by Frieda Frisaro (Associated Press) An ancient tree from India is now thriving in groves where citrus trees once flourished in Florida, and could help provide the nation with renewable energy. As large parts of the Sunshine State’s once-famous citrus industry have
drought tolerant
Back TO HOMEFood, Biofuel and Mushroom Industries Rely on Sorghum
by Jeff Gelski (Food Business News) Sorghum works as a food ingredient, in animal feed and in biofuel production. Lesser known is the ancient grain’s ability to play a role in growing mushrooms. ... Sorghum grows well in western Kansas, even though annual
July 05, 2024 Read Full Article
University of Nevada, Reno Research Focuses on Use of Cactus Pear in Biofuel Production
by John Seelmeyer (Nevada Today) University of Nevada, Reno research focuses on use of cactus pear in biofuel production; Spurred by climate change demands, three-year field trial identifies high-production varieties; Cactus pear, known scientifically as Opuntia cochenillifera, appears to have significant potential
June 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Sweet Sorghum Is a Hardy, Nutritious, Biofuel Crop that Offers Solutions in Drought-Hit Southern Africa
by Hamond Motsi (The Conversation) ... One measure the sector can take is to cultivate biofuel crops. These are crops rich in starch, sugar or oils that can be converted into bioethanol directly or through a fermentation process. Bioethanol, a type
May 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Researchers Seek to Expand Supplies of Clean Aviation Fuels by Producing More from Agricultural Sources
by Tereza Pultarova (Horizon/Tech Xplore) Professor David Chiaramonti is looking down at the ground to help resolve a problem up in the sky: airplanes' emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants. An expert in energy systems and power generation at the Polytechnic University of Turin
March 04, 2024 Read Full Article
Research Focuses on Production of Jet Fuel from Halophytes
(United Arab Emirates University/University World News) Among renewable energy sources, the use of bioenergy is projected to enjoy the highest growth rate. Socio-economic concerns have prompted the wide utilisation of agricultural wastes and non-food biomass (second generation of biomass) and algae
November 06, 2023 Read Full Article
Camelina’s Hour Syngenta, Sustainable Oils Hook-up
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Illinois comes news that Syngenta Seeds and Sustainable Oils have inked a deal to sell Camelina seed – an ultra-low carbon oilseed crop that can be used as feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel and renewable
August 29, 2023 Read Full Article
Evogene Receives Grant to Develop Oilseed Crops with High CO2 Assimilation
by Alex Martin (Seed World) Evogene’s Ag-Seed Division received the EU Horizon grant of €1.2 million euros to support the creation of oilseed crops with high carbon dioxide assimilation and enhanced drought tolerance, according to a release. Evogene will be part of
May 17, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Hexas Biomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hexas is a biomaterials company focused on the production of regenerative, plant-based raw materials that replace wood and fossil fuel-based materials in multiple applications. Applications for these plant-based materials include: energy, chemicals, packaging, textiles, composites, structural/non-structural
December 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Pretreating Soil with Ethanol Protects Plants from Drought
(RIKEN/Phys.Org) Ethanol can help plants survive in times of drought says a new study conducted at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science in Japan. Led by Motoaki Seki, researchers show that adding ethanol to soil allows plants, including rice
August 26, 2022 Read Full Article
‘Diesel Nut’ Development Brings Texas A&M AgriLife, Chevron Together
(AgriLife Today) Collaboration will utilize peanuts to potentially develop feedstock for lower-carbon fuel production -- Peanut oil powered the world’s first diesel engine when it was premiered by Rudolf Diesel at the World Exposition in Paris in 1900. Now, a
July 20, 2022 Read Full Article
Scientists Are Creating Homegrown Biofuels in the Peoria Ag Lab
by Jonathan Wright (WCBU) ... Butanol production is among the world’s oldest commercial fermentation processes, discovered by Louis Pasteur in 1861. Between the first and second World Wars, there were two bio-butanol plants in the United States—and the largest was right here
March 18, 2022 Read Full Article
Canola Research in West Texas: Four-Year Project Will Test Canola Cultivars and Irrigation Strategies
(AgriLife Today) West Texas farmers dealing with high-salinity water and limited irrigation need an alternative crop, such as canola, that’s adaptable to harsh conditions. Texas A&M AgriLife research will soon evaluate the potential for canola as an alternative crop amid the region’s
November 01, 2021 Read Full Article
