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RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT AGRONOMY AND CROP IMPROVEMENT ▪ Alfalfa

RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT AGRONOMY AND CROP IMPROVEMENT ▪ Alfalfa ▪ Other Perennials: Legumes and Nonlegumes ▪ Soybean. Feasibility Study Indicated that an Alfalfa Biomass Energy System Approached Profitability. CO. 2. Leaves. N. 2. Stems. FACULTY PARTICIPANTS H. Jung

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RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT AGRONOMY AND CROP IMPROVEMENT ▪ Alfalfa

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  1. RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT AGRONOMY AND CROP IMPROVEMENT ▪ Alfalfa ▪ Other Perennials: Legumes and Nonlegumes ▪ Soybean

  2. Feasibility Study Indicated that an Alfalfa Biomass Energy System Approached Profitability CO 2 Leaves N 2 Stems

  3. FACULTY PARTICIPANTS H. Jung M. Russelle D. Samac J. Gronwald J. Lamb C. Vance D. Wyse N. Ehlke C. Sheaffer D. Somers J. Orf ADJUNCT USDA/ARS UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

  4. AGRICULTURAL AND SOCIETAL BENEFITS Crop Residues (Conservatively) Could Replace: ▪ 12.5% of U.S. Petroleum Imports ▪ 5.0% of U.S. Electric Consumption (Gallager et al. 2003) Strengthen Vitality of Rural Communities: ▪ Regional Generation of Electricity ▪ Ethanol and Biodiesel Facilities ▪ Local Market for Product

  5. WHY FOCUS ON LEGUMES? ▪ High Value Products and Co-Products ▪ Environment Friendly -- Symbiotic N2 Fixation -- Reduced Input Needs -- Protect Soil, Water, and Air -- Enhance Ecosystem Services ▪ Diversity of Management Schemes ▪ Amenable for Conservation Security Program of New Farm Bill ▪ Genetic Manipulation -- Traditional -- Biotechnology

  6. SOYBEANS ▪ Biodiesel is Here ▪ Protein Yields Low in Minnesota Relative to Other States ▪ Improve Protein While Minimizing Loss of Oil

  7. RESEARCH PRIORITIES ▪ Germplasm Improvement ▪ Profitable Management ▪ Alternative Products: New Uses ▪ Overcoming Biochemical Limitations ▪ Benefits to Environment

  8. QUESTIONS ▪ Processing ▪ Transport ▪ Profitability ▪ Market Saturation for Alternative Products ▪ Political

  9. Development of Adapted Biofuels-Type Alfalfa • Data collection for gain from selection study on alfalfa stem traits is complete. Analysis in progress. • Segregation study will be planted in 2003 with 2nd generation backcross progeny for disease resistance.

  10. Alfalfa Grows Where Water Needs Protection Groundwater risk Surface water risk

  11. Minnesota Agri-Power:A Project to Produce Electricity and Livestock Feed (and Improve the Environment) with Alfalfa • Separate alfalfa hay into leaf and stem fractions. • Produce electricity from the low-value stems. • Utilize the leaves as a feed supplement for livestock.

  12. Biomass Conversion to Ethanol Electricity & Processing Heat Enzymatic Breakdown of Polysaccharides Residual Solids Sugars Grind Fermentation Pretreatment to Remove Inhibitors Ethanol Recovery Sugars

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