Presentation on success stories and challenges ahead to make global agriculture more climate smart. Brownbag presentation in the WorldBank on 15th May by Andy Jarvis from the CCAFS program of the CGIAR.
Presentation by Jeremy Bird, DG, International Water Management Institute, at the CCAFS Workshop on Institutions and Policies to Scale out Climate Smart Agriculture held between 2-5 December 2013 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Presentation by Sonja Vermeulen, Head of Research, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) at University of Copenhagen, 13 June 2012. Visit www.ccafs.cgiar.org for more.
Agriculture in developing countries must undergo a significant transformation in order to meet the related challenges of achieving food security and responding to climate change. Projections based on population growth and food consumption patterns indicate that agricultural production will need to increase by at least 70 percent to meet demands by 2050. Most estimates also indicate that climate change is likely to reduce agricultural productivity, production stability and incomes in some areas that already have high levels of food insecurity. Developing climate-smart agriculture is thus crucial to achieving future food security and climate change goals. This seminar describe an approach to deal with the above issue viz. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and also examines some of the key technical, institutional, policy and financial responses required to achieve this transformation. Building on cases from the field, the seminar try to outlines a range of practices, approaches and tools aimed at increase the resilience and productivity of agricultural product systems, while also reducing and removing emissions. A part of the seminar elaborates institutional and policy options available to promote the transition to climate-smart agriculture at the smallholder level. Finally, the paper considers current gaps and makes innovative suggestion regarding the combined use of different sources, financing mechanism and delivery systems.
Priorities for Public Sector Research on Food Security and Natural Resources Report Presentation by Frank Place, ICRAF and Alexandre Meybeck, FAO
on April 12, 2013 at the Food Security Futures Conference in Dublin, Ireland.
Presentation on success stories and challenges ahead to make global agriculture more climate smart. Brownbag presentation in the WorldBank on 15th May by Andy Jarvis from the CCAFS program of the CGIAR.
Presentation by Jeremy Bird, DG, International Water Management Institute, at the CCAFS Workshop on Institutions and Policies to Scale out Climate Smart Agriculture held between 2-5 December 2013 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Presentation by Sonja Vermeulen, Head of Research, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) at University of Copenhagen, 13 June 2012. Visit www.ccafs.cgiar.org for more.
Agriculture in developing countries must undergo a significant transformation in order to meet the related challenges of achieving food security and responding to climate change. Projections based on population growth and food consumption patterns indicate that agricultural production will need to increase by at least 70 percent to meet demands by 2050. Most estimates also indicate that climate change is likely to reduce agricultural productivity, production stability and incomes in some areas that already have high levels of food insecurity. Developing climate-smart agriculture is thus crucial to achieving future food security and climate change goals. This seminar describe an approach to deal with the above issue viz. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and also examines some of the key technical, institutional, policy and financial responses required to achieve this transformation. Building on cases from the field, the seminar try to outlines a range of practices, approaches and tools aimed at increase the resilience and productivity of agricultural product systems, while also reducing and removing emissions. A part of the seminar elaborates institutional and policy options available to promote the transition to climate-smart agriculture at the smallholder level. Finally, the paper considers current gaps and makes innovative suggestion regarding the combined use of different sources, financing mechanism and delivery systems.
Priorities for Public Sector Research on Food Security and Natural Resources Report Presentation by Frank Place, ICRAF and Alexandre Meybeck, FAO
on April 12, 2013 at the Food Security Futures Conference in Dublin, Ireland.
Food, water, energy nexus as an adaptation mechanism golam rasulICIMOD
Food-Water-Energy Nexus Approach: An Option for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region
Nexus approach is a system-wise approach
Provide a framework for assessing trade-offs & synergies
Improve resource use efficiency
Support minimizing trade-offs, maximizing synergies
Generate co-benefits through harnessing complementarities
The nexus approach encourage mutually beneficial responses and enhance the potential for cooperation between & among all sectors.
Most adaptation measures are sectoral or project driven
Sectoral approach promote cross-sectoral externalities and Mal-adaptation
Understanding the interlinkages between the water, energy, and food is vital for devising sustainable adaptation strategy
Nexus can be a pathway to climate adaptation and sustainable development through enhancing synergies and complementarities
Presentation on the rapid evidence review findings and key take away messages.
