Sunflowers may brighten brownfields, add to biofuels
Spotlight Contact:
Kurt Thelen, professor of crop and soil sciences, thelenk3@msu.edu
Kurt Thelen, MSU professor of crop and soil sciences, is leading an investigation to examine the possibility that some varieties of oilseed crops - including soybeans, sunflower, and canola - and other crops such as corn and switchgrass can be grown on abandoned industrial sites for use in ethanol or biodiesel fuel production.
The goal of the study is to determine if crops grown on "brownfield" sites can produce adequate yields to make them viable for use in biofuel production. The crops also need to produce adequate quantities of oil and ethanol.
A secondary objective is to examine whether the growing plants actually contribute to bioremediation, which means they take up contaminants from the soils, without affecting their quality for use in biofuels. This might make them especially useful to grow on contaminated brownfields.
More at http://www.anrcats.msu.edu/press/070106/071006_brownfields.htm and at http://www.bioeconomy.msu.edu/news/thelen.aspx