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Growing Better Biofuel

10/12/2009 17:00:00 Pangea

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Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service in Mandan are trying to find new and better ways to use crops to power our vehicles

Many people are also concerned about energy efficiency in fuel.

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service in Mandan are trying to find new and better ways to use crops to power our vehicles.

They`re studying switchgrass and say it has a promising future.

When we talk about ethanol now, it`s usually ethanol made from corn.

But scientists say almost anything with plant material has the potential to be a biofuel.

Demand is growing for cleaner, more efficient fuel.

And these growing grasses just might be able to meet it.

"Switchgrass grows very well in the lower midwest, south states, because it`s a warm season grass, but it`s a challenge in North Dakota`s conditions," says Quing Wu Xue, an NDSU research agronomist.

He`s one of the agronomists working on finding ways to make switchgrass grow in the state`s shorter summer season.

"We are trying to find the optimum amount of fertilizers to produce the most amount of biomass but at the same time make it economically viable," says NDSU research agronomist Marty Schmer.

The plant itself is a perennial, so it doesn`t have to be planted every year. That means any farmer who would raise it wouldn`t have to work as much. But right now, there`s not much reason for farmers to grow it.

While the research being done here might not turn into a final product for another five to 10 years, it`s still a promising area with a lot of potential.

"I believe there will be the market for these perennial crops for biomass in the future," says Xue.

Researchers are still trying to figure out how to incorporate a perennial crop like switchgrass with a traditional farming rotation that includes annual crops. But they say it can be done, and done well.

"It produces a lot of carbon in the soil and we think by producing more carbon in the soil, we make the soil a little bit better," says Schmer. "When we transition from switchgrass back into an annual system, we think the yields will improve as well."

He`s optimistic about improving soil health, and fuel efficiency, and hopes the future of this plant will have a lot of people seeing green.

There are several different research experiments with switchgrass going on in different areas across the state.

That helps scientists study how the grass performs in different environments.