Weather-Resistant Crops: the Bioenergy Fuel of the Future
(Bio Market Insights) ... Finding a way to increase crop yields without encroaching on either food crops or natural habitats is a novel challenge, but it is one that may soon have a solution. Researchers from Queensland University of Technology’s Centre
July 07, 2021 Read Full Article
Single Gene Boosts Climate Resilience, Yield and Carbon Capture in Crops
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered a single gene that simultaneously boosts plant growth and tolerance for stresses such as drought and salt, all while tackling the root cause of climate change by enabling plants
June 11, 2021 Read Full Article
‘Keep off the Grass’: The Biofuel that Could Help Us Achieve Net Zero
(Earlham Institute) Some grasses are a sustainable energy source that could be a driving force towards achieving net zero carbon emissions, according to new research that demonstrates their resilience to harsh growing environments. -- The Miscanthus genus of grasses, commonly used
April 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Researchers Eye Cactus as a Drought-Tolerant Crop for Biofuel and More
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
March 10, 2021 Read Full Article
Stop Arguing over GMO Crops
by Sarah Garland (Scientific American) The vast majority of the scientific community agrees on both their safety and their potential to help feed the world sustainably -- ... In order for global agriculture to rapidly become more sustainable and climate resilient,
December 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Safflower Oil Hailed by Scientists as Possible Recyclable, Biodegradable Replacement for Petroleum
by Tim Lee (ABC News) ...Victorian grain grower David Jochinke, who participated in the trials, said the prospect of pioneering a biofuel was exciting. "To have a product that needs very little refining, is biodegradable, is a bio-energy, is a bio-fuel,
June 11, 2020 Read Full Article
'Tequila' Powered Biofuels More Efficient than Corn or Sugar: Ethanol from Agave Could Be Used for Biofuels and Hand Sanitiser
by Marcus Storm (University of Sydney) The plant better known for making tequila requires no irrigation and produces comparable or better yields of ethanol than sugar or corn. Economic analysis shows a first-generation crop will need government support to kickstart
April 02, 2020 Read Full Article
DOE Taps Danforth Plant Science Center for Research to Improve Sorghum as a Bioenergy Crop
(Green Car Congress) The US Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), has launched a major initiative to develop bioenergy crops through genomics-based research. Danforth Center Principal Investigator, Andrea Eveland, Ph.D., will lead a multi-institutional project
September 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuel Offers a Solution to the World’s Renewable Energy Crisis
by Barclay Ballard (The New Economy) Solar cells and wind farms are commonly referenced in the fight against climate change, but there is another, often overlooked, form of energy production that is already playing a sizable role. Bioenergy, which includes both biomass
May 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Bolivia Allows Planting of GM Soy to Make Biodiesel
(Los Angeles Times) Soy producers in eastern Bolivia's Santa Cruz region welcome the government's decision to allow cultivation of genetically modified soy, albeit only for the purpose of producing biodiesel. President Evo Morales ' administration, which has been skeptical about GM
March 22, 2019 Read Full Article
African Centre for Crop Improvement Sweet Sorghum Varieties Poised to Boost Biofuel Industry
(African Centre for Crop Improvement) A breakthrough by the African Centre for Crop Improvement in the breeding of sorghum could have far-reaching implications for the biofuel and bioplastic industries in South Africa. For the last decade, ACCI director Professor Mark Laing has
January 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Blue Agave Crop Grown in Far North Queensland to Be Burnt at Sugar Mill for Power Generation
by Courtney Wilson (ABC News) Blue agave — which is the base ingredient for tequila — is currently grown on a commercial scale in Mexico, but Queensland's MSF Sugar is aiming to become a world industry leader, with plans to plant
October 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Redesigning Poplar Trees to Take the Drought ... and the Salt and the Heat
by Laura Shields (Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Improving poplar biomass production under stress conditions -- ... Stresses, such as high temperatures and a lack of freshwater, can cause reduced crop growth or even complete loss. The rising frequency of these
October 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Global Sorghum Seed Market Is Driven by Growing Demand Biofuel across the Globe
(Futures Trading Charts) The global sorghum seed market revenue is expected to expand at a lucrative CAGR over the forecast period. Sorghum is a cereal grain used as human feed and livestock feed and the rest is turned into ethanol. Sorghum
