Advanced BioFuels USA

by Shane McGlaun (Slash Gear) … Researchers from the University of Nevada have been researching drought-tolerant crops that could be used for biofuel, sustainable foods, and forage crops. The team specifically looked at cactus called Opuntia ficus-indica because the plant has high heat tolerance and requires little water.

Of all the crops the University investigated, Opuntia ficus-indica produces the most fruit while using up to 80 percent less water than some traditional crops. The fact that it uses significantly less water than other crops could mean that it could be grown for fuel and food in areas that hadn’t been able to grow many sustainable crops in the past. The researchers see a future where areas will be getting dryer due to climate change, and traditional crops like rice, corn, soybeans, and alfalfa may not be able to grow due to lack of water and heat.

Research on the spineless cactus pear was funded in part by the US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. It was the first long-term field trial of the cactus species in the US running for five years. The crop was specifically investigated as a scalable bioenergy feedstock to replace fossil fuel. Currently, corn and sugarcane are major bioenergy crops, but they use 3 to 6 times more water than a cactus pear.   READ MORE

Study shows cactus pear as drought-tolerant crop for sustainable fuel and food (Nevada Today)

Five‐year field trial of the biomass productivity and water input response of cactus pear (Opuntia spp.) as a bioenergy feedstock for arid lands (GCB Bioenergy)

Excerpt from Nevada Today: Cactus pear works well as a bioenergy crop because it is a versatile perennial crop. When it’s not being harvested for biofuel, then it works as a land-based carbon sink, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in a sustainable manner.

“Approximately 42% of land area around the world is classified as semi-arid or arid,” Cushman said. “There is enormous potential for planting cactus trees for carbon sequestration. We can start growing cactus pear crops in abandoned areas that are marginal and may not be suitable for other crops, thereby expanding the area being used for bioenergy production.”

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Cactus pear is already used in many semi-arid areas around the world for food and forage due to its low-water needs compared with more traditional crops. The fruit can be used for jams and jellies due to its high sugar content, and the pads are eaten both fresh and as a canned vegetable. Because the plant’s pads are made of 90% water, the crop works great for livestock feed as well.

“That’s the benefit of this perennial crop,” Cushman explained. “You’ve harvested the fruit and the pads for food, then you have this large amount of biomass sitting on the land that is sequestering carbon and can be used for biofuel production.”

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More information on Cushman’s ongoing cactus research can be found on the cactus pear project’s website.    READ MORE