Evaluación de la biomasa residual agrícola de los cultivos de papa (Solanum tuberosum), maíz (Zea mays) y tomate de árbol (Solanum betaceum) como recurso energético renovable en la Provincia de Tungurahua

Abstract

At present, the generation of renewable energy has become a great tool of the first order for the sustainable development of our society, the use of agricultural biomass stands out as a respectful and friendly process with the environment. Worldwide, a great variety of forest, agricultural residues are generated: this situation opens up a great possibility for the use of these residues in the form of biomass and reinforces the need to evaluate and analyze each of these resources both materially and energetically. The objective of this research work is to energetically evaluate the agricultural residual biomass of potato (Solanum tuberosum), corn (Zea mays), and tree tomato (Solanum betaceum) crops as a renewable resource in the Province of Tungurahua. As a first step, a prospection of the crops with the greatest relevance in terms of the biomass residues generated was established. The project provided a database in which its energy characteristics were analyzed for each crop: calorific value, amount of biomass to calculate the energy potential, and a proximal analysis was also carried out (humidity, ash, volatile compounds and fixed carbon). The type research used was experimental, a field and laboratory work were carried out, where each test was out in triplicate. This project is considered as an initiative to obtain clean energy and in this way to obtain additional income for farmers who, in addition to marketing their products, can obtain additional income from the agricultural residues generated in their crops, especially from potato, corn and tomato crops of trees considered as the crops with the highest production in Tungurahua.