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"Grass"-oline: The Fuel Of The FuturePlant Pathologists Consider Switch Grass for Biofuel Crop, Manipulate Genes for More Effective YieldNovember 1, 2011 Plant pathologists are studying switch grass as a potential bio-energy crop. Because switch grass grows year after year without requiring replanting, isn’t a food crop (unlike corn), and requires very little land and water to grow, it is a good candidate for biofuel. Scientists are also studying ways to manipulate the plant’s genes to make the plants bigger, which would allow them to produce more energy per crop. |
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Science InsiderANOTHER GREEN GAS: Biomethane is a type of biofuel that is produced from the biological breakdown of organic matter in an environment void of oxygen. Various types of biodegradable material can be fermented to produce biogas -- the crude form of biomethane -- including manure, sewage, municipal waste, and plant material. Biogas can be used as a fuel due to the energy release that results from the combustion of methane, hydrogen or carbon dioxide with oxygen. Biogas can then be cleaned and upgraded to natural gas standards as biomethane.
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More information on this storyOn The Web: USDA, Energy Fund Research to Accelerate Biofuel Crops To Go Inside This Science: Jan Leach |
