by Scott Weybright (Washington State University College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences) Washington State University scientists are working to
soil
Back TO HOMEDegradation of Biobased Plastics in the Soil
(Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research) The idea of biodegradable plastics sounds good at first. However, very little is known about how
October 15, 2021 Read Full Article
Connections: Saying Goodbye to a Soil Organic Matter Fundamental
by Sally Brown (BioCycle Magazine) ... This fuller understanding of how SOM (soil organic carbon) operates in no way takes
September 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Impact of Diesel and Biodiesel Contamination on Soil Microbial Community Activity and Structure
Eduardo K. Mitter, James J. Germida and J. Renato de Freitas (Scientific Reports) Soil contamination as a result of oil
June 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Boeing Planning to Debut 100% Biofuel Planes by 2030
by Sarah George (edie.net/Eurative) Boeing has already completed one commercial flight using 100% biofuel in 2018 --Boeing Co has unveiled
January 25, 2021 Read Full Article
Smart Farms of the Future: Making Bioenergy Crops More Environmentally Friendly
by Julie Chao (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Berkeley Lab launches three new projects to advance sustainable agricultural practices ... The three
June 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Leading with Soil: Scaling Soil Carbon Storage in Agriculture
(Carbon 180) Soil carbon storage offers significant economic and environmental opportunities for farmers and ranchers. Agricultural practices that store carbon
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
DOE Project at U of I Will Measure Bioenergy Crop Carbon Emissions
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment) The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $3.3 million
January 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Argonne Collaboration Shows Benefits of Better Corn Residue Management Strategies
(U.S. Department of Energy) As the global population swells, boosting the demand for both food and energy, land management has never
December 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Environmental Groups Commend New Pilot Environmental Quality and Incentive Program in 2018 Farm Bill Report
(Grain Net) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), Environmental Entrepreneurs(E2), the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) thank the Farm Bill conferees
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Part of the Answer to Climate Change May Be America’s Trees and Dirt, Scientists Say
by Brad Plumer (New York Times) ... A new study published on Wednesday, however, found that better management of forests, grasslands
November 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Activating the Right Bacteria: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to 3Bar Biologics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 3Bar Biologics’ Bio-YIELD uses naturally occurring microbes that are precisely matched to specific crops and soil
November 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Resilience through Regional Partnership: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the SPARC Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Southeastern Partnership for Advanced Renewables from Carinata (SPARC) is a consortium consisting of the University of Florida
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
United States Biochar Initiative 2018 Conference: “The Carbon Link in Watershed Ecosystem Services” Stories from Stockholm to Virginia
by Bill Keba* (Advanced Biofuels USA) My wife checked my fishing gear upon learning that I was attending the Biochar
September 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Soil Health Policy Resources Now Available: A Catalog of Academic, State Agency and Legislative Policies and Programs to Advance Soil Health
(The Soil Health Institute/Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire) Soil health policies are growing in number and importance across the United States but
August 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Putting Bacteria to Work
(U.S. Department of Energy) The idea of bacteria as diverse, complex perceptive entities that can hunt prey in packs, remember past
July 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Diesel Tree: Fuel for the Alternative Energy Sector
by Glenneis Kriel (Farmer's Weekly) Christo Smit, a former researcher at the Agricultural Research Council, is working on developing a sustainable
July 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Researcher Wins DOE Grant to Study Sustainability of Biofuels
(University of Idaho/Ethanol Producer Magazine) University of Idaho College of Natural Resources Assistant Professor Tara Hudiburg was awarded $750,000 to study the sustainability
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Focus Growing on Win-Win Soil Health Outcomes
(Solutions from the Land) U.S. agricultural producers have long understood that healthy soil is a critical requirement for the production of
May 07, 2018 Read Full Article
NACSAA Advances Recommendations to Shape UNFCCC Agricultural Work Program
(25 x '25/North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) Last November, we wrote here of a major breakthrough occurring at the
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Agroforestry Systems May Play Vital Role in Mitigating Climate Change
by Jeff Mulhollem (Penn State News) Agroforestry could play an important role in mitigating climate change because it sequesters more atmospheric carbon
February 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Farmland Could Be Used to Sustainably Offset America’s Entire Carbon Footprint—if the Will Exists
by Louis Verchot (Quartz) ... Positive agricultural interventions could achieve up to 6% of reduction emissions needed to achieve the Paris Agreement goals—showing
January 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Ag Secretary to Roll out Farm Bill & Legislative Principles in Pennsylvania
(Wisconsin State Farmer) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will be in Pennsylvania Wednesday, Jan. 24 to roll out the U.S. Department