Current evidence for biodiversity and agriculture to achieve and bridging gaps in research and investment to reach multiple global goals.
Presentation by Robert Zougmore, CCAFS Regional Program Leader, West Africa, at the at the CCAFS Workshop on Institutions and Policies to Scale out Climate Smart Agriculture held between 2-5 December 2013, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Improving diet diversity, quality and ecosystem sustainability. By Federico Mattei Bioversity International. Read more about Bioversity International’s work on diet diversity for nutrition and health. http://www.bioversityinternational.org/research-portfolio/diet-diversity/
Agrarian change in tropical forests: A change for the better?CIFOR-ICRAF
A presentation by Terry Sunderland and team on 3 December 2016 at the second annual meeting of the FLARE (Forests and Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, and Engagement) network, Edinburgh.
Agrarian change in tropical forests: A change for the better?CIFOR-ICRAF
Agricultural expansion has resulted in losses to habitats, forests, ecosystems and biological diversity. Socio-ecological research methods were used to assess the livelihood impacts of agrarian change across the forest transition in six tropical landscapes in Zambia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Early findings suggest the transition from a forested landscape to a more agrarian-dominated system does not immediately result in better livelihood outcomes, and there may be unintended consequences.
This presentation was given by Terry Sunderland at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conversation.
A presentation given by Nathan Schock, Director of Public Affairs & CSR for POET, on Conservation Biomass. For more information on Conservation Biomass, go to http://www.poet.com/discovery/releases/showRelease.asp?id=289&year=2011&categoryid=0
Food, water, energy nexus as an adaptation mechanism golam rasulICIMOD
Food-Water-Energy Nexus Approach: An Option for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region
Nexus approach is a system-wise approach
Provide a framework for assessing trade-offs & synergies
Improve resource use efficiency
Support minimizing trade-offs, maximizing synergies
Generate co-benefits through harnessing complementarities
The nexus approach encourage mutually beneficial responses and enhance the potential for cooperation between & among all sectors.
Most adaptation measures are sectoral or project driven
Sectoral approach promote cross-sectoral externalities and Mal-adaptation
Understanding the interlinkages between the water, energy, and food is vital for devising sustainable adaptation strategy
Nexus can be a pathway to climate adaptation and sustainable development through enhancing synergies and complementarities
Presentation on the rapid evidence review findings and key take away messages.
Current evidence for biodiversity and agriculture to achieve and bridging gaps in research and investment to reach multiple global goals.
Presentation by Robert Zougmore, CCAFS Regional Program Leader, West Africa, at the at the CCAFS Workshop on Institutions and Policies to Scale out Climate Smart Agriculture held between 2-5 December 2013, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Improving diet diversity, quality and ecosystem sustainability. By Federico Mattei Bioversity International. Read more about Bioversity International’s work on diet diversity for nutrition and health. http://www.bioversityinternational.org/research-portfolio/diet-diversity/
Agrarian change in tropical forests: A change for the better?CIFOR-ICRAF
A presentation by Terry Sunderland and team on 3 December 2016 at the second annual meeting of the FLARE (Forests and Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, and Engagement) network, Edinburgh.
Agrarian change in tropical forests: A change for the better?CIFOR-ICRAF
Agricultural expansion has resulted in losses to habitats, forests, ecosystems and biological diversity. Socio-ecological research methods were used to assess the livelihood impacts of agrarian change across the forest transition in six tropical landscapes in Zambia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Early findings suggest the transition from a forested landscape to a more agrarian-dominated system does not immediately result in better livelihood outcomes, and there may be unintended consequences.
This presentation was given by Terry Sunderland at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conversation.
A presentation given by Nathan Schock, Director of Public Affairs & CSR for POET, on Conservation Biomass. For more information on Conservation Biomass, go to http://www.poet.com/discovery/releases/showRelease.asp?id=289&year=2011&categoryid=0
This presentation about the generation of garbage and the environmental issues in the purview of Sri Lankan Legal System as well as international Level.
