Monday, May 5, 2008 - 2:30 PM
5-03
The Case for Corn Stover
Michael J. Blaylock, Curtis Wiltse, David A. Lee, and Bruce W. Ferguson. Edenspace Systems Corporation, 3810 Concorde Parkway, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151
In many ways corn stover is an excellent potential biomass feedstock for cellulosic ethanol. Currently grown on more than 93 million acres in the United States and annually yielding 300 million tons of biomass that could produce 25 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol, its planting, cultivation and harvesting costs can be shared with a popular cash crop, corn grain. As a domesticated crop, it is easy to grow and accepted by agricultural producers. Numerous other benefits include well-understood capabilities for bioengineering and breeding and the lack of wild relatives with which it is likely to cross-breed. Surging demand for corn grain as an ethanol feedstock, however, has increased scrutiny of potential drawbacks and risks of using corn stover as a biomass feedstock. Removing too large a fraction of the stover from the field, for example, could reduce soil moisture or organic carbon below desired levels, decreasing soil fertility and crop yields over time. Higher water and fertilizer inputs required for increased biomass yields could add to environmental stresses. This presentation will summarize current research results, suggest areas where further research is needed, and recommend the conditions under which corn stover is likely to play a key role as a crop feedstock for cellulosic ethanol.