Bio-Energy Crops Research

Various crops are being looked at around the world as a source of "green" energy. In North America, the most immediate use of these crops is for burning to heat greenhouses and homes. Research continues to search for a significant breakthrough in developing cost effective technologies to convert biomass crops into ethanol through cellulose ethanol production.

The main bio-energy crop species being looked at are switchgrass and miscanthus (x giganteus). Both these grass species are warm season grasses. Switchgrass has a very small seed and is slow to establish. Miscanthus is a sterile hybrid, so it must be propagated by planting underground stems, called rhizomes. Establishing a stand with rhizomes is relatively expensive compared to planting seed. Once established, both switchgrass and miscanthus are productive for more than 10 years.

We recently had the opportunity to tour a couple of research stations in the United States that are researching different bio-energy crops.

Michigan State University

Michigan State University researchers are looking at establishment of switchgrass with and without a companion oat crop. The objective is to look at the potential of having an oat forage crop to harvest in the establishment year when there is normally very little switchgrass yield to harvest. The switchgrass establishment success will be compared to direct seeded plots to determine the impact of the companion oat crop on switchgrass establishment.

Another researcher is comparing a one- versus two-harvest switchgrass system per year to evaluate the total biomass yield potential and quality for burning or cellulose ethanol production.

A third research project is researching the yield response to various nitrogen rates under both switchgrass harvest systems to determine the most economical nitrogen rate.

University of Illinois

Illinois State University is researching planting, harvest, storage, transport, conversion to biofuels and carbon sequestration of bio-energy crops. Illinois field trials in 2005 and 2006 by Dr Frank Dohleman has shown switchgrass dry matter yields of about 5 tons/acre (11.3 tonnes/ha) and miscanthus yields of 14 tons/acre (31.7 tonnes/ha). Their current research is now focusing on miscanthus because of its greater yield potential.

Miscanthus is a sterile hybrid, so it must be propagated by planting underground stems, called rhizomes. The harvesting of rhizomes from existing miscanthus stands and the planting of new stands is a very labourious process. Research into mechanization of harvesting and planting of the rhizomes to reduce the time and labour to establish this crop. In Europe, where Miscanthus has been grown for more than a decade, patented farm equipment can plant about 50 acres of Miscanthus rhizomes a day.

In Ontario

Currently there is on-going bio-energy crop research at several stations across Ontario. Research programs are looking at potential bio-energy crops species, such as miscanthus, switchgrass, big blue stem, prairie cord grass, common reed (phragmites), hybrid corn and hybrid sorghum. There are breeding programs to develop higher yielding varieties. Agronomic research is looking at establishment, weed control, fertility, harvest timing (fall versus spring) and handling systems.

There are about 600 to 700 acres in of switchgrass in Ontario currently in production. Some of this production is already being used for heating. There is a small company starting up in eastern Ontario that is looking to contract with farmers to grow switchgrass for greenhouse heating.

In the short term, most of the bio-energy crops will be utilized by burning to produce heat for greenhouse operations and home heating, to offset natural gas and other fuels. Long term, bio-energy crops may be used in a cellulose conversion process to produce ethanol, as cost effective conversion methods are developed.

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