Cob Removal Treads Lightly on Soil

As stated in my last post, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Draft Regulatory Impact Analysis stated that corn stover is the most economical agricultural feedstock to be used to produce ethanol. Apparently, Iowa State University would agree.

New ISU research shows that using corn cobs for cellulosic ethanol will not harm soil nutrient content. The research was funded by POET as part of our ongoing internal study into the sustainability of using corn cobs as a feedstock for next-generation ethanol. According to the study, conducted on a test field near the Emmetsburg site, fertilizer treatment for a field in which cobs have been removed would be identical to treatment of a field in which cobs were not removed. ISU researchers will continue their work this year on the test plots, compiling more data to help farmers manage their land well while taking advantage of an additional revenue source from their fields.

Previous research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that cobs contain only 2-3 percent of the measured nutrients of the above-ground corn plant. This has been confirmed by previous ISU research.

The new ISU research takes a closer look at data regarding soil quality and nutrient levels, the impact of cob and stover removal on future plant growth, and recommended levels of fertilizer applications, if any, for cob or stover removal. Once again, research seems to conclude that using corn cobs for ethanol makes sense economically and environmentally.

National Commitment to Cellulosic Ethanol

This was a monumental month for Project LIBERTY and all our partners as we move forward in changing the nation's energy landscape. On May 5, President Barack Obama issued a presidential directive creating a biofuels working group in his cabinet and the U.S. EPA issued preliminary rules for the Renewable Fuel Standard.

The President's actions reinforce his full-fledged support for cellulosic ethanol with an ambitious plan to boost investment in commercial projects to hasten the nation's transition to renewable fuel. Nearly $800 million form the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used to accelerate biofuels research and commercialization, Secretary of Energy Chu announced. That money will be used to reinvest in both new and existing demonstration and commercial biorefineries, boost research efforts in next-generation biofuels, upgrade infrastructure to expand the availability and use of E85 and more. Click here for a statement from POET CEO Jeff Broin.

But clearly, a key feature was a finding by the EPA's Draft Regulatory Impact Analysis (pdf), "...Corn stover was chosen as the most economical agricultural feedstock to be used to produce ethanol in order to meet the 16 billion gallon EISA (Energy Independence & Security Act) cellulosic biofuel requirement." The EPA went on to say, "We estimate that by 2022 greater than 400 million tons of corn stover could be produced. Approximately 82 million tons would be needed to produce 7.8 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuel that our modeling projects to come from corn stover by 2022." Using corn cobs for ethanol makes sense economically and environmentally.

POET's use of corn cobs is a clear winner in the EPA's analysis of future cellulosic ethanol production. This puts Project LIBERTY and Emmetsburg-area farmers at the forefront of the nation's energy future.