Danville research to help develop better plants for energy

A $735,000 grant to the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research could help scientists enhance the capacity for native plants to produce energy.

The federal funding will help local scientists examine how soil bacteria stimulate growth in switchgrass, said Barry Flinn, director of the Institute for Sustainable and Renewable Resources at the Institute.

Scientists know the soil bacteria can double the yield of switchgrass plant fiber, but need to learn how so the bioenergy industry can capitalize on it for use in fuel production, Flinn said.

“If you want to boost overall productivity, you have to do the research for it,” Flinn said. “The ultimate goal is you want to try to produce as much energy per acre as you can. You want to produce high-yielding bioenergy feedstocks.”

Fortified or enhanced switchgrass seed could be provided to farmers in the region who can then grow the crop for biofuel production.

“More yield, more product — hopefully more profit for farmers,” Flinn said.

Additionally, researchers will study if the increased plant material production could suck up more carbon dioxide — a greenhouse gas — from the air, he added.

The three-year grant will add three scientists to the Institute. Chuansheng Mei will be the lead scientist on the project.

CEO Ken Moss of Piedmont BioProducts in Gretna said genetic research is imperative for providing better plant sources for the biofuels industry.

The company works with the Institute in developing feedstocks and envisions turning crops grown from local farmers into “bio-crude” oil at refineries.

“In order for us to meet our energy needs, we’re going to have to increase the productivity of the existing known feedstocks,” Moss said. “It can be done. It’s going to have to be done.”

The U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture developed a joint program to improve genetic breeding programs to create plants better suited for bioenergy production. The program is awarding $8.9 million to researchers across the country, including at the Institute, to diversity the nation’s energy portfolio.

“Cost-effective, sustainable biofuels are crucial to building a clean energy economy,” U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a news release.

A domestic source of renewable energy will create jobs and wealth in rural America while reducing dependence on foreign oil, said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in the release.

“This scientific investment will lay the foundation for a source of fuel made from renewable sources,” Vilsack said.

Virginia Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources Maureen Matsen, senior advisor on energy, said via e-mail statement that Gov. Bob McDonnell supports developing all available resources and exploring new ones on the path toward energy independence.

“A variety of plants hold great promise for the production of biofuels; some of them might even make good cover crops that would help us clean the Bay,” Matsen said. “The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research is doing important research in this area and we are pleased that the federal government is willing to support it.  Their success promises to bring new agriculture, business and jobs to Virginia.”