Growing sorghum for biofuel

Iowa State researchers examine the efficiencies and environmental impacts of growing sorghum for ethanol

2010-11-11

(Press-News.org) MADISON, WI November 8, 2010 -- Conversion of sorghum grass to ethanol has increased with the interest in renewable fuel sources. Researchers at Iowa State University examined 12 varieties of sorghum grass grown in single and double cropping systems. The experiment was designed to test the efficiency of double cropping sorghum grass to increase its yield for biofuel production.

The author of the report, Ben Goff, found that using sorghum from a single-cropping system was more effective for the production of ethanol. Since most of the ethanol currently produced in the United States is derived from corn, Goff suggests that corn may not be able to meet the energy needs of the country. According to the study, only 15 to 25% of the energy requirements would be fulfilled using corn or starch-based ethanol; however, ethanol produced from cellulose could be more effective than previous biofuels.

Goff states that from a production standpoint, growing sorghum as a sole crop is more efficient for ethanol production, however, it remains to be seen whether the favorable long-term environmental benefits, such as reduced erosion potential, of the double-cropping systems merits the reduced total biomass production.

Although certain genotypes of sorghum from the double-cropping system yielded total biomass equal to those in the single-cropping study, all of the sorghum varieties in the single-cropping system had consistently higher ethanol yields.

The author theorizes that these altered chemical compositions could be attributed to the different cropping systems.

Goff recommends that further research on double-cropping systems for ethanol production should focus on efforts to maximize production of sorghum, such as incorporating a winter crop that matures earlier in the season. This would allow planting of the sorghum closer to its optimal date and capitalize on its ability to produce greater and higher-quality biomass over a greater portion of the growing season.

INFORMATION: This study was funded by the Iowa Energy Center and published in the November/December 2010 issue of Agronomy Journal from the American Society of Agronomy.

The full article is available for no charge for 30 days following the date of this summary. View the abstract at www.agronomy.org/publications/aj/abstracts/102/6/1586.

A peer-reviewed international journal of agriculture and natural resource sciences, Agronomy Journal is published six times a year by the American Society of Agronomy, with articles relating to original research in soil science, crop science, agroclimatology and agronomic modeling, production agriculture, and software. For more information visit: www.agronomy.org/publications/aj

The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) www.agronomy.org, is a scientific society helping its 8,000+ members advance the disciplines and practices of agronomy by supporting professional growth and science policy initiatives, and by providing quality, research-based publications and a variety of member services.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Sharks and wolves: Predator, prey interactions similar on land and in oceans

2010-11-11

CORVALLIS, Ore. – There may be many similarities between the importance of large predators in marine and terrestrial environments, researchers concluded in a recent study, which examined the interactions between wolves and elk in the United States, as well as sharks and dugongs in Australia. In each case, the major predators help control the populations of their prey, scientists said. But through what's been called the "ecology of fear" they also affect the behavior of the prey, with ripple impacts on other aspects of the ecosystem and an ecological significance that ...

Citywide smoking ban contributes to significant decrease in maternal smoking, pre-term births

2010-11-11

AURORA, Colo. (Nov. 10, 2010) – New research released today takes a look at birth outcomes and maternal smoking, building urgency for more states and cities to join the nationwide smoke-free trend that has accelerated in recent years. According to the new data, strong smoke-free policies can improve fetal outcomes by significantly reducing the prevalence of maternal smoking. The study, which was presented today at the American Public Health Association's 138th Annual Meeting & Exposition in Denver, compared maternal smoking prevalence in one Colorado city where a smoking ...

New indicator found for rapidly progressing form of deadly lung disease

2010-11-11

ANN ARBOR, Mich. —A diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is not much better than a death sentence, given a survival rate averaging 4 to 6 years as the disease robs its victim of the ability to breathe. But researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered a receptor in the immune system that may serve as a marker for a rapidly progressing form of the disease, which causes the body to produce excess fibrous tissue in the lungs. More than just signaling which patients have the more aggressive form of IPF – a disease that claims about as many lives each year ...

