News Update
Dec. 21, 2010

Researchers Study Benefits of Barley as a Biofuel Crop

The benefits of using barley for bioenergy production don’t stop at the gas pump, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) studies.

Scientists with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have found that barley grain can be used to produce ethanol, and the leftover byproducts — barley straw, hulls and dried distillers’ grains (DDGS) — can be used to produce an energy-rich oil called bio-oil. The bio-oil could then be used either for transportation fuels or for producing heat and power needed for the grain-to-ethanol conversion.

The barley work was conducted by several scientists at the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center at Wyndmoor, Pa., including chemical engineer and pyrolysis team leader Akwasi Boateng, chemist Charles Mullen, mechanical engineer Neil Goldberg, chemist Robert Moreau and research leader Kevin Hicks. The researchers produced bio-oil from all three barley byproducts using a technology called “fast pyrolysis,” an intense burst of heat delivered in the absence of oxygen.

In the lab, a kilogram of barley straw and hulls yielded about half a kilogram of bio-oil with an energy content of about half that of No. 2 diesel fuel oil. The energy content of bio-oil made from barley DDGS, including DDGS contaminated with mycotoxins, which can’t be used to supplement livestock feed, was even higher, about two-thirds of the level in No. 2 diesel fuel oil. However, the bio-oil was more viscous and had a shorter shelf life than bio-oils produced from straw or hulls.

The process also created a solid byproduct called “biochar” that might improve the water-holding capacity and nutrient content of soils. Amending soils with biochar can sequester carbon in the soil for thousands of years.

Farmers in the Mid-Atlantic states and the Southeast could cash in on the production of winter barley cover crops while continuing to raise corn and other food crops in the summer. Growing winter barley for biofuel production would also help reduce soil erosion and nitrogen leaching, a major concern for farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Results from this work were published in Energy & Fuels.

Read more about this research in the November/December 2010 issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available online at www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/nov10/crop1110.htm.

— Release by ARS

December EXTRA e-Mailed Yesterday

The December 2010 edition of the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA e-mailed last night about 7 p.m. If you are on our EXTRA mailing list and did not receive your copy, please let us know at bulletinextra@angusbeefbulletin.com.

If you are not on our list and want to receive this free electronic monthly supplement to the Angus Beef Bulletin, e-mail us your request to be signed up. This is an opt-in newsletter, so you have to sign up to receive it. It contains no advertising — just about 30 pertinent articles and easy access to links to information on programs and services of the American Angus Association, Certified Angus Beef LLC and Angus Productions Inc. (API).

NCBA Educational Platform for 2011 Convention Hones in on Technology

Cattlemen and women won’t want to miss the 18th annual Cattlemen’s College® at the 2011 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Denver, Colo., starting Feb. 2, say convention organizers.

This year’s Cattlemen’s College provides opportunity for all segments of the cattle industry to gain knowledge on the new ideas and technologies available to improve profitability. Sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, this daylong event offers 20 sessions that cover all aspects of cattle production and marketing.

To address today’s challenging industry environment, the 2011 curriculum will focus on three primary tracks: (1) the Technology Track, focusing on genomics and reproductive management; (2) the External Forces Track, focusing on consumer and environmental issues; and (3) the Business Management Track, focusing on risk and business management. Attendees can pick and choose from the three tracks or focus solely on one track of personal interest.

Highlight the technology track this week, convention organizers say it will give cattlemen and women innovative information to optimize their operations and keep them up-to-date on current industry technology. Specific topics in the include:

• fundamentals of genetics and DNA technology;
• timing of implementing an artificial insemination (AI) program;
• DNA applications for genetic improvement;
• reproductive management for profit;
• commercial DNA application and producer insights;
• beyond AI, implementation of emerging reproductive strategies;
• stockmanship and stewardship; and
• reproductive management, hands-on.

“We hope convention attendees will take advantage of the Cattlemen’s College Technology Track,” says Tom Field, executive director of producer education for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). “Not only will they gain important technical knowledge found only at this convention, but they will be driven to take that knowledge back to their operations and remain on the leading-edge of the industry.”

Cattlemen’s College registration includes a networking lunch, sponsored by Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB), and a complimentary ticket to the Cattle-Fax Annual Outlook Seminar. Students get an exceptionally good rate, and attendees can register for Cattlemen’s College and see a full list of sessions and confirmed speakers at www.BeefUSA.org. Space is limited. Participants should register early to guarantee a spot in their course choices.

— Release by NCBA.

— Compiled by Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.