Texas agriculture to play large role in energy independence

By Jennifer M. Latzke

For many years American agricultural producers have boasted that they provide the food, fiber and feed for a nation. But, recent technological innovations may add another option to that list--fuel.

The summer field tour at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service research facilities, Bushland, Texas, focused on the opportunities Texas farmers have in growing alternative energy sources.

The main speaker of the day, Dr. Mark Hussey, director of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, explained the growing renewable energy needs of the country and how Texas farmers can become involved in meeting them. With a presidential challenge to replace 30 percent of the current oil use in the United States by the year 2030, both grain- and cellulose-based biofuels production will become very important to Texas Panhandle producers.

But the entire corn crop produced in the nation is not enough to meet the President's goal, he said. It is going to require the conversion of biomass from grasslands, shrublands and dedicated energy crops, such as sweet and high biomass sorghums.

Meeting the 30 percent goal will take 1 billion tons of biomass per year, Hussey said. That is 140,000 tractor-trailer loads full of biomass delivered to a refinery 365 days a year.

"It's a tremendous challenge," he said. "Some folks liken it to the Manhattan Project." Issues such as logistics still have to be researched and worked out, Hussey said. "How do you move those feedstocks to the refinery, and how do we store, pre-treat and convert it to liquid fuels efficiently?" It might take up to six years before commercial conversion of cellulose to ethanol is feasible, but pilot plants are on the board, which will work out the obstacles in the system.

Besides the basic fuel use of ethanol, it will also play an essential part as an oxygenate for petroleum fuels.

The field day showcased ongoing research at the center regarding new feedstocks such as different sorghum varieties and a new perennial wheat variety. Brent Bean, Texas Ag Experiment Station-Texas Cooperative Extension agronomist spoke to the tour about new sorghum varieties in the development pipeline that will provide large quantities of biomass for cellulosic ethanol conversion, but are also drought tolerant and well-suited to the Panhandle region. Other sorghums include a sweet sorghum variety with juice that is 20 percent sugar, versus 13 percent found in today's varieties. This higher sugar content can be used for ethanol production, while the residue from the sweet sorghum can be processed into cellulosic ethanol or used for livestock silage.

Charlie Rush, TAES plant pathologist, spoke about a new perennial wheat variety in development that can be harvested as it grows back. It can be planted at the same time as conventional wheat varieties. The difference in this variety, though, is in its regrowth cycle. This perennial wheat can be planted, grazed in the spring, allowed to regrow, harvested for grain, and the straw can be cut at ground level for cellulosic applications. Remarkably, the wheat grows back after summer harvest for another cycle. Preliminary data shows that this perennial wheat has a 40 percent greater forage potential than today's annual wheats. It's thought, said Rush, that the new perennial wheat can be used in a rotation similar to alfalfa where it is grown for three to five years and then rotated with another crop.

Another popular research project discussed at length on the tour was the use of new ethanol byproducts such as distillers grains in the livestock feedlot industry. Jim MacDonald, TAES beef nutritionist explained corn and other grains will be used more for ethanol production in the future.

With an estimated 15 billion gallons of ethanol produced each year, that would use 35.5 percent of all corn stocks, allowing just 33.5 percent of corn stocks available for livestock rations. This means by 2017, only 5 billion bushels of corn may be available to livestock feeders. However, with the increasing number of ethanol plants in development on the High Plains, there is a potential to include 15 to 20 percent of distillers grains in a livestock diet in corn's place.

For example, two Hereford, Texas, ethanol plants produce 200 million gallons of ethanol each year, and 665,000 tons of distillers grains. That much distillers grains would be enough to include 6 to 7 percent distillers grains in the diets of the 5.75 million head of cattle fed in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma each year.

With this added feedstock, research is needed to find an economically efficient way of storing and feeding large quantities of distillers grains. Research at the station is looking into the feed conversion of distillers grains, as well as economical ways to store the product using current methods.

Other research projects that were shown at the field day included using Texas' vast Mesquite resources for cellulosic ethanol production; growing grass variety mixes for cellulosic ethanol; wind energy benefits; remote water pumping systems; and uses of manure ash.

Hussey told attendees that meeting future energy needs will depend on regional-based solutions, and that a combination of crops and feedstocks will be the best answer to meeting those needs.

"We talk about agriculture being from field to fork," Hussey said. "In the future, I think we'll be talking about field to fuel tank."

Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached by phone at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com.

8/27/07

	Web hpj.com

Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2008.  High Plains Publishers, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com