From Illinois, a study out after Christmas from the Energy Biosciences Institute at the University of Illinois looked at 21 species of short-rotation woody biomass, planted in 2010 and harvested and measured in 2011 and 2012. Of the 21, black locust, northern catalpa, flameleaf sumac, silver maple and sycamore proved to be the best short-rotation biomass […]
High on our popular poplar list, this study appeared this spring from Michigan State University and found that poplar trees genetically engineered for deconstruction may be a boon for biofuels. “By designing poplars for deconstruction,” says Curtis Wilkerson, “we can improve the degradability of a very useful biomass product. Poplars are dense, easy to store, and they […]
Two gems from the University of Illinois on miscanthus. First, this one that found that miscanthus and other biofuels crops actually reduce the escape of nitrogen into the environment, according to a study performed at the University of Illinois. The study compared miscanthus, switchgrass, and mixed prairie species against a traditional corn and soybean rotation, […]
In this study from Utah State, researchers concluded that microalgae-based biofuel not only has the potential to quench a sizable chunk of the world’s energy demands, say Utah State University researchers, it’s a potential game-changer. Researchers published findings from an unprecedented worldwide microalgae productivity assessment in the May 26, 2014, online Early Edition of the […]
From Australia, a new study that appeared last month from Future Farm Industries Co-operative Centre says that oil produced from local mallee trees could supply up to 5% of the country’s aviation fuel demand. To achieve that, just 1% of Western Australia’s Great Southern region would need to be planted with the trees and wouldn’t […]
From Kenya, a study from ICRAF this spring showed that jatropha isn’t a viable crop for the country because there is no market for the seeds, the values and yields are low, farmers don’t know how to grow it well and its early reputation as a miracle crop has destroyed most of the farmer appetite […]
Last month, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers working to produce ethanol from plant material took a hard look at eucalyptus as a possible source for the clean fuel. In their study, published online by the journal Applied Energy in April, they found that some eucalyptus had an increased sugar content, making […]
Some of the excitement around duckweed has faded – why, we’re not sure. But a band of researchers have ploughed on and from “The Second International Conference on Duckweed Research and Applications” last year, Prof. Dr. Eric Lam (Rutgers University and Conference Chair) and PD Dr. Klaus-J. Appenroth (University of Jena and Head of the […]
Here’s a report from Minnesota’s Agicultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) on Corn Cobs as Sustainable Biomass for Renewable Energy, A Field-to-Facility Demonstration and Feasibility Study. They report that “The corn cob field-to-facility project is a success in that it has demonstrated and documented the viability of corn cobs as a sustainable source of biomass for […]
A recent study provides information important to farmers growing oilseed crops. In the study, camelina and safflower were grown in three-year rotations with winter wheat and summer fallow. The study shows that using this rotation may require that no tillage should be done to the soil during the fallow year. Oilseed crops produce relatively little […]
