Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #228915
Title: Biofuels, Bioenergy, and bioproducts from sustainable agricultural and forest crops

Author
item ZALESNY, JR., ROBERT - USFS
item Mitchell, Robert - Rob
item RICHARDSON, JIM - POPLAR COUNCIL OF CANADA

Submitted to: University of Minnesota Special Publication
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/2/2008
Publication Date: 7/11/2008
Citation: Zalesny, R.S., Jr., R.B. Mitchell, and J. Richardson (eds.). Biofuels, bioenergy, and bioproducts from sustainable agricultural and forest crops: proceedings of the Short-rotation Crops International Conference. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-31. Newtown Square, PA: USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 76 p. 2008. (Government Publication)

Interpretive Summary: This General Technical Report is the result of an international conference on agricultural and forest crops. It integrates the common underlying science and application of technologies for woody and herbaceous energy crops. The goal of this conference was to initiate and provide opportunities for an international forum on the science and application of producing agricultural and forest crops for biofuels, bioenergy, and bioproducts. There is a substantial global need for developing systems and technologies that can economically and sustainably produce short rotation crops across multiple scales in time and space. Topic areas were broken into the biological/environmental components and the economic and policy implications of sustainable biofuels, bioenergy, and bioproducts. Presentations addressed anatomy, breeding, genetics, physiology, ecosystem services, phytotechnologies, and production systems, as well as conversion technologies, costs and operational feasibility, environmental impacts and review, social factors, policy issues, and regional logistics.

Technical Abstract: Most conferences about short rotation crops have primarily focused on either agricultural or forest crops, resulting in less integration and slower advancement of common underlying science and application. The goal of this conference was to initiate and provide opportunities for an international forum on the science and application of producing both agricultural and forest crops for biofuels, bioenergy, and bioproducts. There is a substantial global need for development of such systems and technologies that can economically and sustainably produce short rotation crops across multiple temporal and spatial scales. Topic areas were (A) biological and environmental and (B) economic and policy implications of sustainable biofuels, bioenergy, and bioproducts. Presentations addressed anatomy, breeding, genetics, physiology, ecosystem services, phytotechnologies, and production systems (A), as well as conversion technologies, costs and operational feasibility, environmental impacts and review, social factors, policy issues, and regional logistics (B). A total of 74 abstracts from oral and poster presentations are included in these proceedings.