Researchers discover bacterial strain that increases poplar growth rates by up to 50 percent; poplar-to-ethanol ventures undervalued?

In New York, researchers at the Brookhaven National Labs announced the discovery of bacterial strains that can increase the growth rate of poplars by up to 50 percent. The team tested 78 different bacterial strains found in poplars for impact on growth rates. In the test, researchers found that cuttings inoculated with Enterobacter sp. 638 and Burkholderia cepacia BU72 consistently showed increases in biomass up to 50 percent.

Producers such as ZeaChem have achieved production rates of up to 135 gallons per ton of biomass with poplar-to-ethanol technology.

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