News article: Great potential for biomass from cover crops
A recently published article in Lantbrukets Affärer highlights new research showing how cover crops can play a key role in the sustainable use of agricultural biomass – with significant implications for future biogas production.
The article is based on research from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), where Thomas Prade, Associate Professor at the Department of Biosystems and Technology in Alnarp and an active partner in Accel AgroBiogas, together with PhD candidate Alejandro Barrios Latorre, has studied how the removal of crop residues and the cultivation of cover crops affect soil carbon balances in southern and central Sweden.
Cover crops as compensation – if managed strategically
The results show that removing crop residues can have negative effects on soil carbon levels, particularly in intensive arable farming regions and on clay soils. At the same time, the research demonstrates that cover crops – such as oilseed radish – combined with the return of digestate can compensate for these effects across large parts of arable land.
With the right combination of cover crops, crop residue removal and nutrient recycling, more than three quarters of the arable land in the studied regions could contribute biomass without compromising long-term soil fertility. The potential corresponds to up to a doubling of Sweden’s current biogas production.
The findings confirm several of the core questions addressed within Accel AgroBiogas: how agricultural biomass can be used more efficiently, how biogas production can be integrated into circular systems, and which regional conditions are required to scale up production and infrastructure.
At the same time, Thomas Prade highlights the need for clearer economic incentives, regional guidelines and strategic planning for biorefineries and logistics – all crucial to unlocking agriculture’s full potential in a bio-based economy.
