Winter 1994
U.S. Department of Energy
Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program at
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Energy Crops Forum was published periodically by the Bioenergy
Feedstock Development Program, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC., for the U.S. Department of
Energy under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725.
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Table of Contents
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The Biofuels Feedstock Development Program (BFDP) holds an annual workshop for
its researchers that brings them together with researchers from other programs,
industry representatives, environmental and other groups interested in the
production and use of energy crops. In 1993, representatives from a very
important group, farmers, were featured guests.
In a departure from our regular format, this issue of Energy Crops Forum summarizes
discussions at the workshop and closes with recent happenings in BFDP.
The 1993 workshop was held at Auburn University and was hosted by David Bransby.
Plans are under way for the 1994 workshop to be hosted by Ed White at the State
University of New York in Syracuse, New York. For additional information about
the workshop, contact Wilma McNabb (615-574-8029) or by mail at the BFDP
address listed at the end of this newsletter.
The workshop opened with presentations by John Ferrell, U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE), Biofuels System Division, and Janet Cushman, program
manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), that outlined DOE's goals and
plans for the program. BFDP-funded researchers then shared their results and
strategies for future work. A recently released report, Biofuels Feedstock
Development Program Annual Progress Report for 1992 (ORNL-6781),
reviews much of the same information. It is available at no charge from BFDP.
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Daniel Hines, representing the American Corn Growers
Association, discussed what it might take to induce farmer/producer acceptance
of dedicated energy crops. The American Corn Growers Association has more than
10,000 members in 26 states. Hines outlined the Association's programs to meet
issues facing American production agriculture. One of the programs addresses
the increased use of ethanol in cities that do not meet Clean Air standards.
Another program--the Bottom Line Contest--emphasizes increasing farm
profitability and productivity while minimizing adverse environmental impacts.
Hines said that farmers are currently faced with commodity surpluses, depressed
prices and profits, and increasing public pressure to reduce chemical use and
land degradation. Consequently, many farmers are interested in low-input energy
crops alternatives to traditional crops. The conservative and independent
nature of farmers can be both a hindrance to and an opportunity for the
acceptance of energy crops. Some farmers identify themselves primarily as
producers of a particular commodity and attempts to provide alternatives may be
viewed as a threat. For others, corn has a natural supremacy among energy
crops. Some equate sustainability with organic farming.
However, Hines felt that many farmers are coming to realize that policies
promoting yield as the key to profitability have failed. With concern over use
of agricultural chemicals, a new standard of successful farming is needed.
Farmers are also beginning to recognize that agriculture can play a major role
in the development of a diversified and balanced national energy strategy.
Representation of agricultural production interests in planning and development
decisions is crucial to the commercial success of energy crops. As a result of
their declining numbers and a lack of coalition among researchers,
environmentalists, and policymakers, farmers are often isolated from the
decision-making processes that affect them. Early and extensive involvement of
farmers in energy crop commercialization efforts is essential to their
acceptance of these crops.
Joseph Molnar of Auburn University's Department of Agricultural Economics
and Rural Sociology discussed issues that must be considered when establishing
a network of farmers to supply energy crops to a biomass facility. Although he
talked specifically about switchgrass as an energy crop, his concerns are valid
for all energy crops. He, too, stressed the importance of early and sustained
involvement of farmers in the planning process. In addition, he suggested that
attention be paid to the unique configuration of costs, resources, and
capabilities of individual farms. The effects of energy crop production on the
total pattern of farm activities may be as important as the economics of energy
crop production alone.
Molnar stressed that participation and education are the keys to achieving early
and sustained producer involvement. Information regarding biomass production
facilities, expected input needs, and harvest schedules must be shared directly
with potential producers. Even more important, answers to basic production
questions about planting material suppliers, agronomic practices, and equipment
needs must be readily available. Individualized analyses of how energy crop
production can be adjusted to use existing farm equipment and facilities will
aid the acceptance of these new crops.
Land used for energy crops is lost to some other use. Large scale production
will require many farmers to redirect pasture and cropland acres as well as
drawing idle or passive land into active production. The opportunity costs of
reallocated land will influence farmers' decisions.
County extension staff have well-established contacts, are credible, and are
conveniently located. They can provide an excellent entry point for contacting
and organizing producers. Extension staff can use their experience and local
knowledge to anticipate farmer needs and reactions to a biomass program.
Repeated contacts will be needed to share information and answer questions.
