by Jae Hur (Bloomberg) South Korea’s top grain importer has urged the U.S. to consider cutting the use of corn and soybeans in biofuel production to ensure stable food supplies as prices soar amid the worst U.S. drought in decades. ...The
SEARCH RESULTS FOR "drought"
Back TO HOMEWisconsin Bio Industry Alliance, Renewable Fuels Association Release Ethanol, Drought Myth-Busting Reports
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance published a note “to once again clear up a few myths about ethanol and ethanol production in America.” ...In Washington, the Renewable Fuel Association’s Geoff Cooper noted that “The
July 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Danforth Center Part of Biofuel Study
by Tim Bryant (STLToday.com) The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is among five recipients of a $12.1 million federal grant to develop drought-tolerant grass as a sustainable source of biofuel. Developing bioenergy grasses with the desirable traits needed for
July 17, 2012 Read Full Article
U.S. Energy Crops Resisting Drought so Far
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) While the drought in the U.S. is beginning to take a significant toll on some of the nation’s crops—particularly in the Midwest and the Corn Belt—it seems most energy crops are hanging on, at least
July 17, 2012 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Special Report on Drought
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Dire US media headlines abound: “Drought!” What’s real, what’s hype, and what are the impacts? More importantly, what alternatives does science give us now, and in the future, with more drought-tolerant energy and food crops? ...A
July 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Growing Better Biofuel Crops
by Heather Youngs and Chris Somerville (The Scientist) Research is underway to reduce the use of food crops for biofuels by shifting to dedicated energy crops and agricultural residues. ...Conversion of biomass is currently the most cost-effective route to produce renewable
July 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Company Promotes Sorghum for Ethanol Production
by Dan Modlin (WKYUFM) A firm based in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky is hoping more farmers raise sorghum to use in ethanol fuels production in the future. Southeast Biofuels has completed the first phase of a project that resulted in a
July 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Ohio State Partner in $5.7M Grant to Develop New Biofuel
by Mauricio Espinoza (Ohio State University/North Texas d-News) Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) will play a key role in the engineering of a novel plant-based fuel, funded by a $5.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of
July 04, 2012 Read Full Article
CLC bio Collaborates with Donald Danforth Plant Science Center on the Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa Project
(CLC bio) Today CLC bio and the International Laboratory for Tropical Agricultural Biotechnology (ILTAB) at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, announced a collaboration to benefit the Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa project (VIRCA), a partnership including researchers at the Donald Danforth Plant Science
July 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Are Biofuels The Answer To America’s Energy Challenges?
by Alison Singer (GreenConduct.com) ...To address the shortcomings of current biofuel production, scientists are developing new techniques and feedstocks to enhance sustainable production. Switchgrass, a North American perennial tallgrass, sequesters far more carbon dioxide than corn and other row crops, and
June 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Scientists Map and Sequence Genome of Switchgrass Relative Foxtail Millet
(PhysOrg) A newly published genetic sequence and map of foxtail millet, a close relative of switchgrass and an important food crop in Asia, is giving scientists working to increase biofuel and crop yields a powerful new tool. The effort to develop
June 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plant Set to Begin Production Soon, Job Opportunities Available
by Brittany Boyer (WJAC TV) Pennsylvania Grain Processing has officially closed on the purchase of the former Bionol Ethanol plant in Clearfield. According to a news release obtained by 6 News, production at the plant is expected to begin sometime during
May 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Mapping Grasslands for Biofuel Potential
(U.S. Geological Survey) USGS scientists have developed a new method for mapping grasslands that demonstrate high potential for growing biofuel crops with relatively little energy input and environmental impact. The pioneering investigation used remote sensing data from satellites to identify detailed
April 10, 2012 Read Full Article
JOil Sees Tripling of Jatropha Productivity over Next Eight Years through Application of Biotechnology
(CheckBioTech/JOil) JOil (S) Pte Ltd, a scientific bioenergy crop developer of New Generation Jatropha, discussed cutting edge science and biotechnology processes that could increase the present productivity of Jatropha from the less than 1 ton of oil/hectare to 3 tons/hectare
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Scientists Say Cassava Will Thrive in Climate Change, Best Bet for African Farmers
(The Washington Post/AP) Calling cassava “the Rambo of food crops,” scientists Monday said the long-neglected root becomes even more productive in hotter temperatures and could be the best bet for African farmers threatened by climate change. ...The root outperformed potatoes, maize,
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Hemingway’s Cats and Tobacco Road
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) New ideas on growing hydrocarbons directly in the field tap ancient ideas of agriculture, and ancient capabilities trapped deep in the genome ...A good part of the work of modern genetics is to uncover the existing
February 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Ceres Raises $65M in IPO: State of the Biofuels IPO Market