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Research Finds Land Management Practices Matter in Cellulosic Biofuels Production
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) New research from Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Chicago at Illinois and
January 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Gathering Momentum around Soil Carbon Sequestration
(CGIAR) Evidence-based science on the mitigation and socio-economic impacts of soil carbon sequestration is needed to support commitments to sustainable development
December 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Better Soil Could Trap as Much Planet-Warming Carbon as Transport Produces: Study
by Thin Lei Win (Reuters) Improving soil health in farmlands could capture extra carbon equivalent to the planet-warming emissions generated by
November 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Growing the Future: WVU Biologists Team up to Research New Bioproducts
by Kathy Swisher (West Virginia University) West Virginia University biologists are part of a $40 million Department of Energy effort
September 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Markus Ribbe and Yilin Hu: Brewing Biofuel from Bacteria
by Wendy Wolfson (University of California Irvine Applied Innovation) In a high-ceiling room in professor Markus Ribbe’s lab, a giant
August 31, 2017 Read Full Article
This Is Why When You Talk about Climate Change, You Can’t Ignore Agriculture
by Chelsea Harvey (The Washington Post) ... In a paper published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers
August 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Meeting Needs, Maximizing Benefits
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Farmers continuously implement new environmentally friendly techniques to raise their crops. -- Corn farmers—and
June 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Corn with a Cover of Grass: Finding Best Combination for Biofuel Corn, Soil Protection
(Phys.Org) ... Taking up this double-edged sword is Cynthia Bartel, a doctoral candidate at Iowa State University. She's finding a way
April 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Here Comes BioChina: Amyris, Others Bypass the 4 Myths of Business in the Middle Kingdom
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From California arrives the very interesting news that Amyris has entered into an agreement with
April 19, 2017 Read Full Article
How Ethanol Is Making North Dakota Farmland Less Fertile
by Sam Harrington (Yale Climate Connections) Until about 10 years ago, spring wheat was a favorite crop for farmers in North
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
The Whole-Soil Carbon Flux in Response to Warming
by Caitlin E. Hicks Pries, C. Castanha, R. C. Porras, M. S. Torn (Science Magazine) Soils contain about twice as much carbon as Earth's
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor: Disruptive Technology, Feedstocks under the Microscope at ABLC 2017’s Opening Day
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... While there were big questions, there were big answers, beginning with a panel on
March 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Berkeley Lab Awarded $4.6 Million for Transformational Agriculture Technologies
by Julie Chao (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Two projects will provide a window to the underground, yielding information on roots
December 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Switchgrass May Be a Good Option for Farmers Who Have Lost Fertile Topsoil
(University of Missouri) Switchgrass Can Improve Soil Quality on Eroded Farms, Study Finds -- The loss of fertile topsoil from
December 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Preliminary Approval to the Project to Reuse Cooking Oil for Biodiesel
(30 Dias de Noticias (Google translation)) It aims to boost production of biofuels and avoid contamination. -- The bill the
November 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Bacteria Turn Trees into Pollution-Eating Machines
by Anthony King (Horizon Magazine) Hacking trees by adding bacteria to their roots could help scrub contaminated soil clean of
November 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Switching to Switchgrass? Study Models Soil Impact of Biofuel Crops
by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News) ... The Argonne modeling shows that when grassland, cropland and pasture in the Midwest are
August 30, 2016 Read Full Article
ABC: Bill Signals Building Support for Nutrient Recycling, Biogas
(American Biogas Council/Biomass Magazine) Last week, Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Pat Robert, R-Kan., introduced new bipartisan legislation, the Agriculture
July 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Decision Support: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to AgSolver Land Management Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) AgSolver agronomic decision service products help increase profits by improving land management decisions, simplifying mandatory
July 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Crop Modeling Predicts Soil Carbon Increases
by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory are using computational modeling to predict
July 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Modeling Predicts which Counties Could Store More Carbon in Soil by Growing Bioenergy Crops
by Katie Elyce Jones (Phys.Org) To help stakeholders in government and business make smart decisions about the best types of
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Biogeochemical Research Priorities for Sustainable Biofuel and Bioenergy Feedstock Production in the Americas.
by Gollany HT, Titus BD, Scott DA, Asbjornsen H, Resh SC, Chimner RA, Kaczmarek DJ, Leite LF, Ferreira AC, Rod
June 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Cover Crop Work Continues as Part of Biomass Research for Cellulosic Ethanol
(POET) POET is expanding its cover crop research as part of soil sustainability work in Emmetsburg, Iowa for cellulosic
June 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Are Ethanol Opponents Sniffing Glue? Something Is Making Them Dizzy!