Agriculture has been and continues to be the most important sector in Indian economy. Climate change is one of the most important environmental issues facing the world today. The impact of climate change is a reality and it cuts across all climates sensitive sectors including the Agriculture sector. In this situation this seminar focuses on the climate smart agriculture. CSA brings together practices, policies and institutions that are not necessarily new but are used in the context of climatic changes which is prime requirement in arena of climate change. Farmers possessed low level of knowledge regarding climate change, and they adopted traditional methods to mitigate the impact of climate change. Small land holdings, poor extension services and non availability of stress tolerant verities were the major problems faced by the farmers in adoption to climate change. Extension functionaries were having medium level awareness about impact of climate change on agriculture. They used electronic media, training and conferences and seminars as major sources of information for climate change. They need training on climate smart agriculture aspects. Based on the above facts this presentation focuses on analyzing the opportunities and challenges of climate smart agriculture.
Innovation for Sustainable Food and AgricultureFAO
Presentación (inglés) de Clayton Campanhola (FAO) en el marco del Eleventh regional planners forum on agriculture and Symposium on innovation systems for sustainable agriculture and rural development, realizado en Barbados del 13 al 15 de septiembre de 2017.
Author: Sara J. Scherr, Ecoagriculture Partners. Part of the keynote address at the 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry in Nairobi, Kenya. 24 August 2009.
It costs $1 a day to feed a child a salad & 35 cents to feed a child pizza. What do you think schools feed our children?
The CoCo San Sustainable Farm in Martinez, CA is a project of the Earth Island institute, a non-profit environmental incubator in Berkeley.
It costs $1 a day to feed a child a salad. Schools can not afford that. The food bank can not get salad vegetables because they are highly perishable and unavailable locally. We will be providing some free and some reduced-price produce to schools and the food bank by growing produce at a very low cost.
We will grow produce on 33 acres of unused Central Contra Costa Sanitary District buffer land, using recycled agricultural-grade water, which is otherwise discharged into the Bay. This recycled water is high in organic nitrogen, providing free fertilizer.
The Food Bank is a mile from the farm and will pick up the produce and use existing systems to distribute it to schools and clients.
Hence, we are deploying under-utilized resources to nearly eliminate 4 of the major costs of food production: LAND, WATER, FERTILIZER, and TRANSPORTATION.
Our business model is to generate revenue by selling 75% of the crops; renting community garden plots with classes; selling advertizing at the farm and on our website; and charging a fee for special services and events. Because we are a non-profit, we will also generate income from donations and grants. We will be sharing net revenues with Central San, financially benefiting rate-payers.
One of the goals of the farm is to educate. Every aspect of science touches a farm such as physics, soil science, hydrology, meteorology, and nutrition. We are working with State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Teacher of the Year, the Community College Board, and an expert who created internships for NASA to integrate the farm into school curricula.
The farm will be an incubator for green jobs. We will partner with other sustainable businesses to showcase their products and teach aspects of jobs related to these industries.
The environment will also benefit. Plants sequester carbon and clean the air. We reduce the major types of carbon pollution associated with food production: FOSSIL FUEL- BASED FERTILIZER and TRANSPORT. We will also rebuild barren soil and increase ground water, benefiting two adjacent creeks.
Sanitary districts all over the world have unused buffer land and throw away recycled water. Sanitary districts in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties discharge about 200 million gallons of water into the Bay on a dry day and 1 billion gallons of water on a rainy day.
Our business model is scalable and once proven, other sanitary districts can emulate to not waste this precious resource.
The farm will produce a Win-Win-Win for public health, education, the environment, the economy, and rate-payers.
An apple a day will not keep the doctor away. But a salad a day might!
Presenters: Norman Uphoff and Amir Kassam
Title: Agroecological Strategies for Regenerative, Climate-Smart Agriculture with examples from CA and SRI
Venue: World Bank, Washington, DC
Date: September 29, 2016
Sponsor: The 1818 Society and Agriculture Global Practice, World Bank, Washington, DC
UNDERSTANDING WHAT GREEN WASHING IS!.pdfJulietMogola
Many companies today use green washing to lure the public into thinking they are conserving the environment but in real sense they are doing more harm. There have been such several cases from very big companies here in Kenya and also globally. This ranges from various sectors from manufacturing and goes to consumer products. Educating people on greenwashing will enable people to make better choices based on their analysis and not on what they see on marketing sites.
different Modes of Insect Plant InteractionArchita Das
different modes of interaction between insects and plants including mutualism, commensalism, antagonism, Pairwise and diffuse coevolution, Plant defenses, how coevolution started
WRI’s brand new “Food Service Playbook for Promoting Sustainable Food Choices” gives food service operators the very latest strategies for creating dining environments that empower consumers to choose sustainable, plant-rich dishes. This research builds off our first guide for food service, now with industry experience and insights from nearly 350 academic trials.
