Fueling ethanol production while protecting wat...(now about $5.00 per bushel) and there wa...)

Date:4/1/2008

now about $5.00 per bushel) and there was a 15% increase in U.S. corn acres last year. The scientists projected that much of this increased acreage would come from land in soybeans (50%), the Conservation Reserve Program (25%), and hay and pastures (25%). Recent data indicate that much row crop conversion was from cotton as well as soybeans. This would not impact P loss estimates and could increase N loss. Even with recommended fertilizer and management, corn can be a greater source of N and P loss to water than soybeans, perennials, or hay crops. Most of the corn acreage increase occurred in the Mississippi River Basin, and in this basin, most N and P that leaves fields is delivered to the Gulf.

Dried distillers grains, a by-product of ethanol production, is being used in animal feeds, particularly for dairy and beef. Dried distillers grains contain high concentrations of P and may elevate manure P (and N) content, even when less than 20% of the animals diets. This may erode efforts to reduce ration and manure P and will make government feed management programs more expensive and less attractive to farmers. The use of wet distillers grains as feed near ethanol facilities avoids the cost of drying the distillers grains but requires co-location of animal operations, which will concentrate manure production, often far from grain production, making effective manure use as a fertilizer more difficult and expensive.

Cellulosic fuel stocks from perennials such as switchgrass and woody materials also have the potential to produce ethanol. While cellulosic feedstock production, storage, handling and conversion technology still limit production, a viable cellulosic ethanol industry could reduce dependence on grain and provide water quality and other environmental benefits (such as C sequestration and wildlife habitat). For example, switchgrass, a warm-season perennial prairie grass, produces large amounts of biomass for feedstock, loses very little N and P c
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Contact: Sara Uttech suttech@soils.org 608-268-4948 Soil Science Society of America Source:Eurekalert

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