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Foreword
The external, outer layers of
woody plants that we know as bark, are formed when dead phloem (the tissues
which carry sugars from the leaves to the rest of the plant) are naturally
pressed outwards, and as the cambium layer (cellular tissues from which xylem
and phloem grow) forms cork. Bark plays the roles of reducing water loss from
stems, minimising risk of fungal or insect attack, protecting from fire damage;
but once harvested can be considered as a feedstock for greener alternatives to
fossil-based products. Often pelleted alongside other woody biomass for
bioenergy purposes, bark typically has relatively high ash content and causes
residue build-up in furnaces. Thus, other biobased product applications for
bark are now being considered.
Research recently published in the Frontiers
in Plant Science journal has identified sunflower bark extract (SBE) as a
potential biostimulant – a substance applied to seeds, soil, or plants to
influence their growth, yield, or quality...
Other News this Month Includes:
Policy
- Brief on jobs and growth in the EU bioeconomy 2008-2019
Markets
- CropEnergies acquires stake in biotech startup LXP
- Unilever and Geno launch $120 (£100) million venture to scale alternative
ingredients
- More...
Research & Development
- Valorisation of cheese whey to eco-friendly food packaging and biomethane
via a biorefinery
- Pioneering new research paves the way to Miscanthus yield prediction
- More...
Wood & Crop
- After crash, hemp farmers look to fibre and other uses
- Lenzing partners with TfS to build global sustainable supply chains
- Development of a new forest management model combining wood production and carbon
sinks
Biorefinery
- Emerson and Neste Engineering Solutions to optimise Fintoil biorefinery operations
- Neste invests in its world scale renewable products refinery in Rotterdam
- More...
Events
Feedstock Prices