Climate Change All over the World .pptxsairaanwer024
Climate change refers to significant and lasting changes in the average weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It encompasses both global warming driven by human emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. While climate change is a natural phenomenon, human activities, particularly since the Industrial Revolution, have accelerated its pace and intensity
"Understanding the Carbon Cycle: Processes, Human Impacts, and Strategies for...MMariSelvam4
The carbon cycle is a critical component of Earth's environmental system, governing the movement and transformation of carbon through various reservoirs, including the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms. This complex cycle involves several key processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and carbon sequestration, each contributing to the regulation of carbon levels on the planet.
Human activities, particularly fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, have significantly altered the natural carbon cycle, leading to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and driving climate change. Understanding the intricacies of the carbon cycle is essential for assessing the impacts of these changes and developing effective mitigation strategies.
By studying the carbon cycle, scientists can identify carbon sources and sinks, measure carbon fluxes, and predict future trends. This knowledge is crucial for crafting policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, enhancing carbon storage, and promoting sustainable practices. The carbon cycle's interplay with climate systems, ecosystems, and human activities underscores its importance in maintaining a stable and healthy planet.
In-depth exploration of the carbon cycle reveals the delicate balance required to sustain life and the urgent need to address anthropogenic influences. Through research, education, and policy, we can work towards restoring equilibrium in the carbon cycle and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
Improving the viability of probiotics by encapsulation methods for developmen...Open Access Research Paper
The popularity of functional foods among scientists and common people has been increasing day by day. Awareness and modernization make the consumer think better regarding food and nutrition. Now a day’s individual knows very well about the relation between food consumption and disease prevalence. Humans have a diversity of microbes in the gut that together form the gut microflora. Probiotics are the health-promoting live microbial cells improve host health through gut and brain connection and fighting against harmful bacteria. Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are the two bacterial genera which are considered to be probiotic. These good bacteria are facing challenges of viability. There are so many factors such as sensitivity to heat, pH, acidity, osmotic effect, mechanical shear, chemical components, freezing and storage time as well which affects the viability of probiotics in the dairy food matrix as well as in the gut. Multiple efforts have been done in the past and ongoing in present for these beneficial microbial population stability until their destination in the gut. One of a useful technique known as microencapsulation makes the probiotic effective in the diversified conditions and maintain these microbe’s community to the optimum level for achieving targeted benefits. Dairy products are found to be an ideal vehicle for probiotic incorporation. It has been seen that the encapsulated microbial cells show higher viability than the free cells in different processing and storage conditions as well as against bile salts in the gut. They make the food functional when incorporated, without affecting the product sensory characteristics.
Epcon is One of the World's leading Manufacturing Companies.EpconLP
Epcon is One of the World's leading Manufacturing Companies. With over 4000 installations worldwide, EPCON has been pioneering new techniques since 1977 that have become industry standards now. Founded in 1977, Epcon has grown from a one-man operation to a global leader in developing and manufacturing innovative air pollution control technology and industrial heating equipment.
Top 8 Strategies for Effective Sustainable Waste Management.pdfJhon Wick
Discover top strategies for effective sustainable waste management, including product removal and product destruction. Learn how to reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, implement waste segregation, and explore innovative technologies for a greener future.
