b'fiber ethanol fermentation. In a similar way, scientists can collect and chemically pre-treat the remaining corn stalks, allowing the polysaccharides within the plant cell wall to be more amenable for deconstruction to fermentable sugars. That also enables this plant fraction to be incorporated during ethanol fermentation with corn grain. In terms of how breeding can help, Stoklosa says that corn and soybean breeders should focus on higher yields. So too, he says, should breeders of less-common grains that could play a role in improving biofuel production, such as grain sorghum, barley or hemp. The effort cant end with breeders, however.This effort should not be left to breeders alone but should also include agronomists to entice farmers and other stakehold-ers to the potential benefits of growing these crops, not only for the biofuel industry, but also for the potential co-products that can be generated for a wider range of industries, he says.Stoklosa sees the generation of co-products as a viable way to improve the overall process economics of biofuel production. The corn ethanol industry greatly benefits by generating co-products in the form of corn oil, corn gluten and dried distillers grains with solubles as a way to make ethanol production more profitable, he says. Our project still looks to identify ways to generate or utilize other types of value-added co-products that come from using cellulosic agricultural residues for biofuel pro-duction. This includes capturing CO2 produced during ethanol fermentation and repurposing it for use in our chemical pre-treatment process performed on the cellulosic material. We have also performed research into recovering and characterizing lignin that is removed during chemical pre-treatment. Measuring PotentialThe U.S. could produce roughly 1 billion tons of biomass (roughly 1,042 million dry tons) by 2030, which could theoreti-cally displace 9.5% of fossil fuel-based energy and reduce 446 million tons of CO2-equivalent emissions each year, according to a report called An Assessment of the Potential Products and In the Southern U.S., Corteva partnered with Bunge and ChevronEconomic and Environmental Impacts Resulting from a Billion Ag Renewables in March to bring exclusive winter canola hybrids,Ton Bioeconomy published in the energy journal BioFPR.expanding canola opportunities beyond Canada. Stoklosa says that is one promising finding developed by the U.S. governmental agencies and a range of industry experts. However, to achieve this will require improved logistics and infra-Research Unit at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agriculturalstructure to better support the growing, harvesting, transporting Research Service (USDA ARS), are also looking for opportuni- and conversion of crop biomass, he says. ties to boost biofuels sustainability. His team is exploring meth- Steven King, Corteva Agriscience global research direc-ods to maximize ethanol yield from every ounce of corn grain ortor for seed product development for canola, wheat, sorghum other form of plant biomass. and alfalfa, says annual biofuel demand will be 8 billion gallons This strategy also leads us to research processing optionsby 2030. To keep up with growing demand, King says raising to develop a more favorable fermentation process that can bestharvestable yield levels and intensifying cropping systems are utilize these sugars in current corn ethanol mills, he says. To doalready happening. this, we are looking at incorporating other fermentable sugarsKing says it bodes well for future yield advancements that from corn fiber or the remaining corn stalks after harvest intonew gene editing tools are in development, and that great pro-ethanol fermentation.gress has already been made. He notes that breeders have been The corn wet-milling process removes corn fiber from thevery successful at continually increasing the yield potential of grain, explains Stoklosa, and since this component is enriched inboth main biofuel cropscorn and soybeansdespite variable carbohydrates, the process can recover and reincorporate theweather patterns in recent years.SW46/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2023'