Team Coordinator
Ray Huhnke
223 Ag Hall
405-744-8417
Team Administrator
Ron Elliott
111 Ag Hall
405-744-5431
Priorities of the Bio-based Products Initiative Team
1) Identification and enhancement of feedstocks for producing bio-based products Development of a viable bio-based products industry is contingent on sustainable, dependable, and economical feedstock supply systems. Potential feedstocks include seed and/or vegetative parts (including harvesting/processing residues) of plants grown in Oklahoma for food, feed, or livestock herbage. Other species, not traditionally used in the state, have potential for use in these systems; however, additional research is required. Information is needed on species and species cultivars adaptable to selected systems as influenced by: climatic and edaphic differences across the state, cultural requirements, economics of production, and conversion technology requirements. Feedstock production systems that enable biodiversity, environmental enhancement, tolerances to production stresses, and reduced competition with traditional uses are desirable. Research components required to provide such information include species/cultivar screening, cultural studies, and in some cases, genetic modification via breeding or molecular techniques to enhance traits such as adaptation, yield, quality, and stress tolerance. Additional to the biological research, economic analyses are required to judge the feasibility of the systems.
2) Handling, storage, and transportation of feedstocks for bio-based products The traditional handling, storage, and transportation systems for grains and oilseeds have provided our nation with inexpensive food and fiber for many years. However, the development of technologies to convert low density materials such as grasses, straws, and corn stover into ethanol and specialty chemicals presents new challenges. Large amounts of these materials must be harvested, stored, and transported in a manner that will preserve the material for processing at the lowest possible cost. Additional research is necessary to develop systems to accomplish this task.
3) Biofuels from Oklahoma feedstocks Oklahoma offers an abundance of opportunity for the growth of a variety of crops that can be converted into biofuels. These include wheat, canola, milo, sweet sorghum, switchgrass, and agricultural residues such as wheat straw, canola stalks, sweet sorghum bagasse, and milo stover. Oilseeds (such as canola) can be used to produce biodiesel, a fuel that is compatible with common diesel engines while other crops can be converted to ethanol, a gasoline additive that increases oxygen content and is commonly added to gasoline at a level of 10% by volume. Both ethanol and biodiesel present opportunities to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by producing fuels from renewable resources produced in Oklahoma. The major challenge in biofuels production is overcoming the difficulty in converting lignocellulosic materials, such as grasses and agricultural residues, into ethanol. The two main approaches to accomplish this task are: hydrolysis of polysaccharides into sugars that are fermented to ethanol by microorganisms, and gasification of biomass to carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen which can be fermented by certain microorganisms to ethanol. More research is necessary in both areas in order to determine the best approach for efficient conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol.
4) Value added products from Oklahoma feedstocks and waste streams In addition to biofuels, many other valuable products could be produced from Oklahoma crops and agricultural residues. Examples include organic acids, building blocks for biodegradable plastics, and nutraceutical compounds that have proven health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol. Additionally, there are many waste streams from existing industrial processes in Oklahoma that may have potential for production of valuable products. In addition, development of a biofuels industry in Oklahoma would necessitate new uses for glycerol, the primary byproduct of biodiesel manufacturing, and lignin, the primary byproduct of lignocellulosic ethanol production using acid or enzymatic hydrolysis. Research focused on extracting valuable components from biomass, such as nutraceuticals, and valuable uses of waste products from biofuels production would be beneficial to establishing “biorefineries.”
5) Biological alternatives to crop production inputs With the increasing energy cost and concerns of environmental quality, bio-based products, such as biopesticide and biofertilizer, are gaining increasing attention. Biopesticides are usually inherently less toxic, generally affect only the target pest, are effective in very small quantities and often decompose quickly. The use of biopesticide results in lower exposures, largely avoiding the pollution problems caused by conventional pesticides. Compared to chemical fertilizer, biofertilizers are an economical and safer source of plant nutrition for increasing the agricultural production and improving soil fertility. Examples are biological N2-fixation, plant growth promoting hormone production, and phosphorous solubilization by various soil microorganisms.
6) Economic and systems analyses of bioprocesses Bioprocesses must be analyzed to assess their economic feasibility as well as their environmental impact. Technology exists to produce biofuels from low value feedstocks; however, the cost to do so is still too expensive. Also, there are environmental issues, both positive and negative, that must be incorporated into feasibility assessments. Analysis of potential bioprocesses for both economic feasibility and environmental impact is necessary to assess their commercial viability and to identify potential areas of improvement.
7) Education about biofuels and bioproducts Much of the general public is only beginning to become aware of the potential for utilizing biological materials to manufacture fuels and other products that are currently produced from fossil fuels. More educational efforts need to be conducted to better inform the public and Oklahoma State University students of the potential of biofuels and bioproducts and these products’ compatibility with similar products produced from fossil fuels.