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Ceres raised $65 million yesterday in its initial public offering of 5,000,000 shares of common stock, which priced at $13.00 per share after a day-to-day roller coaster in recent weeks, with the IPO rescheduled twice
February 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Zimbabwe: Get Country to Switch to Ethanol-Petrol Blend Fuel
(AllAfrica.com) Most of the larger fuel companies have started selling the petrol-ethanol blend known as E10, a reference to the percentage of ethanol, amid hopes that Zimbabwe would soon be able to substitute 10 percent of its petrol imports with
February 20, 2012 Read Full Article
The Rocky Road to Biofuels Heaven: Codexis Chief Out, Ceres IPO Delayed
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The changes at Codexis and delayed IPO at Ceres are indications that life in the public markets remains a rough one for early-stage industrial biotech companies. The changes at Codexis come after the company’s shares
February 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Australian Tree Offers Texas Growers Biofuel Alternative
by Logan Hawkes (Southwest Farm Press) Biodiesel is experiencing a historic surge worldwide. Pongamiapinnata is becoming a popular oilseed choice for biofuel production and has captured the attention of U.S. growers. Pongamia is one of the few nitrogen-fixing trees producing seeds containing 30 to
January 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Rolling into the Forage Market
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Cattlemen are increasingly turning to value-added distillers grains products from SweetPro Feeds ...Using the coproduct from ethanol production as a medium for vitamins, minerals, yeast and enzymes provides benefits that traditional molasses licks don’t. ...First, molasses
January 26, 2012 Read Full Article
FAO Chief Biofuel Criticism ‘Misinformed,’ Industry Lobby Says
by Rudy Ruitenberg (Bloomberg Business Week) Criticism of biofuels and their impact on commodity prices by the new director general of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization is “simplistic and misinformed,” an industry lobby said. Higher energy prices are the “primary
January 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Texas Farmer Wades into 'Feed versus Fuel' Battle
(National Corn Growers Association) Ongoing media coverage on corn usage tends to sensationalize trends by pitting demand from the ethanol industry against that from livestock, but Corn Board member Wesley Spurlock, a Texas farmer, has been speaking to groups across
January 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Embrapa Will Charge Less Than Monsanto for Modified Sugar Cane
by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg) Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria, Brazil’s state-owned agricultural research agency, plans to charge less than major seed companies including Monsanto Co. (MON), Bayer AG (BAYN) and Syngenta AG (SYNN) when it begins selling sugar cane that’s genetically engineered to resist drought. The agency
January 23, 2012 Read Full Article
The 7 Paths of the New Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But the New Agriculture has arisen in recent years, with new solutions to the old dilemma: how do you produce, and afford, and haul, and utilize enough feedstock to make an integrated biorefinery work? How
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Evogene to Establish Evofuel Ltd. for Developing Advanced Feedstock for Biofuel
(MarketWire/Evogene) Wholly Owned Subsidiary Expanding Castor Bean Activity in Brazil Evogene Ltd. announced that it is establishing Evofuel, a wholly owned subsidiary, to focus on developing seed for advanced second-generation feedstock for biofuel. Included in the activities that are being transferred from
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Major Step Forward Towards Drought Tolerance in Crops
(Science Daily) When a plant encounters drought, it does its best to cope with this stress by activating a set of protein molecules called receptors. These receptors, once activated, turn on processes that help the plant survive the stress. A team
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Growing Pains: Brazil’s Sugarcane Ethanol Industry Hits a Snag
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Brazil began developing its domestic ethanol industry in the 1970s in response to the worldwide oil crisis that hit countries with little to no oil production, including Brazil, extremely hard. Country leaders tasked the
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
DuPont and Rosetta Green Sign Research Agreement to Identify Drought Tolerance Genes in Corn and Soybeans
(DuPont) DuPont and Rosetta Green Ltd. have entered into a strategic research agreement to identify drought tolerance genes in corn and soybeans. “Drought can lead to losses for corn growers of up to $13 billion annually,” said John Bedbrook, vice president, DuPont Agricultural
December 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Price Volatility – Causes and Consequences
(Gant Daily) ...G20 countries in their June 2011 ministerial declaration recommended measures such as building grain reserves, a global market information system and regulating financial transactions in commodities markets. But economists like Brian Wright, professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University
October 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Tanzania: Sun Biofuels Jatropha Project in Kisarawe Suspended
by Finnigan Wa Simbeye (AllAfrica.com) An ambitious biodiesel project which was allocated over 8,000 hectares of land by Kisarawe district officials in 2008 is in trouble. Employees and casual workers of Sun Biofuels Plc, told Business Standard last weekend that work
October 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Vonore Biomass Plant Could Go Commercial as Switchgrass Gains Ground
by Ed Marcum (KnoxNews.com) The University of Tennessee showed off its biofuel facilities here Tuesday to top state officials as the school works to increase efficiencies so that the experimental project can become a commercial operation. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Sen.