May 18, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR)
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR) is a multi-level research project that will cultivate two desert-dwelling crops, guayule and guar, for a sustainable bioeconomy. Combined, guayule (perennial) and guar (annual) feedstocks can provide biomass year round
March 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Study Says CRP Mixes Don't Live up to Biofuel Potential
by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News) Mixed prairie grasses that are used in Conservation Reserve Program lands did not live up to their potential as biomass crops for cellulosic biofuel production, in an eight-year study. D.K. Lee, associate crop science professor at
February 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Husker Researchers Explore Economic Potential for Sweet Sorghum Ethanol in Western Nebraska
by Richard Perrin (University of Nebraska IANR News) A team at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is exploring sweet sorghum ethanol as a future income source for dryland agriculture in western Nebraska. Sweet sorghum is a cultivar of sorghum primarily developed for the
January 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Dry Idea: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Bioeconomy in Arid Regions
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR) is a multi-level research project that will cultivate two desert-dwelling crops, guayule and guar, for a sustainable bioeconomy. Scale up to profitable production, however, requires feedstock improvements, expansion of cultivation,
January 22, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the SPARC Regional Biojet Fuel Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sometimes, what an engine needs to roar to life is a spark. Or a SPARC, as in this case. As in the Southeastern Partnership for Advanced Renewables from Carinata (SPARC), a consortium consisting of the University of Florida (lead),
January 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Safran Pursues Its Commitment on the Biofuel Trail
(Safran Group) Safran, which is already involved in the development of biofuels for aeronautics, is supporting an initiative led by the Masdar Institute’s Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC) in the Abu Dhabi desert to produce a salicornia-based biofuel. This sector is
November 28, 2017 Read Full Article
ORNL Researchers Work to Develop Drought-Resistant Crops
by Bevin Fletcher (Bioscience Technology) Some semi-arid plants use a specific type of photosynthesis known as crassulacean acid metabolism, or CAM, to conserve water and flourish in semi-arid climates. Now scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory
January 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Regional Feedstock Partnership Report Highlights Work to Enable the Billion-Ton Vision
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Regional Feedstock Partnership (the Partnership)—a multi-institutional collaboration of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, representatives from land-grant universities, and industry—was first established to address issues associated with the development of
December 27, 2016 Read Full Article
6 Hottie Trends to Watch In Bioeconomy Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Proof positive on the “best is yet to come” — check out the Danforth Plant Science Center. It’s tucked away in the major agri-complex that built up around Monsanto and others in the St. Louis
December 07, 2016 Read Full Article
The Library of Bioenergy Feedstocks: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Idaho National Lab’s Feedstock Repository and Tools
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Bioenergy Feedstock Library is a physical sample repository and database for physical, chemical and conversion performance characteristics of biomass feedstock. The library provides tools to store, record, track, retrieve, and analyze data to help researchers and industry overcome challenges
June 20, 2016 Read Full Article
TechStory: ZeaKal’s Series B Points the New Way of Accelerating Biotech Companies to Infinty and Beyond
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... It’s Toy Story all over again. You remember Woody’s struggle to avoid being tossed onto the shelf when Buzz Lightyear arrives. So it is with biotechnology. It takes years, and zillions of dollars, to
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
4th Global Moringa Meet India Updates Moringa Biodiesel Project ROI
(Eco-Business/Centre for Jatropha Promotion & Biodiesel (CJP)) ... A time when many industries are shrinking or closing down altogether, Moringa plantation and value addition management continues to expand and grow. For one, Moringa has proven itself as a s source
January 29, 2016 Read Full Article
