Fargo, North Dakota
January 17, 2008
North Dakota State
University and the USDA's
Agricultural Research Service have signed an agreement to
collaborate on research to convert cropland to biomass
production for energy use in North Dakota.
Under the agreement, the ARS's Northern Great Plains Research
Laboratory in Mandan will provide funding for a research
associate in the NDSU Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Department who will be based in Mandan. The research associate
also will work closely with NDSU's Bio Energy and Product
Innovation Center (BioEPIC). The center serves as a single site
within NDSU to develop, coordinate and promote the development
of bio-related activities at NDSU and in North Dakota.
"We at the ARS-Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory are
committed to developing environmentally and economically sound
agroecosystems for the northern Great Plains," says Jon Hanson,
laboratory director. "This endeavor is too big for a single
institution and for that reason our partnership with NDSU
provides an outstanding means to enhance and maintain North
Dakota agriculture."
The North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station also will be
involved. The NDAES is conducting research at its centers
throughout the state, in conjunction with the Northern Great
Plains Research Laboratory, to develop dedicated energy crops.
"This project will strengthen and enhance ongoing research
efforts on dedicated energy crop production," says D.C. Coston,
NDSU vice president for Agriculture and University Extension.
"This agreement continues our effort to pull together the full
set of capabilities within NDSU and position ourselves to be
partners with others, such as the ARS's Northern Great Plains
Research Laboratory, to develop and grow biobased production."
The collaboration has two main objectives:
- Determine appropriate
crops to maximize biofuel production
- Develop economically
feasible management systems for transitioning in and out of
bioenergy crop production
"We look forward to
building upon this research partnership as we develop
innovative and sustainable agricultural systems throughout
the northern Great Plains," Hanson says.
The process of hiring someone at
the research laboratory in Mandan has started, with the hope
that the research associate will start in the next few months. |
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