Researchers say there’s more to good feedstock than just yields

In Michigan, Michigan State University researchers show that looking at the big picture other than just yield allows other biofuel crops, such as native perennial grasses, to score higher as viable alternatives. The researchers compared three potential biofuel crops: corn, switchgrass, and mixes of native prairie grasses and flowering plants. They measured the diversity of plants, pest and beneficial insects, birds and microbes that consume methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Methane consumption, pest suppression, pollination and bird populations were higher in perennial grasslands.