| NRI: INT: COLLAB: Rumen Understanding through Millipede-Engineered Navigation and Sensing (RUMENS) | 1018631 | 03/01/2019 | 02/29/2024 | COMPLETE | UNIVERSITY PARK | Just as NASA used the remotely operated vehicles (ROV) Spirit and Opportunity to gather and relay information that continues to broaden understanding of Mars, this program will develop ROVs that will transform our knowledge of rumen biology and fermentation chemistry. The rumen is one of the primary digestive chambers in the stomach of a ruminant animal, such as a cow. Although the cow rumen is a very specific environment, improving our ability to study this ecosystem provides notable opportunity to enhance understanding of fermentation, food production, and energy generation, not just within cattle but within anaerobic fermentation environments in general. Rumen microorganisms are some of the world's most efficient fermenters of fibrous materials high in cellulose; however, only a fraction of the species in the rumen microbiome have been sequenced or cultured. The rumen ecosystem is a complex heterogeneous environment stratified vertically and horizontally that contains myriad specialized microclimates caused by differing density of feed particles and O2 concentrations, among other factors. These microclimates are believed to create optimal environments for unique microbial species that may have differing fermentation capacity, and the stratification within the rumen may be one cause for difficulty in culturing many of these microorganisms outside the animal. Cattle provide a unique model organism for studying anaerobic fermentation not only because of their individualized fiber fermentation capabilities but also because their size allows for surgical procedures that enable unique research access directly into the rumen. Traditionally, the insertion point for the rumen ROV is through the cannula, a surgically placed port through the side of the animal into the upper portion of the rumen. Although manual sampling through the cannula is the industry standard, it is not ideal because it is thought to disturb the rumen environment by introducing O2 and mixing rumen contents. An indwelling rumen ROV would not have these limitations and would enhance the opportunity to link specific microbial species with physical location and chemical characteristics in the rumen. This improved understanding will not only lead to advancements in rumen biology and efficiency of meat and milk production, but will also enhance our understanding of fermentation chemistry, microbiology, and could potentially lead to new species identification for use in biofuel production and other key industrial endpoints. Furthermore, if widely adopted, the ROV would enable investigation of rumen microbiomes that will scale across multiple animals, multiple laboratories, and multiple herds, enabling a big-data-fueled secondary community of investigators. The proposed research addresses the NRI-2.0 program goals of scalability by providing animal agriculture robots for monitoring and sampling the rumen environment that will impact a variety of animals (e.g., cows, sheep, goats) and opening opportunity for farmers to improve food production efficiency, safety and quality. Further, the program will utilize innovative approaches for developing and delivering robotics into animal science curricula (such integration does not currently exist) and to impact a large group of second year undergraduates across multiple colleges. | NRI: INT: COLLAB: Rumen Understanding through Millipede-Engineered Navigation and Sensing (RUMENS), Dr. Shashank Priya, The Pennsylvania State University. The proposed research addresses the NRI-2.0 program goal of scalability by articulating a plan for the evelopment, manufacturing, testing, and deployment of remotely operated agricultural robots capable of navigating difficult terrain and collecting and storing biological samples. The work has impacts on food production, safety, and quality. Although the example ecosystem proposed within this work is specific (the cow rumen), improving our ability to study this ecosystem will provide notable opportunity to nhance understanding of fermentation, food production, and energy production. Inability to sample the rumen environment nondisruptively limits our understanding of the interplay between diet, rumen tissues, and rumen microorganisms. Poor sample collection also precludes dentification of microbial species present in unique microclimates within the rumen which may be critical to our overall understanding of uminant metabolism and efficiency of fiber fermentation. Development of robots that can navigate through the rumen environment while measuring and sampling both rumen tissue and rumen content has been highly challenging. In addressing these challenges, wireless rumens remotely operated vehicles (rumens ROV) will be demonstrated with desired locomotion, power, and localization characteristics.The