Athens, Georgia
May 28, 2009
By Sharon Dowdy, University of
Georgia
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Oilseed radish (right) is shown being grown alongside
oats. Typically grown as a cover crop, oilseed radish is
being studied
as a potential crop for biodiesel in Georgia.
Photo: Midwest Cover Crops Council |
Corn and soybeans are excellent
crops for use in ethanol and biodiesel production, but chickens,
cows and people like to eat the crops, too. University of
Georgia engineers are searching for non-food crops that can be
used to make alternative fuels.
The oilseed radish is one crop that could be used to produce
biodiesel in Georgia, said Dan Geller, a biological engineer
with the
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences.
Canadian cover crop
The radish is widely grown in Canada as a cover crop, or one
that is planted to improve the soil and prevent erosion in
fields. But it isn’t typically grown for food.
Its seed is about 40 percent oil by weight, said Nicholas
Chammoun, a CAES graduate student working with Geller. This
makes it an excellent candidate for the biodiesel market.
For his research, Chammoun had oilseed radish seeds crushed by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Peanut Research
Laboratory. The oil was then converted into biodiesel by the
CAES biological and agricultural engineering department.
“This sounds like a short and easy process,” he said. “But it
actually took a long time since there was very little data on
converting oilseed radish oil to biodiesel.”
Engine-tested
Next, he had to prove the new biodiesel would actually work in
diesel engines and perform as well or better than No. 2 diesel
and other existing biodiesels.
The oilseed radish biodiesel passed the engine tests, performing
much like No. 2 diesel, he said.
With the help of the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic
Development, Chammoun determined whether farmers would benefit
economically from growing the crop.
“No matter the crop, it will take land to produce it,” said John
McKissick, director of the center. “It’s still a battle for food
production over fuel production on the same limited land. In
Georgia, food is still more economically viable.”
The economic research data on the radish as a biodiesel crop was
also used to assess its economic potential as a Georgia cover
crop.
“They would harvest in the spring, and the crop would also
protect the soil in the winter,” Geller said.
Roots aerate soil
And as a cover crop, its extra-long tap root breaks up and
aerates soil and draws up nutrients for the following crop, or
one grown for food or fiber.
Georgia farmers could grow peanuts and cotton in the summer
months and follow with a crop of oilseed radish in the fall.
“Oilseed radish isn’t grown for the food market, but it can be
grown for the fuel market,” Geller said. “And it can be grown
cheaper with a greater oil yield per dollar than soybean, and
with lower inputs.”
The economic evaluation showed the oilseed radish had potential
to be an economically viable crop for Georgia, McKissick said.
But more research is needed to determine the yield and costs of
producing the crop.
Crushers needed
Geller calls the university’s research results promising but
notes there is one large missing piece to the puzzle.
“We can get the seed, and the agronomic data is available,” he
said. “The farmers just need someone to crush the seed. The big
kicker is which comes first, the farmer or the crusher?”
Crushers are companies that process seeds to extract oil.
If crushers are found, Geller says Georgia farmers could begin
growing these new crops in a few years.
CAES researchers are also studying the use of algae, switchgrass
and sunflower as oil sources for biodiesel production. |
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