Questions have risen as to whether perennials, plants that regrow without seed every year, are more efficient than corn for biofuel production.

This is a question that Richard Cruse, vice president for research and economic development in agronomy, has been focusing on.

“The crop that we’re using — corn — was designed and developed to concentrate nutrients in the seed which makes it a very good feed for animals and livestock,” Cruse said. “For ethanol, we really want a material that is all carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. We don’t want the nutrients.”

He said corn offers a problem because it requires too much fertilization in order to be productively grown.

“It’s a crop that requires relatively heavy fertilization,” Cruse said. “And fertilization-supplying nutrients are a good investment, I think, for livestock feed. I’m not so sure it’s that good of an investment for ethanol.”

Other concerns that growing corn causes are run-off and water contamination.

“Heavy reliance on corn will make water quality deplete and cause more nitrogen run-off into the water,” said Matthew Liebman, professor of agronomy.

Cruse said the way we are currently growing corn is not very environmentally friendly. The high levels of the nitrogen and phosphorus being put on the cornfields each year are causing water quality issues.

“The nitrogen and phosphorus lead to water quality problems and we have water run-off particularly in areas where we have heavy rainfall,” Cruse said. “Depending upon how the crop is produced, we may have quite a bit of erosion occurring which leads to off-site problems, to water-quality problems, as well as loss in soil productivity.”

A solution to some of the problems caused by corn production may include using cellulosic feedstocks to produce ethanol.

“The cellulosic energy return should be considerably higher than what we’re getting from the grain-based,” Cruse said. “So more energy out for the amount of energy going in.”

Cruse believes perennials may offer a higher potential in terms of ethanol production.

“The types of plants that could be used — perennials — are more environmentally friendly,” Cruse said. “They can be produced on a broader range of soil types. I would say it’s more flexible, or potentially more flexible, than the grain-based.”

A benefit of perennials is they are able to thrive in areas where corn cannot, Cruse said.

“There are some marginal areas that are also environmentally effective that could be producing the type of crop that would be much more conservational,” Cruse said.

Perennials can be grown in areas that are frequently flooded during heavy rains, such as low-lying lands, or in potholes in fields where water collects, Cruse said.

“They can provide soil, water and wildlife benefits, as well as benefits for farmers who are growing the perennials,” Liebman said.

One benefit for farmers who grow perennials on their land is they could sell the perennials to produce ethanol, Cruse said.

However, no such market for selling perennials exists as of now.

“There’s no market taking off for farmers to produce perennials anywhere,” Cruse said. “Government programs have sporadically tried to make incentives for farmers to do conservation things, but the cellulosic industry, if it develops so there’s local species that can be converted, would be a first.”

Cruse said the development of a flexible platform that allows for the growing of perennials for profit would be a good idea.

“We have grass waterways that don’t exist now and farmers don’t get paid for growing perennials in a grass waterway, but if the conversional platform would allow farmers to sell the grass that grows in the waterways, we still have the waterway there to prevent the soil from entering the water, and farmers have a potential income off that area,” Cruse said.

As for the future of biofuel production, Cruse said the “crystal ball is not very clear.”

“The issue is this: If the technology comes forward, in other words if technology is developed that allows us to make conversions economically, so it’s economically favorable, I think we’re going to see an ethanol industry develop, at least for a period of years, probably a couple decades,” Cruse said. “It just depends upon whether or not that technology develops. There are companies out there that are working like beavers … because the first company that develops that technology is going to be millionaires.”

The bottom line is whether or not the ethanol industry will develop in a way that is beneficial to everyone, he said.

“If the ethanol industry comes forward in the wrong way, and the wrong way in my vision is the single-species conversion, it could be the worst thing to happen to Iowa,” Cruse said. “If, on the other hand, a platform comes forward that’s flexible, it could be the greatest thing that’s happened since we broke the prairie — for both economic and environmental services.”