New grant expands Tennessee switchgrass research

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The USDA and U.S. Department of Energy recently announced a new round of $24 million in research grants, and the UT Biofuels Initiative (UTBI) at the University of Tennessee is slated to receive some $2.35 million in funding to research and demonstrate various aspects of switchgrass production, harvesting and transportation logistics and ethanol yield for some 2000 acres of locally produced switchgrass.

Dr. Sam Jackson and Dr. Nicole Labbé, scientists with the UT Institute of Agriculture who specialize in bioenergy research, will lead the UT AgResearch efforts. Approximately 1,000 acres of improved varieties of switchgrass will be planted and compared to 1,000 acres of the current variety – acres that are already growing as part of the UTBI farmer incentive program funded by state dollars. The state’s match was required for the project to compete for additional funding.

Three varieties of switchgrass will be compared on a variety of field plot sizes: the current Alamo variety, the Ceres EG 1101 improved Alamo variety and the Ceres EG 1102 Kanlow variety. The award includes funds for producer incentives to grow the dedicated energy crop as well as funding for chemical and compositional analysis of the switchgrass and other project costs.

The UTBI completed the harvest of some 2,600 acres of locally grown switchgrass, and 3,000 additional acres are planned for planting under the program in spring 2010. The UTBI estimates Tennessee farmers could grow enough switchgrass by 2025 to produce more than 1 billion gallons of ethanol annually on some 1 million acres, without displacing food and fiber crops.

Recovery Act funds to aid
farm conservation

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Agriculture announced a $250,000 Recovery Act grant to the Southern Middle Tennessee Resource Conservation and Development District to help farmers in five watersheds install conservation practices that improve water quality.

The Recovery Act funds are being provided by the U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, to help fund conservation projects in watersheds that have experienced a significant decline in both the diversity and density of aquatic life.

The watersheds include the Elk River, Upper Duck River, Caney Fork River (above Center Hill Dam), Cypress Creek and Shoal Creek and cover all or portions of the following counties: Bedford, Bledsoe, Cannon, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Franklin, Giles, Grundy, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marshall, Maury, Putnam, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, White and Williamson.

Farmers in these watersheds are eligible to apply for up to 90 percent of the cost of projects such as fencing livestock out of streams, installing alternative livestock watering systems, planting native grasses and stabilizing streambanks. To be eligible, they must agree to maintain the conservation practice for a minimum or 10 years.

Farmers in these areas can apply through their county Soil Conservation District through Jan. 8, 2010. Applications will be approved by Feb. 5 and projects should be completed by Dec. 31, 2010.

AFTA to receive $1.6 million to expand alt-fuel education
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Alternative Fuel Trade Alliance (AFTA) welcomed the U.S. Department of Energy’s announcement of a grant up to $1.6 million to raise public awareness and foster understanding of alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. The grant will provide support for a targeted educational plan aimed at Clean Cities Coordinators and related stakeholders.

The Alliance includes the Renewable Fuels Association, the National Biodiesel Foundation, the Propane Education & Research Council, the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation and ASG Renaissance. Grant funds will also be used to:

•Train coordinators as high-level public spokespeople

•Increase awareness of sustainability as it pertains to the stated technologies

•Increase the number of states that enforce fuel quality standards

•Train key stakeholders on fire safety issues

•Increase OEM technician/mechanic training and advanced technology acceptance

•Provide a forum for students interested in alternative fuels on college campuses nationwide

•Increase the availability and consumption of domestic alternative fuels

The Alliance will conduct more than 45 workshops, author a minimum of 20 educational pieces and participate in a minimum of 64 collective independent stakeholder events, as well as manage two conferences and four press events to increase knowledge about alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies.

National Biodiesel Board applauds Ford’s B20 approval
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Biodiesel supporters are cheering Ford Motor Co.’s announcement that its all-new Ford-built 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty diesel pickups will be fully compatible with B20 biodiesel. Ford’s new diesel engine – equipped with the latest technology for particulate and nitrous oxide reduction to meet 2010 standards – will also provide improvements in torque, horsepower and fuel economy.

The National Biodiesel Board and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have spent more than $10 million testing B20 and understanding how it works in the new diesel engines and after-treatment technology during the last five years. That’s in addition to research and development efforts by original equipment manufacturers such as Ford.

Ford dominates the on-road diesel truck market with nearly a 46 percent market share of the diesel vehicle registrations in the United States, according to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.