Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » News » At the frontline of research: On-farm anaerobic digestion

At the frontline of research: On-farm anaerobic digestion
headline bar

At the frontline of research: On-farm anaerobic digestion has the capacity to provide foundational infrastructure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 

 Sabrina Ruis and Rob Malone speaking about sustainable intensification of agriculture through harvesting winter cover crops as a cellulosic bioenergy feedstock for anaerobic digesters

On Tuesday, November 7, Dr. Sabrina Ruis and Dr. Rob Malone of NLAE will discuss 1) How Cover Crop Harvest Impact Soils and 2) Impacts of Winter Rye Energy Crops on Biomass Quantity, Nitrogen Loads, and Water Quality in the North Central US.

These talks are during the invited special session “Decarbonizing Agriculture with Winter Biomass Crops” at the ANAEROBIC DIGESTION ON THE FARM conference in Ames, IA.
Other speakers at the session include:
1) Stephanie Herbstritt, Bioenergy Manager, Clean Air Task Force discussing Rye as an Energy Cover Crop; Doubling Up for Energy, Carbon and Economic Sustainability and
2) Bryan Sievers, Owner, Sievers Family Farms and Director of Government Relations, Roeslein Alternative Energy discussing Farm and Industry Perspectives on Harvesting Cover Crops for Bioenergy.
This Anaerobic Digestion on the Farm conference emerged from a partnership between the U.S. EPA, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa. On-farm anaerobic digestion has the capacity to provide foundational infrastructure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a more circular bioeconomy, while also providing new income streams for farmers and supporting rural economies.