Perceptions of trust, fairness, credibility, and equity will also influence
farmers' decisions. They will need assurances that a biomass energy system is
more than a short-term experiment if they are to invest their time and
resources in energy crop production. Contractual arrangements should provide
guarantees that transition costs can be recovered if a biomass system operates
for a shorter period than expected. Contracts may be written to provide
early-stage participants with greater protection from risks.
Wide variability exists among farmers in terms of their resources, capabilities,
and interests. Consequently, arrangements should be tailored to meet the needs
of individual producers, including small-scale farmers. Recognizing differing
abilities to schedule or coordinate harvest activities should be considered.
For example, some producers might opt for lower compensation in return for
greater flexibility in harvest timing or method. Others might choose to receive
a premium for meeting timing and quality standards.
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Eric Denzler of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) described a UCS
study that examined the economic benefits and technical potential of producing
electricity from renewable resources in a 12-state region in the Midwest. The
study determined that up to 250 million dry tons of switchgrass and 20 million
dry tons of hybrid poplar could be grown annually without competing with food
crops, supplying nearly 20% of the primary energy consumption in the Midwest.
Switchgrass can be grown in all 12 states considered. The analysis indicates
that more than half of the total is likely to be produced in Kansas, Minnesota,
Nebraska, and South Dakota. Hybrid poplar production is potentially highest in
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Analyzing the effect of pricing on production, UCS found that at prices below
$40 per dry ton an estimated 54 million dry tons of switchgrass will be
produced. The production potential increases to 171 million dry tons at a price
of $50 per dry ton. For hybrid poplars, prices below $50 per dry ton result in
the production of 7.3 million dry tons. At prices near $70/dry ton, 15.7
million dry tons are produced. Production costs are significantly affected by
land rent values and crop yields.
Working with other public interest groups, UCS is trying to stimulate
development of renewable energy projects. For copies of the report, Powering the
Midwest: Renewable Electricity for the Economy and the Environment or
information regarding UCS programs, contact the Union of Concerned Scientists,
26 Church Street, Cambridge, MA 02238, (617) 547-5522.
David Bransby, Auburn University, pointed out that successful large-scale
switchgrass production in the Southeast will depend on several important
conditions:
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Improvements in conversion technologies
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Government and industry support
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Involvement and awareness of a broad array of constituent groups
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Profitable switchgrass production with returns comparable to other alternatives
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Compatibility with existing farm practices.
Switchgrass profitability will require increased yields. Bransby calculated that
yields of 6 tons per acre are needed to break even (assuming current estimated
production costs and a selling price of $34 per ton) in Alabama. Ten tons per
acre are needed to provide net returns of $100 per acre to land and labor. On
Alabama research plots, yields of 10 to 15 tons per acre have been achieved for
mature (greater than 2 years old) stands of the cultivar 'Alamo'. Field-scale
production trials yielded 7 tons per acre in the first year of production.
In the Southeast, pasture-fed beef production and forestry provide net returns
of less than $50 per acre per year. On the basis of these figures, switchgrass
may be an attractive alternative for some Southeastern farm enterprises.
Compatibility of switchgrass production with existing farm activities will
enhance its appeal. Alternative uses for energy crops would serve to reduce the
risk involved. Switchgrass provides excellent grazing and hay, increases soil
organic matter, improves water infiltration, reduces erosion, and may enhance
wildlife habitat. When grown in rotation with cotton and peanuts, switchgrass
may enhance nematode control. Auburn University has switchgrass research
addressing a number of these issues.
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Jerry Tuskan, task manager for BFDP's woody crops research, presented a
brief overview of the evolution of the BFDP's research--species screening and
management studies leading to breeding projects, and breeding projects leading
to sophisticated molecular genetics and plant physiology studies. The program
has been involved with several commercial successes--the adoption of short
rotation woody crop (SRWC) technology for production of cellulose for pulp and
energy--but it has also had some failures that provide valuable lessons.
Lesson 1: It is not possible to predict a precise productivity rate for a
given site because there is no precise way to extrapolate research plot data to
demonstration or commercial scale operations. The effects of cultural practices
and unexpected occurrences like unusual weather conditions on large-scale
production activities cannot be simulated accurately.
Lesson 2: No matter how resistant a particular cultivar appears to be
under test conditions or small field trials, eventually some pest organism will
appear if that cultivar is produced on a large scale in a limited geographic
area. Long-term production on a commercial scale provides the time needed for
pests to overcome any variety's inherent resistance. As with other crops,
continual development efforts will be needed to stay ahead of pest populations.
