Seeds for energy

Sep 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Lynn Grooms

Pioneer teams up with Genencor

Another big collaboration — this one between DuPont and Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S — is further evidence that multinational companies see a potential profit in cellulosic ethanol. The companies have agreed to form a joint venture to develop and commercialize next-generation biofuels from feedstocks such as corn stover and sugarcane bagasse.

DuPont and its Pioneer Hi-Bred business will work with Genencor, a leader in the development and production of enzymes for cellulose conversion, to better understand the enzymatic processes (including pretreatment and fermentation of cellulosic feedstock) and increase biomass productivity per acre.

Increasing grain production by 40% in the next 10 years is possible, Sanders says, adding that Pioneer's goal is to help develop corn that could produce as much as 750 gal. of ethanol/acre from grain within 10 years, up from the current 500 gal./acre. With corn stover, grain fiber, cobs and advanced processing technologies, a cornfield could take that level up to as much as 1,000 gal./acre, he says.

Pioneer's work on corn stover and cobs will help researchers better understand what other factors they should be exploiting without going backward on grain production, Sanders says. The company is researching dry-down potential as well as improving handling, storage and transportation.

In addition, Pioneer breeders are working on high biomass forage sorghum and sweet sorghum. Traditionally grown across the southern U.S., sweet sorghum varieties could be developed for more northern environments, Sanders says. The company also is exploring the use of genetic marker technology to produce forage sorghum hybrids that could yield more than 10 to 15 tons/acre.

Syngenta improves ethanol hybrids

Over the next few years, Syngenta's work on the corn-expressed amylase enzyme could dramatically boost the efficiency of the existing corn ethanol industry without requiring a drastic change in the way corn is produced and used, says David Witherspoon, head, Renewable Fuels, Syngenta. The corn-expressed amylase product has completed the FDA consultation process and is currently under USDA review for deregulation, he explains. The alpha-amylase enzyme is used to convert starch to fermentable sugars.

“By expressing a robust alpha-amylase enzyme directly in the endosperm of corn grain, we've pioneered a new approach to improving ethanol production in a way that can be integrated smoothly into the existing infrastructure,” Witherspoon says.

Syngenta recently completed a six-month, full-scale trial at a 50-million-gallon dry grind ethanol plant. The trial showed that the technology can have a large positive impact on ethanol production.

“With the corn-expressed amylase product, we've demonstrated the viability of this approach and we're investing in this platform to bring forth future innovations across a number of key crops,” Witherspoon says.

Energy crops present an “enormous” opportunity for U.S. agriculture, he says. However, they need to be developed in a sustainable, manageable way for growers. “Despite the huge potential of cellulosic ethanol and alternative feedstocks, the existing renewable fuels industry can't move away from starch-based ethanol in a significant way anytime soon,” Witherspoon says. “The challenge is to deliver more corn at competitive prices now and to make more efficient use of that corn and to use knowledge of key crops and plant science to ultimately make cellulosic ethanol economically competitive with petroleum.”

Growers will decide

Ceres's Rath is optimistic about the outlook for dedicated energy crops but adds that growers will ultimately make the decision about what to plant. With corn and soybean prices as high as they are now, energy crop production will unlikely start in the Corn Belt. However, because dedicated energy crops require fewer inputs than conventional row crops, growers might want to focus on net income rather than just revenue.

The cellulosic ethanol industry is ramping up. One company has produced cellulosic ethanol since 2004, and more than 20 companies are constructing or operating biorefineries to gather further data needed to increase commercial production, says Brent Erickson, executive vice president, Industrial & Environmental Section, Biotechnology Industry Organization.

“The sky's the limit,” Rath says. “If we want to make a significant dent in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, dedicated energy crops are the way to do it.”