The lowly alfalfa crop could play a role in the future of cellulosic ethanol.
Alfalfa is the nation’s most popular legume and actually our third most valuable crop, but it is often taken for granted and somewhat under valued. However, the many benefits of the crop could make it a potential frontrunner in the cellulosic ethanol race, especially if new varieties can be developed with reduced lignin content, which is the focus of a Pioneer Hi-Bred biotech research project.
Pioneer Director of Alfalfa Research Dave Miller says they believe cellulosic ethanol will need multiple feedstocks and alfalfa is a good fit for a number of reasons. “It’s great for crop rotation, its environmental benefits in terms of lack of soil erosion because it’s deep rooted and a perennial are well known, and it fixes nitrogen.”
In addition, Miller says preliminary work shows alfalfa is competitive with other feedstocks for its ability to convert to cellulosic ethanol and that a corn/alfalfa rotation creates a very favorable carbon footprint for ethanol production.
Producing varieties with less lignin would be helpful in making alfalfa even more competitive as a cellulosic ethanol feedstock. In addition, the reduced lignin alfalfa also has benefits with its more traditional use as livestock feed. “When animals are fed lower lignin forage, they perform better,” said Miller. “Both systems are digestions, one is an enzyme-acid digestion to go into a fermentation vat, the other is a digestion to make milk or meat.”
Listen to or download an interview with Dave Miller here:
Clear your calendar for a 
Algae is all the rage as the next great feedstock for biodiesel… although the longtime champion for the green fuel, soybeans, might not be ready to give up its crown to the green pond scum.
One the one hand, you have guys like Riggs Eckelberry, the CEO of 
Leonard Kosar, CEO of 
One of the most oil-rich countries in the world will be making ethanol from excess dates. Iraqi government has approved a plan to produce the clean burning alernative in attempt to boost their economy. 
Prior to the US-led invasion of Iraq, the country produced more than 900,000 ton of dates per year. The country only used about 150,000 ton so the remaining was exported. However, since 2003 the market for Iraqi dates has dried up to the point where only about 350,000 ton of them are produced annually.
The Sundance award winning documentary, 
Snapping a photo of his daughter stopping to smell the flowers paid off for Rich Johnson of Omaha, Nebraska who has been named the winner of the 
As the winner, Johnson received a $1,000 fueling card, presented by RFA Director of Market Development Robert White. “Educating consumers is all about engaging them where they live and in ways that motivate them to act,” said White. “Based on this contest alone, tens of thousands of Americans were exposed to ethanol-related information, many for the first time.” White says Heather Litton of Westerville, Ohio, won the Most Voted Award and $100 in fuel for her photo entitled “Ethan.”
In what’s being characterized as an “historic national program” that would dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel economy for new cars and trucks sold in the United States… vehicles that can run on B20, a 20 percent blend of biodiesel… will be considered flexible fuel vehicles.
A couple of years ago, I told you about how the Utah Department of Transportation was planting safflower, camelina, canola and perennial flax in a safety strip along Interstate 15 and then crushing the seeds to make biodiesel (see 
General Wesley Clark, Co-Chairman of 
General Clark rose to the rank of four-star general after nearly 40 years of service in the U.S. Army. He has lead Growth Energy since February 2009, working to increase American energy independence by expanding the use of environmentally-friendly ethanol. 
“This is our first new plant relationship since our acquisition of C&N and is a real demonstration of the confidence placed in Mansfield and C&N as a thriving, independent marketing partner,” said Douglas Haugh, EVP of Mansfield Oil. “Our strengths are logistics, marketing, and the supply chain automation technology that refiners are increasingly requiring of their ethanol suppliers. Working transparently with great producers like Heron Lake, we can improve netbacks for plants. Meanwhile, we reduce costs for customers by slimming transportation and administrative costs across the supply chain.” 
The partnership will allow the Heron Lake facility to manage and forecast their costs and margins as well as giving them access to C&N’s nationwide market that consists of refiners and blenders.