Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 7636 IREC Farmers' Newsletter No. 195 ­ – Rice R&D 2016 straw that fit with farm operations, are economically viable and offer environmental protection. Alternatives to burning Alternative on-farm solutions to stubble burning can include incorporation or retention of straw and stubble with all its associated benefits, including longer-term soil quality improvement and increased water retention. However, the volume of rice straw means farmers face difficulty with in-field straw management due to machinery requirements and labour cost of incorporation, nutrient and pesticide tie-up, build-up of weeds and disease, and uneven seedling germination and yield variability of subsequent crops. Due to the unpalatability and low nutritional value of rice straw to livestock, use as stockfeed is limited other than during drought conditions when other fodder sources are unavailable. There is a wide range of research around alternative uses for rice straw and the practicality of implementation of these uses. Alternative uses of rice straw include: l  bioenergy and chemicals (bioethanol, butanol, hydrogen, methane, furfural) building materials (lightweight concrete blocks, fibreboards, cement) l  industrial applications (absorbents, calcium silicide, activated carbon, filtration agents, and carriers in pharmaceuticals, rubber compounding) l  use of rice straw ash as an insulator in the steel industry l erosion control l recyclable paper products l  plastics and composites l  high-value nutritional bio-oils l  rice straw composts through integrated animal management l  biochar and char–ash–clay mix soil amendments. The most critical constraint in removing rice straw off farm for other uses is its low bulk density, which makes it expensive to transport. At the industry scale, high value-adding is required from this low-value material for economic viability. On-farm processing may offer an alternative shorter- term solution. Best-bet alternatives 1) Industry-wide solutions Industry-wide bioenergy solutions require significant industry capital and feasibility study, and at this stage are considered likely to be implemented in the longer term using rice hulls rather than straw. The industry- wide approach is limited by the in-field handling and transport costs and seasonal and annual variability. For example, since the cost of straw removal from the field is up to about $90/tonne within a 100 km radius, the value of extracted products needs to compensate for this. If the rice industry was to accept approximately half of the straw yielded from an average production cycle (say 300,000 tonnes), it would have to pay about $27 million to compensate the growers for removal. A preferred model may be to have government incentives and policy initiating and assisting bioenergy implementation through infrastructure grants with an economically sustainable model for ongoing operations. Research in northern Australia is ongoing using pilot-scale integrated bio- refineries that involve residues from the sugar, sorghum and other industries, being transported to a central facility to create power or specialised high-value chemicals (furfural, butyric acid, bioplastics) and the testing of advanced fermentation or biotechnology processes. The production of high-value chemicals from waste residues is a big growth area with estimates in excess of a $4 billion industry in Australia. The general consensus is that to be most successful, a cross-sectoral approach is required whereby a number of different industries (e.g. wine, paper or cotton) may supply a bio-refinery type facility. Output products (e.g. energy, specialised siliceous products or chemicals) should ideally be able to supply local industries that have high specific demand, such as intensive energy use, bottles, recyclable packaging, to enable a closed-loop situation to be developed within the region. In the case of rice, the silica component may present a unique aspect for opportunity. State of the art research is examining the characteristics of silica nanoparticles that are formed naturally in rice straw and husks and how they may be isolated easily and at scale. Research includes: l  enhanced energy storage capacity of lithium batteries l use in solar power panels l  nanotechnology applications for controlled drug delivery and food additives l  use in the construction industry for high- strength concrete and glass manufacture which may have local markets. 2) On-farm solutions There are a number of potential ways that rice straw can be managed on farm, other than burning. Although these solutions may only be appropriate on a case by case basis, best-bet options for farmers in the short term may include: l  farm system rotational management, especially in single cropping businesses (may be possible on a case by case basis) l  integrated management with intensive livestock production (e.g. piggeries) followed by returning straw-manure piles and amendment to paddocks l  on-farm densification technologies that manufacture straw extrusion products such as briquettes or pellets that feed on-farm gasifiers to power pumps and domestic energy needs. Potential market opportunities There is a range of potential market opportunities although to date these have not been properly developed or are unavailable. Garden mulch products for domestic markets offer high mark-ups that can overcome handling and transport costs. Rice straw offers advantages over other straw mulches such as wheat, oat, sugar cane and pea straw as it is weed free and is attractive in gardens as it can be evenly spread. National advertising campaigns, supported at the industry level may increase the size of this market. Fibreboard could be produced from rice straw but the process requires the feasibility of production at scale to be tested and implementation of straw transport and handling logistics. Straw could be exported to Japan for inclusion in Wagyu beef diets. To obtain the specialised wagyu beef that has high value and demand in Japan and elsewhere, cattle are fed a finisher ration that includes rice straw which has high fibre and contains no vitamin A. Although there is a large number of potential alternative uses for rice straw, thorough business case development is required to ensure sustainability for individuals and the industry. Future research The following research and commercialisation activities are considered critical to capture the potential economic benefits of rice straw in Australia: l  demonstration of continuous processing of rice straw in combination with other industry residues (cotton, wine) through pilot scale or demonstration bio-refineries l  detailed assessment of rice straw product and market opportunities with a focus on Australian and Asian markets. For example, building products, livestock