Biomass for a sustainable bioeconomy: An overview of world biomass production and utilization

Given both the ongoing expansion of world population and development of climate change conditions, it is increasingly imperative to develop and deploy sustainable biomass production methods to allow establishment of a flourishing and sustainable bioeconomy. Green technologies, including biofuels and bioproducts, are among the most effective strategies for decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, while meeting humanity's energy requirements. Biomass now provides a measure of energy to many countries, however supporting technologies are not widely accepted, largely because of low returns for biomass producers. This paper provides an overview of world biomass production and utilization. It also indicates potential approaches for enhancing biomass production: agronomic practices, associated microorganisms, genome editing, selection of optimal technologies, best combination approaches for feeding global human and animal populations, while, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and replacing demand for fossil energy with bioenergy. A more novel concept is proposed, microbe-to-plant signal compounds, as the potential approach to address the challenges we are facing. These compounds (e.g., lipo-chitooligosaccharide and thuricin 17) have been shown to increase growth for diverse plant species, particularly when they are growing under stressful conditions, however, their commercial development/utilization is far from complete. This review paper will expand the understanding of using the signal interaction between crop and beneficial microorganisms not only to enhance plant growth but also promote agricultural sustainability and a stronger bioeconomy.