August 31, 2011 Read Full Article
SDTC Announces Call for Statement of Interest Applications for Clean Technology Funding
(Sustainable Development Technology Canada) If you have an innovative clean technology, we want to hear from you. That is the message Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) sent out today as it announced its 20th round of funding, which will be
August 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Cargill Blames Government Hoarding for Global Food Price Surge
by John Lippert (The Washington Post/Bloomberg Markets) Cargill chief Greg Page, who runs the largest U.S. agricultural company, has a good idea whom to blame for the global surge in food prices at the end of 2010: governments. ...He said government
August 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Aeromexico Makes First Trans-Oceanic Flight Using Biofuel
(Mexican Airlines) This evening, Mexico's flagship carrier, AeroMexico, will make the world’s first Trans-oceanic flight using aviation biofuel, once again placing Mexico in the limelight with regard to the use of biofuels in the global aviation sector. Flying from Mexico City (MEX) to Madrid
August 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Mozambique Sells Its First Biofuel Export to Lufthansa
(defenseWEb) Mozambique’s Sun Biofuels has made its first export by selling 30 tons of jatropha oil to German airline Lufthansa. The company’s director of corporate affairs Luis Gouveia on Friday told the Mozambican newspaper Diario de Mozambique of the sale. He
July 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Chain, Chain, Chain – Chain of Fuels: Birth of a Global Supply Chain for Biomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mendel CEO Neal Gutterson talks about miscanthus, and the role of the power sector as the driver of a global supply chain for biomass. ...The company’s IP lies in its understanding of a large class of
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
In Search of A Biofuel El Dorado: The Quest for Brazil’s Energy Independence Future
by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) In 1568, a Spanish Conquistador by the name of Pedro Maraver de Silva led his men on a mission to capture Incas who had escaped with their gold. Journeying north of Peru, they encountered
June 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Mina-Made Ethanol Heading to Brazil
by Jeff Natalie-Lees (Aberdeen News) Export options help facility weather weaker domestic demand Ethanol produced in Mina is helping Brazil avoid a fuel crisis after a weak sugar cane crop cut that country's ethanol production. When the sugar cane crop — the
May 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Project Wins $1 Million Competition
(University of Hawaii) A two-pronged University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa project to advance the use of biofuels in the Islands has won a $1 million sustainability research competition. The two-year project, led by Michael J. Cooney from UH Mānoa’s Hawai‘i Natural
May 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Ethanol Isn't Perfect; Neither is Gasoline
by Lynwood Broaddus (Free Lance Star/Fredericksburg.com) ...The editorial begins, "Ethanol production boosts food prices, steals feed corn for fuel. " One bushel of corn can produce 2.5 gallons of fuel ethanol, 12.4 pounds of 21 percent (protein) feed, 3 pounds of
May 09, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA and DOE Award Biomass Research and Development Grants to Reduce America's Reliance on Imported Oil
Projects will help develop sustainable, renewable biofuels in the U.S. As part of the Obama Administration's comprehensive plan to address rising gas prices, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a total of $47 million
May 06, 2011 Read Full Article
The Impact of Ethanol and Ethanol Subsidies on Corn Prices: Revisiting History
by Bruce A. Babcock, Jacinto F. Fabiosa (Iowa State University) The rapid rise in corn prices that began in the fall of 2006 coincided with exponential growth in U.S. corn ethanol production. At about the same time, new ethanol consumption
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Local View: Filling in the Blanks on Ethanol
by Kelly Brunkhorst (Journal Star /Nebraska Corn Board) J. Patrick Boyle's column, "Corn ethanol: Burning up food budgets," (LJS, April 21) may make a couple of valid points, but he omits many facts that need to be part of the discussion