Presented by The Global Peatlands Assessment: Mapping, Policy, and Action at GLF Peatlands 2024 - The Global Peatlands Assessment: Mapping, Policy, and Action
1. Midwestern Management of Biomass for Energy,
Soil and Water Conservation and Soil Health
Douglas L. Karlen, Larry Beeler, and Bruce E. Dale
USDA-ARS, USDA-NRCS, and Michigan State University
Presented at the 15th SWCS/SSSA Joint Symposium
SWCS Annual Meeting – Lombard, Illinois
July 29, 2014
2. Midwest biomass: the past, present and future
Lessons learned regarding sustainable corn
stover harvest
NRCS guidelines and programs available to
biomass suppliers
Critical soil and water research needed for
sustainable biomass supplies
Presentation Overview
3. Biomass is Not a New Midwestern Commodity
Native Americans Managed Prairie for Bison Grazing
From H.F. Reetz
5. Corn and soybean are dominant crops because
of soil resources, climate and infra-structure
Production of these crops has been successful
but ecosystem services have been disrupted
Growing demand for biomass for biofuel and/or
bio-products creates opportunities to optimize
cropping systems
Integrating food, feed and fuel production could
improve productivity and ecosystem services
The Midwest – Current Status
Midwest Regional Roadmap
www.swcs.org/roadmap)
6. Renewable energy is essential for human well-being
The rate of energy use (rate of doing work) strongly
affects, even determines, national wealth and
opportunities for human development
All rich societies use a lot of energy (~33% oil)
“Energy efficiency” is essential but insufficient in
itself
Fossil energy use makes us rich today—what energy
sources will make our children rich? Answer: fossil
energy cannot, it will be gone in the next few
decades….
7. Why renewable energy is crucial
Without it, how will the billions of poor people in the
world ever access enough fossil energy to develop
their potential? Answer: they cannot, it will be gone
in the next few decades…
Globally, we must have renewable energy — lots of it
in the next few decades
Why? Because of all forms of energy, liquid fuels are
the most valuable and most problematic in terms of
supply, price and price volatility
8. Why renewable energy is crucial
Although controversial, peak oil quite likely has
already arrived
Only large scale, low cost, low carbon energy sources
can reduce GHGs, provide energy security and long
term wealth
Biofuels (liquid fuels from plant material) are not
optional — we must have them — but they must also
become much more sustainable
10. US-EPA and others identified corn stover as
the most economical feedstock because of:
The extensive area on which corn is grown (planted on an
average of 97,272,000 acres in 2011 – 2013)
The relatively high crop productivity (an average of 11.9
billion bushels of grain for those years)
Potential average stover production of 282 million tons
per year based on a 0.5 harvest index
The potential to reduce crop residue management costs
by harvesting a portion of the stover
11. BUT – stover is also important for soil health!
2013 winter erosion in Story County, Iowa
2013 corn production site in Green County, Wisconsin
12. Excessive Stover Harvest Can Result in:
Compaction & crusting
Degraded structure & aggregation
Water & wind erosion
Reduced plant growth
Impaired soil biology
Decreased yield
Reduced Soil Productivity
14. Compiled 239 site-years of stover harvest data
Effects on subsequent grain and stover yields
Effects on soil organic carbon (C) & aggregation
Effects on microbial community
Effects on GHG emissions
Summarized in: BioEnergy Research, Vol. 2, 2014
Developed the Landscape Environmental Assessment
Framework (LEAF) and other tools to:
Estimate available residue
Quantify economics
Ensure ecosystem service benefits are sustained
What Was Accomplished?
This involved ARS, DOE, university, and private industry partners
15. Utilized Multiple Harvest Technologies
University Park
Lincoln
Ames, Morris & St. Paul Florence Industry Collaborators
16. What Was Learned?
Corn grain yields ranged from 5.0 to 14.3 Mg ha-1 (80
to 227 bu/acre)
Average grain yield response to stover harvest was
minimal:
9.8, 10.1, and 10.1 Mg ha-1 (156, 160, and 160 bu/acre) for:
No, moderate (3.9 Mg ha-1 or 1.7 tons/acre), or high removal
(7.2 Mg ha-1 or 3.2 tons/acre)
Sustainable stover harvest rates are site specific –
averages are meaningless
Appropriate residue harvest may encourage Midwest
producers to adopt no-till corn production practices
17. Other Lessons – Including Soil Health
Compared to harvesting only grain – N, P, and K removal
are increased by at least 16, 2, and 18 kg Mg-1 of stover
Minimum residue return projections for 35 studies were
6.38 ± 2.19 Mg stover ha-1 yr-1
For grain yields ≤ 11 Mg ha-1 (175 bu ac-1), ten years of
stover harvest, even with no-tillage, resulted in reduced
POM (particulate organic matter) accumulation
Low corn yields shifted the dry aggregate distribution
toward smaller soil aggregates
Insufficient yields resulted in undesirable shifts in the
microbial community
Overall, sustainable supplies of corn stover may be lower
than initially projected because of weather-induced yield
variability
18. Strategies to Ensure Sustainability
Encourage the entire biomass industry to understand
the economic driver – limiting factor model
19. Strategies Continued
Seek large, complementary, and beneficial changes:
we need food (feed) and fuel and sustainability and
rural economic development and better social
outcomes
Living mulches Oilseeds
20. Double Cropping
Growing cover crops (rye, triticale, brassicas) during the winter &
early spring on “dedicated” corn or soybean land:
Does NOT require new land
Increases sustainable corn stover harvest rate
Provides addition biomass for biofuels, animal feed, etc
Reframes the “food vs. fuel” debate
Holt, MI: May 5, 2005
21. Strategies Continued
Continue to develop management tools such as the
Landscape Environmental Assessment Framework
(LEAF) and self-regulating strategies to ensure
sustainability
Re-diversify
the Midwestern
Landscape
22. Re-Diversification Requires the Right Question
We are asking: Can we impose a very large new
demand for biofuels on the existing agricultural
system without creating soil, water, or other problems?
