Agricultural News
USDA Funding More Switchgrass Research at Oklahoma State University
Fri, 03 Dec 2010 5:36:59 CST
There has been a recent push by the United States Department of Agriculture to provide funding for scientists whose main priority is to secure America's energy future.
One of those scientists is Gail Wilson, associate professor of rangeland ecology and management in the department of natural resource ecology and management (NREM) at Oklahoma State University. She and her collaborators from around the country recently received a $920,000 grant through the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative program for their research related to using switchgrass and other prairie plants as biofuel.
"We will examine the response of different switchgrass cultivars with various management practices and environmental conditions on belowground traits, assessing how we can most successfully enhance carbon sequestration," said Wilson. "The ultimate goal is to increase carbon sequestration without increasing nitrogen, fertilizer or water use."
As emitted carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, more and more programs are trying to find a solution. However, Wilson's proposal for a possible answer is a bit different.
"What we look at is what happens belowground," said Wilson. "We look at the interactions between the roots, the soil and the microbial communities."
The USDA found this research to be greatly beneficial and awarded Wilson and her team nearly $1 million over the next five years. Of the more than 100 proposals submitted in the sustainable bioenergy area, the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources proposal was top-ranked.
"We didn't have to change our budget, or anything, because we were top-ranked," said Wilson. "Our goal is to help get carbon out of the air and into the soil by selecting for plant-microbial relationships that maximize soil carbon inputs."
Sustainability is the name of the game.
"This research is unique because it considers the ecological costs or implications of raising herbaceous plants for biofuels," said Keith Owens, NREM department head. "To maximize the potential gain in biofuels, we must keep the inputs low and Dr. Wilson is investigating how to do this in a sustainable manner."
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