Using Halophytes to Grow Fuel

Algae/Other Aquatic Organisms/Seaweed, Aviation Fuel (Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)), Federal Agency/Executive Branch, Feedstock, Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues, Florida, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, R & D Focus

August 8, 2012

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(NextBigFuture.com) Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants that are found throughout the world. Halophytes can be used to grow both fuel and food, and a NASA facility is attempting to use halophytes for large-scale fuel production. The aim is to create aviation-grade biofuels without using any arable land, freshwater, or standard food crops. Dr. Bilial Bomani, the head of NASA’s greenlab research facility, has dedicated his career to using halophytes to create food and fuel. In an interview with Sander Olson for Next Big Future, Dr. Bomani discusses how halophytes could be used to create vast amounts of biofuels, and food in an environmentally benign and sustainable manner.
…Question: Can halophytes be used in land remediation? Yes, and we have recently done just that. In 2007, hurricanes salinitized soybean fields, rendering them barren. So we introduced a native species of Salicornia halophyte into the fields, which should produce useable crops and desalinize the soil in the process. In companion work with Prof. Gallagher at University of Delaware, a soybean field fallowed by hurricane floodwaters was planted with sea-shore mallow that produced usable seed even in a dry season. Our halophyte and remediation technology could also be applied to pumped aquifer irrigated farm lands which are becoming more salinitized every year. READ MORE

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