rumens ROV will be deployed on top of the fiber mat through existing rumen cannulae. Once through the fiber mat, rumen ROV will deploy novel traveling wave locomotion proposed in this program to move towards the station-keeping location in reticulum while taking advantage of the compression currents. When desired, the rumen ROV will "wake up" and navigate to the location of interest by combining magnetic localization techniques, image guidance, inertial measurement unit, and piezoelectric motor actuated traveling wave locomotion. Multilayer textured piezoelectric ceramic based actuators will be deployed to provide optimum combination of stroke and force. Combination of multiple actuators with cyclic actuation pattern and phase difference will result in traveling wave. Data transfer from the robot to a wearable neck collar on the cow will be achieved through a body area network. Battery power of the robot will be supplemented with magnetoelectric energy mechanism where external magnetic fields can be converted into electricity. The rumens ROV evaluation will be conducted in a laboratory test vat until the ROV meets defined performance criteria. The ROV will then be deployed in cattle. The in-animal evaluations will compare ROV sensed metrics with samples collected using current industry standards. |
| Water and Nutrient Recycling: A Decision Tool and Synergistic Innovative Technology | 1016509 | 08/01/2018 | 07/31/2025 | ACTIVE | Fayetteville | The combination of continued global population growth, with an additional 3 billion people over the next 40 years, and expected intensification of climate variability and resulting variability in reliable water resources requires that water recycling become an integrated part of agricultural water resource management. Further, important nutrients are lost to wastewaters but could be recycled and reused for food production. Absent a concerted effort to recycle these nutrients, the food supply demand will inherently create a less resilient agriculture industry. Water treatment and nutrient needs will vary geographically and based on production. Thus, a user-driven strategy for food production supported by wastewater and nutrient recycling inherently demands not only a systems-based approach, but a flexible decision-making approach. We will study innovative technology for liquid manure wastewater treatment and nutrient recovery within the framework of a decision-making tool that allows technology selection based on region-specific needs for water recycling and food production. The tool will be built upon an economic and life cycle assessment model that guides the user to technology selection based on user-based knowledge of soil chemistry, fertilization needs, crop selection, livestock production, desired level of wastewater treatment, water use, wastewater production, and regulatory requirements. | The overarching goal of this project is to create a decision-support tool that facilitates selection of liquid manure treatment technology based upon local agriculture needs and nutrient balance requirements.The technical innovation goal of this project is to apply robust, membrane-based electrochemical engineering technology, which has been developed and commercialized in the energy sector, to enable manure treatment and water/nutrient recycling for food production.The extension goal of this project is to engage stakeholders in the agricultural community and the water treatment technology industry to develop an understanding of water recycling technologies and the opportunities and challenges to implementation in the agricultural sector for treating liquid manure.Objectives Design and test electrochemical technology for treatment of and nutrient recovery from liquid manure.Study the impacts of recovered water/fertilizer on soil productivity and crop response.Evaluate economic costs and benefits of water treatment technologies related to liquid manure management and crop production.Develop a lifecycle assessment (LCA) model based on three regions: Nebraska, Arkansas, and Missouri.Develop a modular decision-support tool that guides users in water and nutrient recycling technology selection based upon specific regional and farm operational parameters.Engage agricultural and industrial stakeholders nationally on integrating the most locally robust manure treatment technology into agricultural production. |
