The Grass is Cleaner on the Other Side

From USDA:

Posted by Kelly Flynn, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, on December 9, 2014 at 2:00 PM

Research suggests that sorghum can be beneficial as both a fuel source and as a sinkhole for greenhouse gas. (iStock image)

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

Liquid fuel, charcoal, and electric power are all possible byproducts of biomass feedstocks. But what if there was a feedstock that not only produced bioenergy, but acted as a greenhouse gas “sink” as well? According to Texas A&M’s AgriLife Research, there is: bioenergy sorghum.

Each region contains locally generated biomass feedstocks, ranging from grains to animal byproducts. Sorghum is a group of grasses with about 30 species, which can be used in a variety of bioenergy production processes, like starch-to-ethanol, sugar-to-ethanol, and plants-to-bioenergy.

Researchers from the university’s soil and crop sciences department made this discovery while measuring greenhouse gases from biofuel production lab experiments. The research helped quantify the carbon footprint of a bioenergy cropping system as part of the study, “Impacts of Biomass Sorghum Feedstock Production on Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Emissions,” partially funded by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).  The project received an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative grant in 2012.

According to the study, sorghum may play a significant role in future biofuel production as a high quality source. However, no studies have measured life-cycle greenhouse gases from bioenergy sorghum.

Analyzing the effects of crop rotation, nitrogen fertilization, and residue management were the main objectives. Researchers collected soil samples when the study began in 2008 and each spring to analyze the soil carbon storage and nutrient availability.

Annual accrual rates of soil organic carbon were much higher than expected. While promising, researchers said these rates may be due to the carbon-depleted soil where the experiments were conducted; severe drought conditions in 2010 and 2011 may have resulted in greater carbon production to aid roots searching for water.

“These results have significant implications for net greenhouse gas emissions, soil organic carbon sequestration and life-cycle analyses,” said Dr. Frank Hons, professor of soil science and AgriLife Research Faculty Fellow. “Few studies have quantified greenhouse gas emissions and below-ground carbon inputs from bioenergy sorghum, and further investigation is warranted.”

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education, and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation’s future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.

Following the Rails: USDA Tracks Agricultural Exports Across the Border

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Bruce Blanton, Director of Transportation Services Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, on April 24, 2014 at 11:45 AM

Until recently, there was no readily-available public data showing the entry points of U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico, modes of transportation, or how product were used at their final destination. Now, a USDA partnership with Texas A&M scientists provides insight into the movement of products from the U.S. to Mexico. Photo by Michael Matalis.

Driving down a rural road, admiring the expansive fields of corn and soybeans, I stopped at a rail crossing to wait for what seemed like an endless train of cars filled with grain.  My idle mind wondered, where are all those tons of grain headed, where was its final destination?  For anyone else, it may just be curiosity. But for me and those who work in my division within USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), it’s our job to answer those questions.

We understand that for stakeholders within the agricultural industry—farmers, grain mill operators, shippers and exporters—the answers are critical.  Sound business decisions require knowledge about what is happening with the transportation of agricultural products, both in the domestic and international marketplace.

The past 5 years have seen record agricultural exports, and expanding those market opportunities for American exports is vital to the continued success of our farmers, ranchers, and agricultural businesses.  Mexico is one of largest recipients of U.S. agricultural exports, including an average of 22.2 million metric tons (mmt) of U.S. grains, oilseeds, and related products per year from 2008 to 2012.  The average annual value of those exports to Mexico is $7.3 billion.  This continued trade growth has prompted interest in how these products are transported throughout Mexico.

Until recently, there was no readily-available public data showing the entry points of U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico, modes of transportation, or how product were used at their final destination.  That’s why AMS partnered with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Transportation Institute scientists to track U.S. grain, oilseed and related product exports in Mexico. Now agricultural businesses can find a summary of the study on movements of these products in Tracking U.S. Grain, Oilseed and Related Product Exports in Mexico (Summary (.pdf) or Full Report (.pdf).

AMS has been gathering agricultural transportation data for decades.  It produces a wide array of publications that are available to everyone on its agricultural transportation website, including Study of Rural Transportation Issues that is currently being updated.  The publications include on-going research and analysis allowing researchers, growers, distributors, and exporters to determine trends, calculate projections, and make informed decisions.  Much of the data, including prices, deliveries, movements, sales, and freight rates, is available through market reports, such as the weekly Grain Transportation Report issued every Thursday.

Answering the question of how American agricultural products are transported to market is important.  AMS provides data on the four major transportation modes– trucking, railroads, barges, and ocean vessels– used to move food from farms to our tables and to ports for export.

That train did finally clear the rail crossing, and I continued on my journey—and so did all those cars full of grain.