Kurt Thelen...This is the eighth in a series of articles on bioenergy. The previous installment focused on the need to have a broad range of bioenergy crops available to best fit local growing conditions, markets, biorefinery needs and environmental constraints. This article will focus on the inherent variability in the energy efficiency of various bioenergy feedstock crops.

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Kurt Thelen...This is the seventh in a series of articles on bioenergy. The previous installment focused on perennial crops and this article will discuss the use of annual crops such as corn, forage sorghum, winter cereal rye, etc. as bioenergy feedstock sources. An emerging question in bioenergy circles is whether we should be growing annual crops or perennial crops for biofuel feedstock.

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By Kurt Thelen... This article will discuss the environmental advantages of perennial energy crop systems relative to annual crop systems. Second generation energy crops including switchgrass and miscanthus are warm season perennial grasses.

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By Kurt Thelen... This is the fifth in a series of articles on bioenergy. This issue’s installment addresses the importance corn crop residue plays in maintaining soil organic matter (SOM) levels. Corn crop residue, a.k.a. corn stover, has been identified as an important feedstock for future cellulosic ethanol production.

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By Kurt Thelen... This is the fourth in a series of articles on bioenergy. Today’s installment addresses the environmental benefits associated with biofuels, particularly in reducing our carbon footprint. In the mass media lately, we have been hearing a lot about “carbon footprints,” “greenhouse gases,” “climate change” and “global warming.”

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By Kurt Thelen... This is the third in a series of brief articles regarding ten fundamental components of bioenergy. The topic for this article regards the finite supply of fossil fuel available to us humans here on earth. The objective is not to strike fear into our hearts, but rather to highlight the importance of addressing energy policy in the context of this important fact.

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By Kurt Thelen... This is the second in a series of brief articles regarding ten fundamental components of bioenergy. Last week we introduced the concept of autotropically derived energy, which simply means the energy was created from organisms using inorganic CO2 and sunlight in the process we call photosynthesis. We may recall from our middle school biology class that the chemical formula for the photosynthetic process is:

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By Kurt Thelen... Over the next several weeks we will be publishing a series of brief articles regarding ten fundamental concepts of bioenergy. The purpose is to provide accurate, basic information on the subject of bioenergy which will arguably be one of the most important agricultural and societal issues of this new century.

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