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) ... In preparation for this hearing and EPA process, a group called American Council For
June 10, 2016 Read Full Article
How Big Data is Disrupting Agriculture from Biological Discovery to Farming Practices
by Vonnie Estes (AgFunderNews) With the need to produce more food using fewer inputs, agriculture is seeking new products, practices
June 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry Results, Additional $72.3 Million Soil Health Investment to Support Paris Agreement
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack shared the first results of USDA's Building Blocks for Climate Smart
May 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Carbon Farming – Agriculture’s Answer to Climate Change?
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On April 12, the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) announced a
April 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Soil Health Partnership Participation Explodes
by Lizzy Schultz (AgWired) Twenty-five more farms have joined in on the groundbreaking research effort from Soil Health Partnership (SHP)
March 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Best for Biofuels
by Dave Evensen (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Research finds where bioenergy crops would grow best while minimizing detrimental effects on
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Cool Planet Raises $9m to Commercialize Co2 Sequestering Biocarbon Soil Input
by Louisa Burwood-Taylor (AgFunder News) Cool Planet, the biocarbon and biofuel producer, has raised $9 million in extra funding to
February 11, 2016 Read Full Article
The Economics of Cover Crops
by Cindy Zimmerman (AgWired) At the first Soil Health Summit last year, I talked with Purdue University agricultural economist Dr.
January 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Ecological Farming: A Different Form of Agtech –Exclusive Report
by Louisa Burwood-Taylor (AgFunderNews) ... “Ecological farming is ‘AgTech’ but of a different kind. It is a return to the original definition
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Six-Year Study Suggests Perennial Crop Yields Can Compete with Corn Stover
by Mark E. Griffin (Wisconsin Energy Institute/University of Wisconsin) A six-year Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) study on the
December 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Re-Thinking the Carbon Reduction Value of Corn Ethanol Fuel
by Ron Alverson (Ethanol Across America) It has been seven years since Argonne National Labs (ANL), as part of the
December 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Biosensor Technology Will Visualize Movement of Phosphate from Soil Fungi to Plant Roots
(Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research/EurekAlert!) DOE-funded project will track movement of phosphate in real time -- Professor Maria Harrison
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Energy Crop Miscanthus in Trials to Restore Flood Plain Soils
(Bioenegy Insight) The Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK and the supply chain specialist Terravesta are running new trials to examine
December 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Projects Receive DOE ARPA-E Grants
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has announced that the U.S. DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy
December 04, 2015 Read Full Article
New Study Provides A Boost To UK Renewable Fuel Industry
(Rural Energy News) The conclusions of five years of field research, released today, show that the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
November 12, 2015 Read Full Article
UK Study Shows Greater GHG Benefits from Biofuels
(Renewable Energy Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The conclusions of five years of field research in the UK show that the greenhouse
November 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Is a Net Energy Winner
by Monte Shaw (Iowa Renewable Fuels Association/Des Moines Register) Letter to Editor: I was embarrassed for the University of Northern
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Better Biofuels Ahead: The Road to Low-Carbon Fuels
by Emily Cassidy (Environmental Working Group) Biofuels produced from switchgrass and post-harvest corn waste could significantly reduce the emissions that contribute
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Balance Stover Sales with Needed Field Cover: Iowa State Soils Expert
by Gene Lucht (Iowa Farmer Today) Mahdi Al-Kaisi is not against using corn stover to make cellulosic ethanol products, and
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Three Sustainability Tools Are Enhancing Environmental Benefits of Biofuels
by Kristen Johnson and Alicia Moulton (U.S. Department of Energy) At the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, we’re actively working
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Marginal Soil Can Make for Good Biofuel Crops
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) Switchgrass, a perennial native to the tallgrass prairie, is one of the most promising bioenergy crops
October 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Can Reduce Fall Tillage
by David Hest (Corn+Soybean Digest) Farmers find stover removal for cellulosic ethanol boosts yields, reduces costs and saves soil. Like a
October 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Researchers Receive $15 Million for Biofuel Crop Study
(UT News) A researcher at The University of Texas at Austin will receive two grants totaling $15 million to study
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Grant to Improve a Sustainable Biofuel Source
by Lauren Klamm (Source) Colorado State University is one of 10 institutions in a $13.8 million research grant to improve
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Not Just about Bin-Busting
by Tom Doran (AgriNews) ... “When it comes to growing corn, no one does it better than America’s family farmers,” National Corn
October 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Grant to Help Increase Biofuels Yield while Limiting Fertilizer Use
(Michigan State University) Michigan State University has earned a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to better
September 10, 2015 Read Full Article
How the Increasing Amount of Biofuels Affect Land Management
(ECN Magazine/Argonne National Laboratory) The handling of agricultural crop residues appears to have a large impact on soil's ability to