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Vilsack Testifies on Biofuels
by Andy Eubank (USDA/Hoosier Ag Today) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently testified before a Senate committee on the effect and influence of biofuels. Testifying before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Vilsack responded to comments and questions about ethanol’s
April 18, 2011 Read Full Article
University/College Programs in US by State/Territory
Select a state from the drop-down list. If the cursor does not move to that state, it means we do not yet know of any programs in that state/district/territory. If you have information about programs not included in our lists,
April 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Sustainable Development Technology Canada's Round 19 Accepting Statements of Interest Until April 20th
(Sustainable Development Technology Canada) SDTC’s SD Tech Fund™ invests in late-stage development and pre-commercial demonstration of clean technologies by Canadian companies. The Statement of Interest (SOI) is an initial application used for preliminary screening and is subject to a competitive review
March 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Saint Michael’s Receives $766,000 NSF Grant as Part of Plant Genome Project
(VermontBiz.com) Saint Michael's College biologist Dr Mark Lubkowitz and his students join a team of researchers from the University of Missouri, University of Florida, Purdue University and the University Nebraska-Lincoln, on a five-year project to study the genes that control
March 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Blame it on Biofuels: The Same Old Food vs Fuel Argument Is Back Again and Just as Irrelevant as Last Time
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...(M)ost of the food vs fuel stories archived on the web were dated either 2008 or 2011, and that many seemed remarkably similar. That’s when it dawned on me that very few people want
February 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Central Agricultural Research Center Tests Rotation Merits of Oilseed, Pulse Crops
by Terri Adams (The Prairie Star) The Central Agriculture Research Center (CARC) near Moccasin, Mont., uses 600 acres of land to test cropping systems, plant varieties, soil fertilities and other issues that affect producers in central Montana. Chengci Chen, an associate
February 21, 2011 Read Full Article
25x'25 Offers New Food-versus-Fuel Information FAQ
(25 x '25) Last week, USDA reported that surplus corn stocks have hit their lowest point since 1995 and corn prices have risen from $3.50 per bushel in July 2010, to $6.10 in January 2011. Critics of biofuels charge that
February 18, 2011 Read Full Article
How Biofuels Contribute to the Food Crisis
by Tim Searchinger (op ed The Washington Post) ...Agricultural production is keeping up in general with the growing demand for food - but it keeps up with the added demand for biofuels only if growing weather is good. ...Higher fuel
February 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Vinod Khosla on Biofuel Feedstocks
by Vinod Khosla (GreenTechMedia) Imagination is in shortest supply when it comes to agronomic econometrics that extrapolate the past instead of inventing a new future. Part II: Feedstock. Feedstock cost, environmental impact and even its politics are critical variables. With each
February 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Genetic Mutation Helps Plants Use Less Water without Biomass Loss
(NewKerala.com) Purdue University researchers have made a discovery that could reduce the amount of water required for growing plants and help plants survive and thrive in adverse conditions. They have found a genetic mutation that allows a plant to better endure drought
January 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Crops Proposed for South Florida Land Targeted for Water Storage, Environmental Restoration
by Andy Reid (Sun Sentinel) Instead of planting more sugar cane and citrus, biofuel farming could spread to South Florida land set aside for future water management and environmental restoration. The South Florida Water Management District has more than 200,000 acres
January 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Long Shots: Why Throwing Money at Today's Clean-Energy Technologies Could Keep Us from Discovering Tomorrow's.