We should be asking: Can we redesign U.S. agriculture
to produce biofuels, food/feed, and environmental
services?
Would you enter the Indy 500 race driving a golf cart?
Would you use a toothbrush to sweep the floor?
Agriculture has changed before; it can change again
Examine actual land uses: most land is used for animal feed
Therefore: co-produce animal feeds with biofuels and/or
make much better use of pasture land
23. An Alfalfa Paradigm Shift
Goal – diversify landscape, provide feedstock,
improve soil health, & protect water quality
24. Alfalfa Leaf Protein Collection & Extraction
Create market-pull for perennials by starting with a familiar crop
25. NRCS & FSA Biomass Perspectives
Energy crops include:
Woody species – cottonwood, hybrid poplas, silver maple,
black locust, sweetgum, eucalyptus, sycamore and willow
Hebaceous perennials – switchgrass, bluestem, reed
canarygrass, wheatgrass, miscanthus
Residues from annual crops – corn, sorghum and soybean
Biomass crops should be grown in ways that ensure
environmental and economic sustainability, with
minimal or no adverse effects on natural ecosystems,
biodiversity and with minimal reliance on any single
crop
26. NRCS & FSA Biomass Production Programs
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP)
Establishment payments for 50% of the costs for establishing
a new, perennial energy crop
Maintenance payments until the crop matures (up to: 5 years
for herbaceous crops, 15 years for woody crops)
Retrieval payments (matching) for mitigating the cost of
harvesting and transporting agricultural and forestry residues
to the end-use facility
27. Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) Perspectives
Bioenergy made from sustainably harvested cover crops
has the potential to build the country’s renewable energy
portfolio while conserving resources and increasing
farmers’ income.
Creation of local biomass markets and greater access to
incentives could significantly increase adoption rates for
cover crops
Biomass potential and Trade-Offs
Cover crops producing 2 to 5 tons/acre could provide 44 to 110
million tons of biomass per year if 10% of the nation’s 220 million
acres were planted and harvested
If incentives resulted in 30% adoption of cover crops, this
feedstock could provide 10 to 36 billion gallons of ethanol.
The primary concern regarding cover crops is their potential
negative effects on the yield of subsequent primary crops.
28. Research Needs
Effective and efficient strategies for incorporating cover
crops in stover harvest systems
No-tillage technologies that incorporate site-specific,
variable-rate seeding
Innovative harvest methods and new uses for perennial
crops
Improved herbaceous and woody biomass cultivars with
higher yield potential & better biofuel/bio-product
characteristics
Quantify habitat impact of harvesting biomass
Quantify runoff, nutrient, and pesticide losses associated
with biomass harvest
Develop options and practices that enhance the value of
marginal lands
29. Summary & Conclusions
Renewable energy is essential for human well-
being
Biofuels (liquid fuels from plant material) are not
optional — we must have them — but they must be
truly sustainable – economically, environmentally,
& socially
Finally, borrowing from the Wizard of Oz – “If we
only had a brain” we conclude that any perceived
food vs. fuel conflict can be solved without having
a negative impact on soil, water, or air resources
by simply using our heads!
30. Developing Sustainable Stover Harvest
Strategies is Just a First Step Toward Solving
Multiple Energy and Ecosystem Challenges
Any Questions?