New MSU research shows how biofuel crops can help mitigate climate change when grown on land of otherwise little agricultural value

March 20, 2022 - Cameron Rudolph

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Newly published Michigan State University research details how switchgrass, a biofuel crop, can mitigate effects of climate change when grown on marginal land — agricultural land of little value. For farmers, it may also provide economic returns in these otherwise unproductive spaces.

The research was published in Environmental Research Letters.

The team was led by Bruno Basso, an MSU Foundation Professor in the departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, as well as the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. Seungdo Kim, an associate research professor in the MSU College of Engineering, and Rafael Martinez-Feria, a postdoctoral researcher in Basso’s laboratory, were also involved.

Renewable energy is a topic of significant discussion worldwide. Climate scientists warn of catastrophic outcomes if fossil fuels remain the primary energy source into the future. Additionally, countries such as the U.S. are reckoning with the ethical and financial dilemmas of relying on foreign oil.

Lignocellulosic biofuels, which are made from plant biomass, are one of the only current renewable energy sources with potential as an fuel alternative for vehicles. But fossil fuel problems aren’t easily solved by simply planting more biofuel crops such as switchgrass.

“Growing enough to use biofuel crops for the transportation sector at a large scale would require massive land use changes,” Basso said. “This is a problem with many layers. There are food security concerns if land previously used for food crops was shifted to biofuel crops. There are also greenhouse gas emission concerns if land not currently used for agriculture, such as wildlife habitat, is overtaken by crop production systems.”

The challenge is magnified when farmers consider what to do with marginal, less-productive land. With rising input costs, there is often little to no advantage to plant in these areas. If growers do decide to plant, environmental issues abound, as these fields are often nitrogen-deficient and may require heavy use of fertilizers.

“To get farmers to change their behavior, the change has to make sense for them economically first and foremost,” Basso said. “Our goal was to examine whether marginal lands could be both profitable and environmentally conscious, something that would be a victory for everyone involved.”

Read the full article at AgBioResearch.

Read the original research article at IOPscience.