Supply Chain Optimization and Economic Analysis of Using Industrial Spent Microbial Biomass (SMB) in Agriculture

This thesis uses a mixed integer program to minimize the transport and storage cost of delivering spent microbial biomass (SMB), a bio-coproduct resulting from the production of 1,3-propanediol, to farm fields as a soil amendment and fertilizer substitute. The case study examines focuses on a bioprocessing facility and corn production in East Tennessee. The results indicate on-farm storage of SMB minimizes transport and storage costs of the material. A one percent decrease in the moisture content of SMB results in less than five percent decrease in the total transport and storage costs. Future research should investigate farmers' willingness to adopt the practice, cost sharing design, and to apply SMB to other crop production.