National Biodiesel Board awards $1.2 million to Danforth Center for soybean oil yield study

The National Biodiesel Board awarded a $1.2 million research grant to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to fund a three-year project to enhance the oil yield from soybeans. The grant was administered by NBB on behalf of the Department of Energy.

Soy continue to be a crop of choice for most farmers. Researchers at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign surveyed local farmers and report that the major challenge in developing cellulosic ethanol will be to persuade farmers to grow the crop. Farmers indicated in the survey that they would only grow cellulosic crops if they could be persuaded that the cellulosic crops such as switchgrass and miscanthus can compete with soybeans and corn in terms of profitability.

In the first comprehensive report on the biofuel potential of switchgrass, a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science says that switchgrass has a yield of more than five times the energy inputs needed to grow and process it into ethanol.

The 10-farm, five year study was conducted across the Midwest and potentially is key to unlocking the potential of cellulosic ethanol in the US.

Switchgrass has also received the green light on the nitrogen front, A report has been published comparing the impact of additional biofuel production on nitrogen levels in Chesapeake Bay. The report found that corn production increased nitrogen in the Bay by 16 pounds per acre under production, versus 8 additional pounds per acre of soybeans. The report found that switchgrass production would reduce nitrogen levels by 27 pounds per acre under production.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Two Missouri five-year projects to study algae energy

In Missouri, researchers at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and Washington University  in St. Louis will launch five-year research programs on algae. The DOE fund for Energy Frontier Researc...

Biofuels Digest job portal: POET, Synthetic Genomics, the Donald Danforth Plant Center, Phycal, Valero, Areva, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Sriya Innovation, Sirona Fuel and KL Energy hiring

The Biofuels Digest job portal is current featuring positions with: POET, Synthetic Genomics, the Donald Danforth Plant Center, Phycal, Valero, Areva, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Sriya Innovation,...

Musician Melissa Etheridge, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome, and Earthrace captain Pete Bethune among NBB award winners

In California, musician Melissa Etheridge, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome, and Earthrace captain Pete Bethune were among the recipients of awards at the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo. A ...

Study finds that biodiesel adds 25 cents per bushel to soy price and $2.5 billion in net returns to soy industry

In Missouri, the United Soybean Board released a study by Centrec Consulting Group, which concluded that US farmers received an additional $2.5 billion in net returns over the last four years due to t...

Iowa makes $1.52 million in renewable fuel infrastructure grants; $11.5 million more planned through 2011

In Iowa, the state Department of Economics Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program board has approved $1.52 million in grants for the expansion of biodiesel and E85 infrastucture. 43 retailers and termi...

Photosynthetic Antenna Research Center gets underway in effort to improve yields from photosynthesis

In Missouri, the Photosynthetic Antenna Research Center — established by DOE grant earlier this year — is advancing basic science research aimed at understanding the principles of the harvesting o...