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Bio-diesel production of sunflower through sulphur management in a semi-arid subtropical environment

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Abstract

Energy security is a prime focus of policy makers to support agriculture, industrialisation, and transportation. Due to limited conventional energy sources, there is a need to harness non-conventional energy sources. In this regard, one of the proposed approaches is using biomass (e.g. energy crops) to produce biofuel—a renewable source of energy. Sunflower has several agronomic features to be exploited for a renewable, non-conventional, and environment-friendly source of bioenergy. Sulphur (S) fertilisation holds key for realising sunflower potential for seed and oil yield. In response to variable S supply rates, here we compared and quantified sunflower yield (seed, oil, and biodiesel) and biodiesel quality according to the ASTM international standards. We used a combined approach of field experimentation and rigorous lab analysis. Firstly, in a field experiment laid out in randomised complete block design with split-plot arrangement, response of two local sunflower hybrids (FH-331 and FH-689) to four S supply rates (0, 25, 50, 75 kg S ha−1) was evaluated in terms of agronomic traits. Experimental data showed that fertilisation of S significantly influenced growth and yield (seed, oil) traits; the response was different between two hybrids which also interacted with S supply rate. FH-331 recorded the highest achene yield at S fertilisation of 75 kg S ha−1, whereas FH-689 recorded the highest achene yield at 50 kg ha−1; achene yield of FH-331 was 13.6% higher than FH-689. Compared to control, S at 75 kg S ha−1 increased oil yield of FH-331 by 22% whereas S at 50 kg ha−1 increased oil yield by 23% of FH-689. Seed samples were analysed for different biodiesel quality parameters. The ranges of all quality parameters of sunflower biodiesel such as viscosity, calorific values, acid value, iodine value, saponification value, cetane number, and pour point were in ASTM standard range. We conclude that sunflower is a promising and sustainable option for producing biodiesel, the potential of which can be increased by optimal S management under field conditions.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

ASTM:

American Society for Testing Materials

BD:

Biodiesel

BDY:

Biodiesel yield

FH:

Faisalabad hybrid

FAME:

Fatty acid methyl ester

FFA:

Free fatty acids

GHG:

Greenhouse gases

GOP:

Government of Pakistan

H:

Hybrid

LSD:

Least significance difference

OC:

Oil content

OY:

Oil yield

PARC:

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council

PARS:

Post Graduate Research Station

PBI:

Punjab Bio-energy Institute

RPM:

Revolutions per minute

S:

Sulphur

UAF:

University of Agriculture Faisalabad

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Acknowledgements

Authors thank Punjab Bio-energy Institute (PBI), University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) for providing infrastructure to analyse bio-diesel yield and quality during this research.

Funding

The publication of the present work is supported by the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province (grant no. 2018JQ5218) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51809224), Top Young Talents of Shaanxi Special Support Program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Athar Mahmood, Ahmed Mukhtar & Faran Muhammad

  2. Punjab Bioenergy Institute, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Athar Mahmood & Sana Sadaf

  3. Department of Agronomy, Sub-Campus Depalpur, Okara, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Masood Iqbal Awan

  4. College of Life Sciences, Yan’an University, Yan’an, 716000, Shaanxi, China

    Xiukang Wang

  5. Department of Pant Breeding and Genetics, The University of Haripur, Haripur, 22620, Pakistan

    Sajid Fiaz & Sher Aslam Khan

  6. Department of Entomology, Sub-Campus Depalpur, Okara, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Habib Ali

  7. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan

    Habib Ali

  8. Department of Agronomy, Abdul Wali Khan University Garden Campus, Shiekh Maltoon, Mardan KPK, Pakistan

    Zafar Hayat

  9. Department of Agriculture, University of Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

    Farhana Gul

  10. Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China

    Shah Fahad

  11. Department of Agronomy, The University of Haripur, Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 22620, Pakistan

    Shah Fahad

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  1. Athar Mahmood
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  2. Masood Iqbal Awan
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  4. Ahmed Mukhtar
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  9. Faran Muhammad
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Contributions

A Mehmood conceived the idea and carried out the research. Investigation was carried out by A Mehmood, MIA, SS, and A Mukhtar. XW and S Fiaz acquired the funding for present research. SAK, HA, FM, and ZH provided with technical expertise. S Fiaz, A Mahmood, FG, and S Fahad helped in writing of original draft. All authors carefully read, revise, and approved article for submission.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Xiukang Wang, Sajid Fiaz or Shah Fahad.

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Mahmood, ., Awan, M.I., Sadaf, S. et al. Bio-diesel production of sunflower through sulphur management in a semi-arid subtropical environment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 13268–13278 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16688-z

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