Multiple fathers prevalent in Amazonian cultures

2010-11-11

COLUMBIA, Mo. – In modern culture, it is not considered socially acceptable for married people to have extramarital sexual partners. However, in some Amazonian cultures, extramarital sexual affairs were common, and people believed that when a woman became pregnant, each of her sexual partners would be considered part-biological father. Now, a new University of Missouri study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found that up to 70 percent of Amazonian cultures may have believed in the principle of multiple paternity. "In these cultures, ...

Our normal genetics may influence cancer growth, too

2010-11-11

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The genes we possess not only determine the color of our eyes and hair and how our bodies grow, they might also influence the changes that occur in tumors when we develop cancer. A study by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) suggests that our normal genetic background – the genetic variations that we inherit – contributes to the kinds of DNA changes that occur in tumor cells as cancer develops. The researchers compared multiple ...

Study clarifies needs of rural-dwelling elderly

2010-11-11

A novel project set in a rural community near Rochester, N.Y., to screen elderly people for unmet needs showed that, indeed, there is a great opportunity to match older adults with professional assistance. This new model of care for rural-dwelling adults is described this month in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The University of Rochester Medical Center, Livingston County Department of Health and Office for the Aging, and the Genesee Valley Health Partnership collaborated to create this program, called Livingston Help for Seniors. In one instance, ...

CWRU nurse researcher finds prescribed bed rest has down side for pregnant women

2010-11-11

Despite lack of evidence about bed rest's effectiveness, doctors annually prescribe it for roughly 1 million pregnant women to delay preterm births. Judith Maloni, professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, said a comprehensive review of more than 70 evidence-based research articles challenges whether this is healthy for mothers — or their babies. She makes her report in the article, "Antepartum Bed Rest for Pregnancy Complications: Efficacy and Safety for Preventing Preterm Birth," in the special women's health issue ...

Analysis shows stress on clinicians can be effectively measured

2010-11-11

CINCINNATI—It's no surprise that being a physician is a very stressful job and carries a lot of responsibility with it. But two new studies from researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) indicate that the stressors arising from work in the clinic, where physicians are seeing patients one-on-one, can effectively be measured with hopes of improving patient care and physician job satisfaction. Ronnie Horner, PhD, and C. Jeff Jacobson, PhD, both researchers in the department of public health sciences, say their studies, published in online editions of the journal ...

ASN leads efforts to address growing crisis in kidney care

2010-11-11

An estimated 26 million people, 13% of the United States population, are living with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and this number continues to grow. If current trends continue, there will not be enough doctors to serve this expanding patient population. To help address this crisis, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is convening a Summit on the Nephrology Workforce during its upcoming ASN Renal Week 2010 in Denver, Colorado, on November 17. Participants will discuss this crisis, its implications, and strategies to increase the number of kidney disease doctors in ...

Putting the spotlight on membranous nephropathy

2010-11-11

The Halpin Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) proudly highlight the research advances in membranous nephropathy made possible by The Halpin Foundation-ASN Research Grant, created to help young faculty develop independent research careers. This award provides recipients transition funding toward successful application for an NIH RO1 grant. Elena Torban, PhD (McGill University Faculty of Medicine), the 2008 recipient of The Halpin Foundation-ASN Research Grant, recently explained, "The generous financial two-year support provided by The Halpin Foundation ...

Modular assembly of chiral nitrogen-bridged rings achieved by palladium-catalyzed diastereoselective and enantioselective cascade cyclization reactions

Sally C. Morton, executive vice president of ASU Knowledge Enterprise, presents a bold and practical framework for moving research from discovery to real-world impact

Biochemical parameters in patients with diabetic nephropathy versus individuals with diabetes alone, non-diabetic nephropathy, and healthy controls

Muscular strength and mortality in women ages 63 to 99

[Press-News.org] Growing sorghum for biofuel
Iowa State researchers examine the efficiencies and environmental impacts of growing sorghum for ethanol

Growing sorghum for biofuel

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: