The Tropical Sugarbeet Variety Trial involves planting, data collection, monitoring, harvesting, and data processing for six sugar beet varieties at four test plots across North Carolina.  In collaboration with Syngenta and researchers at North Carolina State University’s NC Solar Center, this project will allow the Biofuels Center to evaluate sugar beets as a potential biofuels crop in North Carolina. 

The project goals include:

• Planting Tropical Sugar Beets at four locations across the state,
• Determining whether or not Tropical Sugar Beets can survive in North Carolina, monitoring effects of climate, competition, insects, disease, etc.
• Measuring crop yield and testing for sugar content. 

Tropical Sugar Beets at the Biofuels Campus, Oxford, NC, September 2009.

Leveraged funds reported: $12,000
North Carolina counties benefiting from this project: Duplin, Granville, Moore, Wake, and Washington

For additional information about the impact of Biofuels Center funding and a brief explanation of award recipient reporting requirements, click here.

In North Carolina, advanced feedstocks have great potential for making biofuel production ecologically sustainable and economically attractive.  However, many challenges associated with producing and using advanced feedstocks have not been addressed.  The Biomass and Biotechnology for Biofuels project will launch a new era in the search for advanced feedstocks to be used in making biofuels.  Some of the hurdles that the project will address include regulatory approval, market adoption, education and outreach, and public perceptions of new feedstock products.

The Institute of Forest Biotechnology will coordinate with North Carolina State University and the Biofuels Center of North Carolina on the Biomass and Biotechnology for Biofuels project.  At the end of the three-year project, the Biofuels Center will have:

• The first-ever biotech tree test plot that is in accordance with the Responsible Use Initiative to exhibit world-class stewardship of advanced feedstocks.
• Deployed extremely rare Heritage Trees® developed specifically to test species rehabilitation and public understanding of applied biotechnologies.
• A coordinated, statistically-sound research program to discover public attitudes of a new, bio-based economy using advanced feedstocks and biofuel creation technologies.
• Published articles on the societal research and documentation of the results.
• Educational material that can be used as stand-alone products, targeted to policy and decision-makers, or used in conjunction with K-12 modular curricula.

   

The North Carolina Grows Biofuels project seeks to obtain data from crop and biomass trials at a number of agricultural research stations across the state.  Because it is statewide, data about variables such as climate and soil type can be collected and from that, economic models developed that will provide guidance to industry and the agricultural sector.  Click here to learn more about agriculture's role in biofuels feedstock supply.

Interest in wood-based energy, renewable fuels and bio-based value-added products has raised concerns about sustainable use of wood resources. Central to this discussion is the scarcity of reliable estimates of recoverable biomass from conventional timber harvesting. Researchers at North Carolina State University measured, categorized and estimated residues following conventional and biomass chip harvests. They also documented size and volume estimates of downed woody debris as a precursor to discussions about the ability of forest stands to continue to provide quality wildlife habitat and provide for clean water following biomass harvesting . Results from the study can inform discussions about the volume of post-harvest downed woody debris that remain after convention removal and after biomass harvesting.

Fieldwork for this project was conducted over the summer of 2009 with analysis being completed in the spring of 2010.  An interview with one of the researchers can be found here:

Forestry residues after pine harvesting.  Residues are frequently bulldozed into a heap and burned.

The Institute of Forest Biotechnology is managing the development of principles for genetically-engineered (biotech) trees through its Responsible Use Initiative.  These principles are critical for the state of North Carolina to continue its leadership in biotechnology and forestry.  Without these principles, the pace of technological development in forest biotechnology and use of these advanced trees will slow at the time of most need.

An unprecedented amount of resources are going into biotech tree research to meet demands for cellulosic fuel production and protecting against invasive threats.  A revolution in forestry will begin in the next few years.  Biotech trees will be planted extensively throughout the world to meet social and environmental demands.  However, there are no long-term principles guiding the stewardship of these trees.  Society needs a mechanism to determine which uses of biotech trees will bring benefit and which might cause harm.  There is a tremendous amount of work that must be accomplished before biotech trees are commercially available en mass – which is just a year or two away.  As with any powerful technology, there are both risks and benefits to its use.  This initiative will help protect the future of our forests.

The Institute of Forest Biotechnology is working with experts from around the world and interested stakeholders in a highly transparent process.  The Biofuels Center of North Carolina is supporting aspects of the initiative, including:

• Educational outreach to teach how biotechnology can benefit biofuels production
• Developing an online catalog and interactive map of all global forest biotechnology work
• Promotion of this initiative to involve more stakeholders and international experts
• Travel for international experts to come to North Carolina for collaboration

As an Initiative Sponsor, the Biofuels Center of North Carolina will also have direct, high-level access to the management of this initiative, and become part of the Forest Biotechnology Partnership.