May 30, 2015 Read Full Article
ISU Agronomist Weighs Impacts of Corn Residue Removal
(Iowa State University/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Farmers who are considering selling corn residue from their fields to produce cellulosic ethanol first
April 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Miscanthus Tops Stover, Switchgrass as Ideal Ethanol Source
(Farm Futures) Models predict that miscanthus will have higher fuel yield and profit when compared to corn stover and switchgrass A
March 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Report Based on False Assumption of Either-Or Land Use Approach
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) In the World Resources Institute (WRI) working paper, “Avoiding Bioenergy Competition for Food Crops and
February 08, 2015 Read Full Article
World Resources Institute Wrong About Biofuels Impact on Land Use and the Environment
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today (January 30, 2015), the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) criticized a new report by World Resources
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
25x’25 Responds to Questionable Assessment of Bioenergy Production
(25x'25) A report released today by the World Resources Institute would seem to demonstrate the old adage: "The more things
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Soil Sensor Technology Uses Biocomposites
(North Dakota State University/Biomass Magazine) A technology developed at North Dakota State University creates precise in-the-ground measurement and monitoring of
January 09, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Observes Kick Off of the International Year of Soils
(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today begins its celebration of the International Year of Soils to
January 06, 2015 Read Full Article
KSG Agro Expert Believes the Production of Biofuels Should Not Disturb the Eco-Balance of Land
(KSG Agro) In the production of biofuels one should take into account the need to maintain soil fertility. This was
December 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Seeds of Cellulosic Ethanol
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) ... During a presentation at the American Seed Trade Association CSS 2014 and Seed Expo last
December 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Solutions Deserve a Major Role in U.S. Emission-Reduction Strategy
(25 x '25) A broad survey of farmers has documented a yield boost from the use of cover crops in
December 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Greenhouse Gas Report to Assist Producers Facing Climate Challenges
(US Department of Agriculture) For the First Time, USDA Climate Hubs Get New Tools to Gauge Progress in Building Drought-Resistant
August 12, 2014 Read Full Article
New USDA-ISU Report Validates Cellulosic Ethanol Biomass Sustainability
(POET/DSM) Emmetsburg research aggregated with 500+ years of other USDA site data Five years of soil nutrient data gathered at POET-DSM’s
June 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Sorghum May Be a “Sink” For Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Texas A&M Study Finds
by Rafaela Relvas (BioNews Texas) Researchers at Texas A&M University conducted a study that brought new insights regarding bioenergy sorghum, finding
June 09, 2014 Read Full Article
DNA Analysis Strategy Aids in Study of Biofuel Feedstocks
by Chris Hanson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers from Michigan State University, U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and Lawrence
March 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Carbon Sequestration Not So Simple in Biomass Crop Production
by Ann Perry (USDA/Biomass Magazine) Findings at the USDA are providing information about the soil carbon dynamics that play a crucial
February 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Reconstructing the Microbial Diversity and Function of Pre-Agricultural Tallgrass Prairie Soils in the United States
by Noah Fierer, Joshua Ladau, Jose C. Clemente, Jonathan W. Leff, Sarah M. Owens, Katherine S. Pollard, Rob Knight, Jack
November 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Dust Unto Dust
by Mary C. Scholes, Robert J. Scholes (Science Magazine) In the past, great civilizations have fallen because they failed to prevent the
November 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Cool Planet Announces Commercial Trials of Biochar
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Cool Planet Energy Systems has announced the launch of its trademarked Cool Terra biochar for
October 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Soils (English)
(World Bank) The purpose of this report is to improve the knowledge base for facilitating investments in land management technologies
October 17, 2013 Read Full Article
Seminar Focuses on Corn Stover as a Biofuel Feedstock
by Anna Simet (Ethanol Producer Magazine) As a precursor to the National Advanced Biofuel Conference and Expo in Omaha, Neb.,
September 20, 2013 Read Full Article
8 Billion Gallons of Fuel from Corn Crop Waste: USDA, Iowa State Report Confirms Potential
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Corn stover. It’s that inedible leftover from the corn crop, and if you’ve ever noted
September 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Study Looks at Environmental Benefits of Ethanol
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) According to a new study performed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, corn grown using no-till
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Fertile Soil Doesn't Fall from the Sky
(Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research - UFZ/The AlphaGalileo Foundation) The contribution of bacterial remnants to soil fertility has been underestimated
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Running from the Bear: Making Biofuels from Municipal Solid Waste
by Ed Hamrick (Biofuels Digest/Greenworld Fuels) ... There are more than two billion tons of MSW produced worldwide every year, with
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Using Manure To Mend Mine-Damaged Soils
(USDA Agricultural Research Service) From 1850 to 1950, the Tri-State Mining District of southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Soybean Quality, Yield Susceptible to Manmade Materials in Soil
(National Science Foundation/Biodiesel Magazine) Researchers contend that manufactured nanomaterials—now popular in consumer products such as shampoos, gels, hair dyes and