A Familiar Friend in Unfamiliar Times: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Sorghum
by Bill Rooney (Biofuels Digest/Texas A&M) Sorghum has been identified by the US Department of Energy as an energy crop of interest. Owing to its high biomass yield, drought tolerance, established production systems, carbon life cycle, genetic resources and potential for further improvement and available hybrids. Texas A&M”s
December 28, 2015 Read Full Article
University of Illinois Awarded Grant to Support Sorghum Research
(University of Illinois/Biomass Magazine) The University of Illinois has been awarded a 3-year, $5 million grant from the DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy as part of its OPEN 2015 funding initiative (ARPA-E OPEN). Under Principal Investigator Andrew Leakey, Associate Professor of
December 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Roadside Gumweed in Nevada Could Be Used as Jet Fuel for the Military
by Whip Villarreal (University of Nevada, Reno) College of Ag, Biotech and Natural Resources leads research project at University of Nevada, Reno -- Glenn Miller is leading the effort in a project at the University of Nevada, Reno to convert roadside
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
New Dual-Purpose Bioenergy, Forage Crop Set for Release by AgriLife Research Next Year
by Kay Ledbetter (AgriLife Today) Dr. Russ Jessup, an AgriLife Research perennial grass breeder in College Station, said he is introducing a new biofuel-biomass feedstock that is a hybrid “similar to seedless watermelons, seedless grapes and other sterile triploid crops.” Jessup
November 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Researchers Receive NSF Grant to Study Drought Stress in Plants
(HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology) Jeremy Schmutz, faculty investigator at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to study how switchgrass plants adapt to drought stress. Schmutz, who co-directs the Genome Sequencing Center at
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Sorghum Is Making a Big Splash
by Nicholas Bergin (Lincoln Journal Star) Sorghum, a grass with a colorful seed about the size of a BB, was selling at more than a dollar a bushel above corn thanks to China’s voracious appetite for grain free of genetically
October 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Airplanes Could Soon Be Flying on Seeds
by Anmar Frangoul (CNBC.com) In 2012 – almost 100 years since the Wright brothers made history – another historic flight took place when the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) flew what it described as, "The first civil jet powered by
September 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Abu Dhabi Bio Jet Fuel Project Nears Test Stage
by Alexander Cornwell (Gulf News Aviation ) Boeing, together with Etihad Airways, Takreer, Masdar and Total, has been working since January 2014 to develop biofuel in emirate -- An initiative to produce environmentally friendly aviation jet fuel in Abu Dhabi is progressing.
September 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Test Plots of Poplar Trees May Hold Key to Bio-Fuels Development
by Eric Mortenson (Capital Press) The recent drop in oil prices put the brakes on biofuel production, but industry insiders believe in the long-term promise of the technology. -- It’s like leasing ground to the future. On about 90 acres that in
September 21, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Scientist Helps Texas Sorghum Growers Reduce Water Use
(USDA Agricultural Research Service/Ethanol Producer Magazine) USDA scientist is providing much needed guidance to sorghum farmers in the Texas High Plains who are trying to save water by using less-than-optimal amounts of it. Farmers in the area are turning to sorghum because
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Cactus as Biofuel Could Help with Food-Versus-Fuel Fight
by Jack Busby (ChemistryWorld/Scientific American) Plants on arid land, rather than food crops like corn, could be turned into gasoline, new research shows New analysis from UK researchers suggests a previously overlooked group of plants could be key to providing sustainable bioenergy
July 01, 2015 Read Full Article
Fueling the Sorghum Ethanol Coproducts Engine
by Kelli Fulkerson (Ethanol Producer Magazine/National Sorghum Producers) Producers work to expand markets for sorghum distillers and oil. While exports are undeniably the hottest market for grain sorghum right now with China set to buy over 70 percent of the 2014-’15
June 29, 2015 Read Full Article
5 Reasons to Plant Grain Sorghum This Year
by Kayla Wilkins (High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal) Strong demand from both domestic and international markets is sending strong signals to growers, indicating it is prime time to increase grain sorghum acres. This strong demand established by a number of market
May 11, 2015 Read Full Article