by Vinod Khosla (Foreign Policy) ...A mid-2009 report by the reinsurance giant Swiss Re found that climate change could shave off anywhere from 1 to 12 percent of GDP in many countries thanks to shifting climate zones, floods, droughts, and
December 13, 2010 Read Full Article
Applications Available in January for Kellog Biological Station Biofuel Research Fellowships 2011 (Michigan State University)
(W.K. Kellog Biological Station) Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services from Bioenergy Cropping Systems Kellogg Biological Station, in partnership with the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) is offering 4 Department of Energy Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DOE-REU) in Summer 2011. Students will will be
December 08, 2010 Read Full Article
The Case for Energy Beets as Advanced Biofuel
by Alan Anderson (Energy Boom) A few brave farmers up in North Dakota have taken on the fight of a lifetime. The brave folks at Green Vision Group have been working with a high potential new advanced biofuel feedstock, sugar beets. ...There
November 08, 2010 Read Full Article
Gene Discovery from Jatropha curcas by Sequencing of ESTs from Normalized and Full-Length Enriched cDNA Library from Developing Seeds
(Seventh Space Interactive) Jatropha curcas L. is promoted as an important non-edible biodiesel crop worldwide. Jatropha oil, which is a triacylglycerol, can be directly blended with petro-diesel or transesterified with methanol and used as biodiesel. Genetic improvement in jatropha is
November 04, 2010 Read Full Article
Growth of Biofuel Industry Hurt by GMO Regulations, Say Experts
(Science Daily) Faster development of the promising field of cellulosic biofuels -- the renewable energy produced from grasses and trees -- is being significantly hampered by a "deep and thorny regulatory thicket" that makes almost impossible the use of advanced
October 07, 2010 Read Full Article
They’re Baaack: Speculators Return to Grain Markets En Masse
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) You may not have noticed, but hedge and index fund investors have quietly returned to the agricultural commodities market in droves over the past few weeks. With the stock market continuing to flounder, these
September 03, 2010 Read Full Article
Sustainable Development Technology Canada Announces Latest Call for Clean Technology Funding Applications
(SDTC) Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) today announced its 18th round of funding for Canadian clean technology demonstration projects. Canadian entrepreneurs and technology developers with new technologies and a compelling business case are encouraged to submit Statements of Interests to
September 01, 2010 Read Full Article
Wide Use of Corn-Based Ethanol Fuel Not Choice for China: Experts
(People's Daily Online) Agricultural experts said Saturday it was too early for China to adopt corn-based ethanol fuel to feed automobiles, given the expensive production costs and the country's large population. Li Xinhua, a professor at Shenyang Agricultural University, said at
August 24, 2010 Read Full Article
Genera Energy and Alcoa Partner to Grow Switchgrass in Blount County; Planting has significant environmental benefit
(Genera Energy) Land owned by Alcoa Inc, Tennessee Operations, is now being used to grow a popular perennial grass known for producing cellulosic ethanol. Approximately 238 acres of switchgrass have been planted on property that Alcoa leases to a local farmer
August 23, 2010 Read Full Article
Centre May Permit Ethanol Production
by Faizan Ahmad (Times of India) The Centre is contemplating giving permission to Bihar to for production of ethanol in sugar factories even without producing sugar. ... (Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar) said he was not in favour of production
August 10, 2010 Read Full Article
OriginOil Announces Revenue from First Customer
(OriginOil) Shipment of OriginOil Quantum Fracturing System to MBD Energy Triggers Payment OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum, today announced that it recently
July 30, 2010 Read Full Article
On-Farm Demonstrations of Energy Crop Production Underway
(University of Tennessee) Study includes multiple varieties of switchgrass. Midsummer is nearly here, and the University of Tennessee Biofuels Initiative (UTBI) is closely watching how more than 1000 acres of newly planted, improved varieties of switchgrass are faring. Only time will
July 23, 2010 Read Full Article
Compelling Case of Pongamia Biodiesel
by Sreenivas Ghatty (Commodity Online) ...Pongamia, a plant producing non-edible oilseeds, has the potential to become one of the cheapest feedstocks that can be produced in most of the tropical and sub tropical regions of the world. It can tolerate
July 23, 2010 Read Full Article
Artificial Blood Vessels Developed from Jatropha
(CSIR India/The Economic Times) ...The Central Salt Marine Chemicals and Research Institute (CSMCRI) located in Bhavnagar district of the state has hit upon a process by which biodegradable polymers can be developed at almost zero-cost using one of the byproducts
