ABSTRACT
Straw consists of the above-ground fractions (normally cut at a height of around 20 cm) of cereal plants after removal of the grain.
Depending on the harvesting system, part of the cut straw is left in the field together with the stubble. The straw length and diameter vary greatly and, consequently, also the biomass yield both within and between species. The biomass production and its chemical composition are important parameters since straw and other fibrous by-products from cereals that are available in the world amount to approximately 3 trillion tonnes per year.
