In search of a cleaner ethanol

Ag researcher hopes to test corn and rye locally for possible use in cellulosic ethanol

By Jeff McDonald / The Bulletin
Published: February 18. 2008 4:00AM PST

Forest and agricultural waste in Central Oregon could prove to be a new source of ethanol, and a Central Oregon ag researcher wants to know if local farmers and wood product companies could capitalize.

Brian Duggan, a Madras-based crop physiologist for Oregon State University Extension, is applying for a roughly $20,000 grant that would allow him to test whether two types of crops — winter rye and forage corn — can be grown in Central Oregon and how much ethanol they would produce.

Winter rye is considered a viable crop because it grows vigorously in the early spring and can withstand the region’s cold winters. Similarly, forage corn, which is the leaves and stalks of the plant without the ear of corn, produces significant plant material, or biomass, that can be grown quickly in summer, Duggan said.

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