Scientists examine agriculture products' potential uses

By Tim Hearden
Capital Press

Can farmers resolve the quest for alternative fuels without driving up the cost of food?

That question is among many being addressed by University of California researchers, who have embarked on a system-wide study to "build better biofuels."

The study, funded with more than $660 million in government and corporate money, assigns hundreds of scientists to try to make affordable and sustainable energy out of such diverse materials as plant and animal waste, fast-growing agricultural crops and algae.

Farmers and ranchers can provide such energy-making "feedstocks" as oil-rich grains, switchgrass, rice straw and livestock manure and make money in the process, said Sylvia Wright, a University of California-Davis spokeswoman.

"A lot of stuff in California could be used for biofuels that wouldn't take away from our food production," said Wright, noting that some have blamed ethanol production in the Midwest for driving up the cost of corn.

"I believe everyone who spends much time looking at biofuels and their potential think it's a hugely promising area," she said.

Scientists are investigating how to improve the conversion of plant cellulose into ethanol, the conversion of oilseed into biodiesel and how to turn plant and animal waste into liquid, gaseous or solid fuel, according to a news release.

The researchers are examining which crops are best, which produce the most fuel potential with the least amount of investment by the grower, and which sources of alternative energy don't take a lot of energy to produce, Wright said.

The scientists' work is outlined in a series of technical articles in the current issue of the UC's California Agriculture journal. Bryan Jenkins, director of UC-Davis' Energy Institute, contends that California could produce 30 million tons of renewable biomass -- the equivalent of 2 billion gallons of gasoline a year.

Biomass has been an important energy source throughout human history, he and colleagues wrote in the journal.

"Although traditional uses are still widely practiced throughout the world and are often associated with undesirable consequences to health and the environment, more modern, sustainable approaches to utilizing biomass offer significant promise for environmental improvement and economic benefit," they wrote.

Many feedstocks are already present in agriculture, the researchers contend, including such residues as rice straw. Also, a lot of biomass plant material comes from forestry, such as thinning to reduce the risk of wildfire.

"Also, the urban sector produces an increasing amount of ... waste that now goes into landfills that could serve as feedstocks," Wright said.

The research is being done to help the state achieve its goal of a 10 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020.

Online

Six peer-reviewed research articles on the promise of biofuels can be found in the October-December issue of the UC's California Agriculture journal at http://californiaagriculture.ucanr.org