Amid all sorts of defiance to biofuel production practices by the staunch enviro-thinkers worldwide, the researches are doing well to pacify their doubts regarding the land use and energy conversion ratio. Earlier, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers in a separate study discovered that ethanol derived from switch grass brings carbon emissions down by about 94 percent when compared to gasoline. Taking it a step further, a group of researchers headed by ecologist Christine Hawkes at the University of Texas is working to uncover switch grass species best suited for biofuel production.
After receiving a grant worth $4.6 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, UT hopes to utilize the funding in conducting genetic studies on the switch grass varieties. Christine is examining the perennial grass grown atop the Welch Hall. Later, some of it will be relocated to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for virtual rain exposure.
Panicum virgatum, commonly known as switchgrass, is a perennial warm season bunch grass native to North America, where it occurs naturally.Switchgrass has been researched as a renewable bio-energy crop since the mid-1980s, because it is a native perennial warm season grass with the ability to produce moderate to high yields on marginal farmlands. It is now being considered for use in several bio-energy conversion processes, including cellulosic ethanol production,bio-gas and direct combustion for thermal energy applications. The main agronomics advantages of switchgrass as a bioenergy crop are its stand longevity, drought and flooding tolerance, relatively low herbicide and fertilizer input requirements, ease of management, hardiness in poor soil and climate conditions, and widespread adaptability in temperate climates.
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palm oil
shea nuts
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