NexSteppe Takes Biomass Sorghum to Commercial-Scale in Brazil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Next-gen feedstock developer records 1000% year-on-year growth for its Palo Alto Biomass Sorghum hybrids in Brazil. Sustainable, available, reliable and affordable? Yes, as the Digest discovers. In California, NexSteppe announced that it sold more than
April 21, 2015 Read Full Article
2015 Sun Grant Conference: Academia Jumps One Step Forward and Shows What Will Be the Future of Lignocellulosic Biomass Production and Utilization in the Southeastern USA
Author, Dan Quadros, in Auburn, Alabama.by Danilo Gusmão de Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA) After two days (February 2-3, 2015) in “Sweet Home Alabama” at Auburn University, we got overwhelmed with the most recent discoveries of cutting-edge research that were presented
February 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Tough Characters: Looking for Biofuel Plants that Can Survive Drought and Other Harsh Conditions
by Chris Woolston (Bioenergy Connection) With its crown of pink blossoms, the humble seashore mallow may look unassuming, even delicate. But when it comes to brutal environments, this seaside shrub is no pushover. Seashore Mallow can survive one drought after
February 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Research Projects to Improve Plant Feedstocks for Bioenergy Production: Departments of Agriculture and Energy Announce Projects in 10 States
(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today (July 17, 2014) announced the selection of 10 projects that are being awarded funding aimed at accelerating genetic breeding programs to improve
July 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Ceres Initiates Field Evaluations of its Biotech Traits in Sugarcane
(Ceres) Ceres, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERE), an agricultural biotechnology and seed company, will evaluate a number of its biotech traits in sugarcane in South America. Plantings were recently completed and preliminary performance observations will be available by the end of the
July 01, 2014 Read Full Article
California Soil Toxins Worsened by Drought
by Dennis Pollock (Western Farm Press) Salinity and scarcity of water were very much in the spotlight at the 2014 California Plant and Soil Conference in Fresno. Multiple speakers showed pictures of what they labeled “California snow,” salt that had precipitated out
March 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Tough Characters: Looking for Biofuel Plants that Can Survive Drought & Other Harsh Conditions
by Chris Woolston (Bioenergy Connection) ... If you drove around certain parts of the Midwest this summer, you might have seen patches of energy grass or tall, green sorghum flourishing amid the ruined corn and soybeans. At the same time, biofuel
April 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Renewed Interest in Grain Sorghum in Nebraska
by Ken Anderson (Browfield Ag News) A combination of dry weather and increased demand from the ethanol sector could have grain sorghum poised for a comeback in Nebraska. Grain sorghum plantings in the state plummeted from 550-thousand acres in 2000 to just
March 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Chromatin Signs Pact with POET to Use South Dakota-Grown Sorghum in Ethanol Production
(Chromatin) Chromatin, Inc., a leading provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, said today it has entered into an agreement with POET, LLC, one of the world’s largest ethanol producers, to use sorghum grown in South
March 14, 2013 Read Full Article
'Scarecrow' Gene: Key to Efficient Crops, Could Lead to Staple Crops With Much Higher Yields
(Science Daily) With projections of 9.5 billion people by 2050, humankind faces the challenge of feeding modern diets to additional mouths while using the same amounts of water, fertilizer and arable land as today. Cornell researchers have taken a leap toward
March 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Chromatin and Calgren Renewable Fuels Sign Multi-Year Alliance for Locally-Grown Sorghum for Ethanol Production
(Chromatin/MarketWatch) Chromatin, Inc., a leading provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, and Calgren Renewable Fuels, a leading ethanol producer located in Pixley, CA, announced today an alliance to develop a local supply chain for sorghum
February 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Chromatin Signs Sorghum Supply Deal with Aemetis
(Chromatin/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Chromatin Inc., a leading provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, and Aemetis Inc., an advanced fuels and renewable chemicals company, have announced that they have entered into a multi-year agreement to source
February 25, 2013 Read Full Article
The Biggest Biofuels Myths, DeMythtefied
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) When headlines run dire, ask yourself: are they real? In today’s Digest, we give you a guide to managing the myth minefield — and the roaring trade in disinformation about biofuels, feedstocks, and social