June 25, 2010 Read Full Article
SunBelt Biofuels Business Acquired by REPREVE Renewables
(REPREVE Renewables) SunBelt Biofuels, LLC, a leader in bioenergy crops, and Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), makers of the REPREVE® family of recycled fibers, have announced the formation of a joint venture between certain of their affiliates intended to develop and commercialize
June 18, 2010 Read Full Article
Sustainable Oils Opens Expanded Camelina Research Facility in Bozeman
(Sustainable Oils) North America's Largest Camelina Research Program Expands to Deliver Improved Varieties to Growers Even More Quickly. A new, larger camelina research facility in Bozeman will allow Sustainable Oils to deliver improved camelina varieties to growers even more quickly. Sustainable Oils'
June 14, 2010 Read Full Article
Scientists ID Bacterial Genes that Improve Plant Growth
(Brookhaven National Laboratory) You might think bacteria that "invade" trees are there to cause certain destruction. But like the helpful bacteria that live within our guts, some microbes help plants thrive. To find out what makes these microbe-plant interactions "tick,"
May 14, 2010 Read Full Article
Bio-Based Potential for Delta Ag
by Hembree Brandon (Delta Farm Press) As Mid-South states continue to lose much of the traditional manufacturing-based industries that migrated to the areas beginning in the 1950s, new bio-based opportunities are emerging, says Pete Nelson. “We’re among the best in the
April 12, 2010 Read Full Article
GM Partners with U.S. Department of Energy to Develop Jatropha-to-Biodiesel Project in India
General Motors Co. announced on March 30, 2010, a five-year partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to help develop the potential of the jatropha plant as a sustainable biofuel energy crop. Traditionally considered a weed, jatropha plants produce
April 02, 2010 Read Full Article
Deforestation Continues, but More Slowly, Report Says
World deforestation, mainly the conversion of tropical forests to agricultural land, has decreased over the past ten years but continues at an alarmingly high rate in many countries, FAO announced today. Globally, around 13 million hectares of forests were converted to
March 26, 2010 Read Full Article
New Genome Sequence Will Aid Study of Important Food, Fuel Crops
A global initiative that includes key scientists from Oregon State University has successfully sequenced the genome of the wild grass Brachypodium distachyon, which will serve as a model to speed research on improved varieties of wheat, oats and barley, as
March 22, 2010 Read Full Article
Sorghum's Gaining Momentum, Farmers & Policy-Makers Say
by Dave Mowtiz (AgricultureOnline) Grain sorghum is gaining the attention of eastern Corn Belt farmers in an area dominated by corn, soybeans and wheat, reports a category winner of the National Sorghum Producers Association's yield contest. Chris Robinson, who farmers in
March 18, 2010 Read Full Article
Oil Reserve Uncertainty Creates Biofuel Opportunities In Central Asia
by Oil Price (iStockAnalyst) ...additives and substitutes such as biofuels will play an ever-increasing role by stretching beleaguered production quotas. As market forces and rising prices drive this technology to the forefront, one of the richest potential production areas has
February 22, 2010 Read Full Article
USDA Scientists Sequence Genome of Biofuel Model Crop
by Dennis O'Brien (Agricultural Research Service) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and their colleagues at the Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute announced that they have completed sequencing the genome of a kind of wild grass that will
February 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Sunflower DNA Map Could Produce Plants for Fuel
(CBC News, AP) A $10.5-million-US research project aimed at mapping the DNA sequence of sunflowers could one day yield a towering new variety for both food and fuel. Researchers envision crossbreeding a standard sunflower with the Silverleaf species from Texas to
January 28, 2010 Read Full Article
Combatting Climate Change by Investing in CleanTech: Government of Canada Announces CleanTech Companies to Receive$58 Million
Sixteen clean technology projects from across Canada will receive $58 million in funding to help move innovative technology solutions to the market. The announcement, confirming the decision of the Board of Directors of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), was made
January 22, 2010 Read Full Article
The Ethics of Biofuels
by Joseph Milton (Financial Times) ... The prospect of a second generation of biofuels, derived from waste materials rather than food crops or palm oil, has recently been raised. It is this new generation which the consultation by the Nuffield
December 28, 2009 Read Full Article
Mississippi State University Lets “Freedom” Ring as Viable Biofuel Feedstock
by Patti Drapala (MSU Ag Communications) ... One focus of MSU’s research is giant miscanthus, or Miscanthus x giganteus, a warm-season Asian grass that many scientists believe has potential as a biomass crop for fuel. Researchers with the Mississippi Agricultural
