When it comes to biofuels, corn leads the all-important category of biomass yield. However, Michigan State University researchers show that looking at the big picture allows other biofuel crops to score higher as viable alternatives.
The 2014 Consolidated Appropriations agreement to be considered by Congress today leaves Farm Bill energy programs with no discretionary funding for the year, highlighting the need for Congress to prioritize consideration of the 5-year Farm Bill.
Genera Energy Inc. is showcasing some of the most cutting-edge, effective and innovative commercial harvesting techniques available in the biomass industry as it begins its latest harvest of biomass energy crops.
Rothamsted Research scientists, in collaboration with researchers from the Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, and funded by the BBSRC Crop Science Initiative, have discovered a gene that contributes to the coppicing response of willows.
With the harvest complete and actual numbers replacing estimates, the USDA increased the harvested acres for corn by 436,000 acres and lowered the yield to 158.8 bushels per acre, reducing the figure for total production to 13.9 billion bushels.
The USDA has released its January WASDE report, announcing that 2013 was a record crop year with a harvest of 13.93 billion bushels. The average yield was 159 bushels per acre. The forecast for corn use for ethanol was increased to 5 billion bushels.
Aphios Corp. has announced that it was granted U.S. Patent No. 8,540,847 entitled "Methods and Apparatus for Processing Cellulosic Biomass," for its Aosic enabling technology platform, which utilizes "SuperFluids," such as carbon dioxide.
Anyone working in, or on the edges of, cellulosic ethanol should take notice of the advanced biofuels panels taking place March 25-26 at the International Biomass Conference & Expo, in Orlando, Fla.
VIB has announced that the results of a field trial with genetically modified poplar trees in Zwijnaarde, Belgium, shows that the wood of lignin modified poplar trees can be converted into sugars in a more efficient way.
Dennis Pennington, bioenergy educator at Michigan State University Extension, recently reviewed a study on regional biomass feedstocks conducted by researchers at the Energy Biosciences Institute at the University of Illinois.
Illinois researchers reported results from a decade of field trials with miscanthus. The average annual yield of miscanthus grown in seven Illinois locations over a period of eight to 10 years was 10.5 tons per acre.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has updated its state energy profiles and added new analytical narratives on the energy sectors of each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.
Looking for new areas for future expansion of sugarcane production for ethanol in Brazil, new research begun on varieties with more drought and cold tolerance for Brazil's far south.
The Brazil ethanol industry saw record supplies for the 2013/2014 crush season just being wrapped up, and got a welcome boost from auto executives who said ethanol-powered cars are more viable for reducing pollution than electric vehicles.
Quality assurance programs in ethanol plant labs is the primary and most immediate feedback tool for monitoring plant efficiencies and internal practices, but only when procedural accuracy and precision are in place and working right.
Sweetwater Energy Inc. and Pacific Ethanol Inc. announced an agreement to supply sugars for the production of cellulosic ethanol. The agreement supports the construction of a cellulosic biorefinery at Pacific Ethanol's Stockton, Calif., plant.
Seven projects focused on biomass genomics research will receive a total of $8 million from the U.S. DOE and USDA to study energy crops including switchgrass, energy cane, sorghum and pine and populus trees.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 8,597,914 to Proterro Inc., protecting its unique, biosynthetic sugar-making process. The company's technology features microorganisms that produce sugar in modular photobioreactors.
Several European biofuel groups are speaking out following the European Council's failure to reach a political agreement on how to account for indirect land use change (ILUC) in biofuel policy on Dec. 12.
The month of November exhibited a lackluster market with a highly anticipated report due to the missed October USDA report. It offered a slightly bullish tone because some data reported was friendly relative to what the trade was expecting.
Novozymes and Monsanto Co. have announced a long-term strategic alliance to transform research and commercialization of sustainable microbial products that will provide a new platform of solutions for growers around the world.
It is widely speculated that the EPA's proposed 2014 renewable volume obligations has rattled investor confidence in advanced biofuels, dampened retailer interest in E15 and E85, and placed added downward pressure on already low corn prices.
A new government report highlights the economic importance of passing a comprehensive Farm Bill. It discusses many benefits of a strong Farm Bill, including those related to the bioeconomy and clean energy.
According to a recent study at the University of Illinois, harvesting invasive plants for use as biofuels may sound like a great idea, but the reality poses numerous obstacles and is too expensive to consider.
Profits in the ethanol supply chain have shifted in recent months and now accrue to the ethanol producer instead of the corn farmer. Retired Iowa State University extension agricultural economist Don Hofstrand took a closer look at the numbers.
Arcadia Biosciences Inc. and DuPont Pioneer have announced their intention to collaborate to develop enabling technology to help manage pollen flow in sorghum, which will help facilitate the development and deployment of agronomic and quality traits.
The USDA's Commodity Credit Corp. has announced the results of an offer made on Nov. 14 to sell sugar to bioenergy producers under the Feedstock Flexibility Program. The CCC also published a new invitation to purchase sugar under the program.
Corn prices are weakening and reports of a 14 billion bushel corn crop are circulating. This is increasing interest in distillers grains domestically and in the export markets.
As Thanksgiving approaches, it's important to keep in mind that the American farmer produces the food that we eat daily and during holiday feasts. Unfortunately, farmers are too frequently criticized, unfairly and inaccurately.
In 2009, The U.S. Department of Energy awarded nearly $5 million to Genera Energy Inc. and the University of Tennessee to research and develop economical systems for bulk-handling and processing of chopped switchgrass. That project is now complete.
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