The CALS Bioenergy Feedstock Project is managed by the Forage Breeding Program in the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics and is led by Dr. Donald Viands and coordinated by Dr. Hilary Mayton. The project is part of a multi-disciplinary renewable energy research effort currently underway at Cornell University. Research on production of bioenergy feedstocks was initiated in response to the need for information on planting and managing warm season perennial grasses and other crops for the emerging agricultural energy industry in New York State. An overarching goal of the project is to increase production of perennial grasses and legumes for use as bioenergy feedstock to support this alternative energy industry. The close proximity of agricultural land in the Northeast to major population and transportation centers makes this region ideal for development of bioenergy crops for conversion to liquid fuels, gases, and products for combustion.
Purpose
Perennial grasses, specifically warm season grasses, have been identified by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Biomass Program, as one of the most promising sources of biomass for conversion to biofuels and other high value by-products. Corn, grown in the mid-West, is currently the primary feedstock used for ethanol production followed by other grains and woody products. In the Northeast, an array of diverse bioenergy feedstocks will be necessary to produce enough biomass to meet the regions energy needs. This project was initiated to identify perennial grass and legume feedstocks that will provide the quantity and quality of biomass needed to support the emerging bioenergy industry in NY.