December 07, 2009 Read Full Article
Uganda to Extract Biodiesel from ‘Wonder Plant’ Jatropha
by Halima Abdallah (East African) The National Forestry Research Institute has embarked on a project to test the viability of biodiesel from jatropha, a drought resistant crop. According to a senior researcher at the institute, Dr Peter Kiwuso, they planted jatropha
December 07, 2009 Read Full Article
KLM to Join the Jet Biofuel Demonstration Flight Club Using a Camelina Blended Bio-Kerosene
(GreenairOnline.com) KLM has announced that it will conduct a demonstration flight on November 23 in which one of the four engines of a Boeing 747 will be powered by a blended mixture of 50 percent camelina and 50 percent standard
November 10, 2009 Read Full Article
NC State Receives $2 Million for Algae Research
Imagine filling up your car with fuel that comes from inexpensive algae that grow quickly, don’t use up freshwater supplies and can be cultivated in areas where they won’t compete with traditional food crops, such as corn or soybeans. Researchers
October 22, 2009 Read Full Article
Nitrogen Deposition Limits Climate Change Impacts on Carbon Sequestration
(Alpha Galileo) The role of the forests is assumed to increase in the future, as an important buffer of climate change and increasing CO2 concentrations. So-called Earth System Models, computer systems making predictions for the globe, estimate that this effect
October 12, 2009 Read Full Article
How a Biofuel 'Miracle' Ruined Kenyan Farmers
by Nick Wadhams/Kibwezi (Time) Everyone in Kibwezi, a village in southeastern Kenya parched by four years of drought, remembers the promises. It all started in 2000, when the government started preaching the word about a plant called jatropha curcas. That
October 06, 2009 Read Full Article
Biofuels to Be Made Out of Rotting Dates
(Reuters) Iraq's prime minister has approved a project by a United Arab Emirates-based company to make biofuel from dates that would otherwise be wasted because they have started to perish, Iraqi officials said. Iraq has the world's third largest oil reserves
September 17, 2009 Read Full Article
Sustainable Oils to Supply Navy with Camelina-based Jet Fuel
Sustainable Oils, a producer of renewable, environmentally clean, and high-value camelina-based fuels, announced today it has been awarded a contract by the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) for 40,000 gallons of camelina-based jet fuel. The fuel will be delivered to
September 10, 2009 Read Full Article
Australians Evaluate Native Oil-Bearing Tree
by Susanne Retka Schill (Biodiesel Magazine) Early tests by Australia’s CQUniversity researchers show promise for a new biodiesel feedstock – the native Australian Beauty Leaf Tree. The wild tree grows well throughout coastal areas of tropical Australia on salty, drought-affected,
August 26, 2009 Read Full Article
Will 'Energy Crops' Become the Next Kudzu?
by Jessica Leber (New York Times and ClimateWire) U.S. policies are subsidizing new energy crops that are likely to spread off the farm and wreak economic and ecological havoc, a federal advisory board cautioned yesterday. For years, researchers have worked
August 14, 2009 Read Full Article
A Global Overview of Vegetable Oils, with Reference to Biodiesel
IEA Bioenergy Task 40 commissioned a study on a global overview of bio-oils (vegetable and palm oil) to: i) assess major producers and consumers of vegetables oils, ii) main emerging markets, iii) analyze main policy drivers, iv) assess future trends
June 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Canadian Company Invests in Biodiesel from Jatropha and Forestry in China
Cathay Forest Products Corp. says it will pay C$2.9 million to acquire 40 per cent of Eco-Energy China Group, a private biodiesel producer based in China's southwestern province of Guizhou. Cathay Forest, which has its head office in Richmond Hill,
May 29, 2009 Read Full Article
About Advanced Biofuels for Growers and Investors
Advanced Biofuels are liquid transportation or power generation/heating fuels derived from: low nutrient input/high per acre yield crops; agricultural or forestry waste; or other sustainable biomass feedstocks including algae. Some thoughts about the current state of Advanced Biofuels. If you are a
April 06, 2009 Read Full Article
Ceres CEO Promotes Cellulosic Biofuel by Plant Breeding
by Richard Hamilton (Ceres) This presentation was part of “Growing Energy” at Biomass 2009 in March. The President and CEO of Ceres, Hamilton promoted breeding hardier plants, resulting in more efficient harvesting of their stems, stalks and leaves for cellulosic
March 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Genome Sequence Shows Sorghum’s Immense Potential
Southerners may best know sorghum as sweet, biscuit-topping syrup. But the small grain’s uses range from a dependable, drought-tolerant food crop to biofuel source, says a University of Georgia researcher who led a team that recently sequenced the plant’s genome.