Hello all,
Here is the link to an interesting short article calling for further
research on the sustainable amount of corn stover harvestable for
cellulosic ethanol production.
"Limited Biofuel Feedstock Supply?" --
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/26110
"Most estimates of the amount of crop residue that can be sustainably
harvested consider only erosion as a constraining factor, without
considering the need to maintain soil organic matter...the amount of
stover needed to replenish soil organic matter was greater than that
required to control either water or wind erosion in the ten counties (in
nine of the top eleven corn production states in the U.S.) investigated.
This outcome emphasizes the need to further evaluate the validity of
widely circulated estimates of U.S. cropland capacity to sustainably
supply feedstock for the emerging cellulosic ethanol industry."
Cheers,
Tyler Nesbit
Research Assistant
School of Forest Resources & Conservation
University of Florida
Newins-Ziegler Hall, room 374
Ph. 352-846-0902
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