Lesson 3: As woody crops are planted at larger scales, mistakes occur in
identifying the genetic makeup of planting stock. The testing of multiple
cultivars at multiple locations by several institutions can lead to the
unwitting misidentification of genetic material which then finds its way into
commercial operations. Data obtained from one set of cultivars is not always
valid to another set of cultivars and misidentified material can cause a great
deal of confusion about expected performance.
Lesson 4: Researchers must be aware that changes will occur as operations
move from tests to commercial scale. Planting, tending, and harvesting methods
will evolve to meet the needs of individual producers as they develop methods
that optimize their own resources and situation.
Understanding these lessons will help the BFDP as it moves forward toward
regional herbaceous and SRWC demonstrations. These demonstration studies will
maximize but not guarantee the success of larger commercial operations.
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Jack Ranney--the BFDP's first staff member, its long-time program
manager, and most recently, the developer of its environmental research and
scale-up effort--has accepted a two-year assignment as Assistant Director of
the Joint Institute for Energy and the Environment (JIEE). The Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and The University of
Tennessee established the JIEE to promote and develop support for collaborative
research, development, and demonstration on important issues of energy and the
environment and their socioeconomic impacts. In addition to having a strong
regional emphasis, the JIEE works on energy issues in developing countries.
Jack will have opportunities to pursue his continuing interest in biomass
energy systems. He is located in the JIEE offices at the University of
Tennessee and can be reached by telephone at (615) 974-5912.
Mark Downing, who has been working with Robin Graham in economic and
resource assessments, is now managing the BFDP's scale-up, feasibility, and
demonstration activities.
Lynn Wright, the BFDP's deputy program manager, has also taken on new
responsibilities. She will be coordinating the development of new biomass
energy initiatives at ORNL. She will also facilitate communication and
information exchange about biomass energy systems within ORNL and between ORNL
and other organizations.
BFDP is beginning to develop road maps that will help us navigate on the
information superhighway. If you are interested in receiving notification as we
begin to make Energy Crops Forum and other documents available
electronically, please send your electronic address to bfdp@ornl.gov.
Your thoughts, suggestions, and experiences will be greatly appreciated as the
BFDP moves into the 21st century.
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Ager, A.A., P.E. Heilman, and R.F. Stettler. 1993. Genetic variation in red
alder (Alnus rubra) in relation to native climate and geography.
Canadian Journal of Forest Research 23:1930-1939.
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Ashby, W.C., D.F. Bresnan, R.K. Kjelgren, P.L. Roth, J.E. Preece, and C.A.
Huetteman. 1993. Coppice growth and water relations of silver maple. Biomass
and Bioenergy 5(5):317-323.
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Bhat, M.G., B.C. English, A.F. Turhollow, and H.O. Nyangito. 1994. Energy in
synthetic fertilizers and pesticides: Revisited. ORNL/Sub/90-99732/2. Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN. 49 pp.
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Bingaman, B.R. and E.R. Hart. 1993. Clonal and leaf age variation in Populus
phenolic glycosides: Implications for host selection by Chrysomela scripta
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Bongarten, B. 1993. The itinerant tree. The World & I (May 1993):202-207.
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DeBell, D.S. and C.A. Harrington. 1993. Deploying genotypes in short-rotation
plantations: Mixtures and pure cultures of clones and species. The Forestry
Chronicle 69:705-713.
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Dickson, R.E. and J.G. Isebrands. 1993. Carbon allocation terminology: should
it be more rational? Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 74:175-177.
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Klopfenstein, N.B., H.S. McNabb, E.R. Hart, R.B. Hall, R.D. Hanna, S.A.
Heuchelin, K.K. Allen, N.Q. Shi, and R.W. Thornburg. 1993. Transformation of Populus
hybrids to study and improve pest resistance. Silvae Genetica 42:86-89.
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Liu, W., R.W. Merriam, V.C. Phillips, and D. Singh. 1993. Estimating
short-rotation Eucalyptus Saligna
production in Hawaii: an integrated yield and econ
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Son, S.H., H.K. Moon, and R.B. Hall. 1993. Somaclonal variation in plants
regenerated from callus culture of hybrid aspen (Populus alba L. x P.
grandidentata Michx.). Plant Science 90:89-94
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Strong, T. and E. Hansen. 1993. Hybrid poplar spacing/productivity relations in
short rotation intensive culture plantations. Biomass and Bioenergy 4:255-261.
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