Secure America's Energy Future through Renewable Biofuels

Research to Create Sustainable Energy through Agriculture

Experimental and Modeling Study of Switchgrass Productivity and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under Climate Change and Nitrogen Application

Economic Assessment of Short Rotation Woody Biomass for Bioenergy

Coupling Phytoremediation with Grasses to Fly Ash Cleanup and Biofuel Feedstock Production

Experimental and Modeling Study of Switchgrass Productivity and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under Climate Change and Nitrogen Application
Dr. Dafeng Hui
One major challenge we are facing today is the need to increase energy production while simultaneously reducing our impact on the environment. Human activity is accelerating global climate change through fossil fuel combustion and land-use change (IPCC 2007). Bioenergy/biofuel is one promising technology for sustainable replacement of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 mandates production of 36 billion gallons/year of biofuel by 2022. In order to meet this requirement, billions of tones of biomass will be needed annually by that time (Perlack et al. 2005). Consequently, a significant portion (over 30%) of biomass will have to be delivered from dedicated energy crops, such as perennial grasses. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has been considered a promising bio-energy/biofuel crop (McLaughlin and Kszos 2005; Sanderson et al. 2006). Biomass production of switchgrass is mainly constrained by physiological processes such as plant photosynthetic rate, respiration rate, biomass allocation, water and nutrient uptakes, and environmental conditions such as drought and flooding (Duke et al. 2005; Parrish and Fiske 2005; Barney and DiTomaso 2010). Despite a long history of field studies of switchgrass variety comparison and management schemes, surprisingly little is known about the physiological responses and feedback of switchgrass to global climate change (Oliver et al. 2009; Hartman et al. 2012). Global climate change is also likely to disproportionally impact low-income people and enlarge economic disparities among ethnic groups. To date, minority students are still under-represented in agriculture, ecological, and global climate change studies (Armstrong et al.  2007). Nationally, agricultural, ecological and global change research programs have not been very successful in attracting the participation of students from under-represented minorities. The difficulty arises, at least in part, from the fact that long-term global climate change research projects are located almost exclusively at large, well-funded research institutions. To the best of our knowledge, there is very limited long-term field global change research program at any HBCU. This project will create the first research platform in Biofuel and Global Climate Change research at TSU, and provide hands-on research experience to minority students. If successful, this project will train under-represented minority students and provide a highly skilled, dedicated work force.

Economic Assessment of Short Rotation Woody Biomass for Bioenergy
Dr. Prabodh Illukpitiya
This project will create an approach for cellulosic feedstock development, production, and delivery, leading to sustainable production of biomass for conversion to transportation fuels, bio-power, and bio-based materials. The goal of this project is to carry the current state of research forward to determine the technical, economic, social and environmental feasibility and benefits of utilizing short rotation woody biomass as a feedstock in the production of biofuels in the rural Southeastern region. The project will focus on short rotation woody crops of Paulownia and Sweet gum. To assess the potential of this feedstock as a lignocellulosic feedstock for advance biofuel production and electricity generation, the specific objectives of the research are to: a) document the growth performance, environmental conditions, and agronomy practices for Paulowia and Sweetgum, b) assess the economic benefits and cost of short rotation woody biomass crops for bioenergy production c) determine the factors that inhibit adaptation of short rotation woody biomass and d) determine environmental spillover of woody biomass via analysis of carbon stock and net energy balance. The proposed project activities will address all three area of the agricultural knowledge system: research, education and extension. Collectively, these activities comprise a regional approach to the creation of a sustainable biomass feedstock development, production and delivery system in the Southeastern United States. This project will support USDA-NIFA mission to facilitate energy security, economic, environmental and rural community sustainability.

Coupling Phytoremediation with Grasses to Fly Ash Cleanup and Biofuel Feedstock Production
 Dr. Emmanuel Dzantor
This project addresses national and global concerns about environmental pollution and energy security.  Coal accounts for 42% of the electricity generation in the US. Burning coal to generate electricity produces large amounts of coal combustion wastes, CCW.  Coal combustion wastes can contain toxic substances that are linked to cancers, neurological and birth defects in humans. Nearly sixty percent of CCW generated annually in the US is composed of very fine materials known as fly ash, FA.  Currently, FAs are generally stored in massive wet ash ponds, or they are shipped to designated landfills. The historic Kingston TN Fly Ash Spill of 2008 was caused by failure of the containments at such wet ponds at the Tennessee Valley Authority coal plant.  One reason for failures of containment systems is the old age. The site of the Kingston ash release has accumulated ash sludge since 1952. An urgent need exists to address disposal of FA. Well recognized, biologically based strategies collectively called bioremediation and phytoremediation, using microbes and plant systems, respectively, currently exist for cleaning up a broad range of wastes. However, they have not been systematically evaluated for FA disposals because FAs are not classified as wastes according to US solid waste regulations. This project seeks to extend bio- and phytoremediation to cleaning up FA contaminations. Our own programs have long studied and implemented these strategies for mitigating land degradation using native grasses such as switchgrass, eastern gamagrass, big bluestem and Indian grass. These grasses can be used this way because of their high biomass productivity even under harsh conditions. The same grasses are at the forefront of the current intense debates on bioenergy as one strategy for reducing global dependence on petroleum fuels. Accordingly, our current project will not only clean up environmental pollution by FA but also, biomass produced during the process will be used as feedstock for biofuel production. Despite their reputation as sources of hazardous chemicals, FAs also contain major and trace elements that are essential for plant growth. Additionally, they can improve water retention and storage characteristics of soils when they are used as amendments for plant growth. Beneficial utilization of FA as soil amendment has been thoroughly documented by investigators from India, the greatest FA producer in the world. In that country, FAs have been used to grow a variety of food crops including rice, corn, legumes and sugar cane. Such use of FA has been proposed in the US, the third largest producer of FA, but less than one percent of the product is used in this way. This may be changing. According to the USDA Deputy Administrator, wise management of CCWs by industry and new beneficial uses will minimize the quantities of CCWs that must be disposed of and sequestered long-term in landfills and impoundment ponds. Our project to turn waste to energy feedstock production is an emerging strategy in the current focus on energy security and environmental sustainability.

 


 

 





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