MJ/Mg corn and 9.3 kg CO2/Mg corn
Bibliography:P05
1999009970
J11
ISSN:0883-8542
1943-7838
DOI:10.13031/2013.19377