| Nitrite Ammonification in Manures and Soils Under Adaptive Management for Climate Change | 1009145 | 04/01/2016 | 03/31/2020 | COMPLETE | University Park | Agriculture accounts for 75-80% of anthropogenic nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in the U.S. Denitrification in fertilized soils and during animal waste handling results in about 60% and 30% of N2O emissions, respectively. This proposal aims to gain knowledge of how soils and manures can be managed to counteract denitrification and to promote a bacterial process known as nitrite ammonification, the end product of which (ammonium) is not lost directly to the atmosphere. We hypothesize that nitrite ammonification occurs to a significant extent in soils managed using no-till practices and labile carbon amendments, either with animal or green manures. Particularly in combination, these practices increase labile soil carbon content and improve soil water-holding capacity, and they are being adopted by farmers in response to more variable and extreme weather resulting from climate change. Innovative soil management, such as manure injection currently evaluated at Penn State's Sustainable Dairy Cropping Systems project, minimizes disturbance during carbon enrichment and needs to be assessed for its effect on denitrification and nitrite ammonification. Moreover, manure storage and handling practices favoring nitrite ammonification over denitrification need to be identified. Specific objectives of this proposal are to 1) measure bacterial groups and labile carbon substrates in manures from dairies of varying size and manure handling systems; 2) measure GHGs and temporal and spatial changes in nitrite ammonification and denitrification in no-till soils of the Sustainable Dairy Cropping Systems project; 3) conduct soil mesocosm studies to determine relationships between substrates, physicochemical conditions, microbial processes, and GHGs to understand conditions favoring nitrite ammonification over denitrification. | The overarching goal of this project is identify manure and soil management practices that help reduce agriculture's contributions to greenhouse gases (GHGs), particularly nitrous oxide (N2O). Currently agriculture contributes 75-80% of anthropogenic N2O emissions in the United States, with fertilized soils and livestock wastes contributing about 60% and 30% of that total. Efforts to reduce these emissions have high priority because the global warming potential of N2O is nearly 300 times that of CO2. Incomplete denitrification is considered to be the major source of N2O in agriculture, with nitrification a secondary contributor. No-till soils are particularly susceptible to denitrification losses of N2O when soils are recently fertilized and wet. It is paradoxical, therefore, that higher N2O emissions occur when farmers apply conservation tillage practices intended to make soils more resilient to climate change. Denitrification, however, is not the only nitrate (NO3-) conversion pathway that bacteria carry out under O2-depleted conditions. Some bacteria can instead reduce NO3- and/or nitrite (NO2-) to ammonium (NH4+) without N2O as an intermediate. This process, known either as nitrate/nitrite ammonification (NA) or dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), results in an end product (NH4+) that is retained in the soil rather than lost to the atmosphere. Recent advances in molecular detection of nitrate/nitrite-ammonifying (NA) bacteria indicate their surprisingly high genetic diversity and widespread distribution in the environment. Indeed, many enteric bacteria present in animal wastes (e.g., E. coli) are known to be nitrate/nitrite ammonifiers. In this proposal, we aim to address the question, "Can we use NA to avoid the tradeoff of higher N2O emissions from systems employing soil, water, and nutrient conservation practices?"The main goals of this proposal are to 1) obtain basic knowledge about NA bacteria in manures and soils; 2) identify conditions and management practices affecting NA activity in C-enriched soils; and 3) evaluate net global warming potentials of NA-conducive practices. Specifically, this proposal focuses on NA bacterial groups and their responses to chemical status and physical conditions in dairy wastes and field soils at Pennsylvania State University's Sustainable Dairy Cropping System project (SDCS) funded by NESARE (Northeast Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education) program. The SDCS is one of the greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring sites participating in the USDA-CAP network, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Dairy Production Systems in the Great Lakes Region (WI, NY, and PA). At the SDCS, no-till practices are combined with low-disturbance carbon (C) amendment of soils using dairy wastes and/or perennials or cover crops, which are important sources of organic matter in climate-adaptive farming.Specific objectives of this project are to:1) Characterize NA bacteria in manures from diverse dairies. Measure the abundance and characterize groups of nitrate/nitrite ammonifiers and denitrifiers in manures from the SDCS and other private dairies which employ varied manure storage and handling procedures. Assess relationships between bacterial groups and manure composition, pH, redox, age, and storage practices. Determine conditions enabling NA activity in laboratory mesocosms using varying combinations of electron donors and electron acceptors and measure relative activities of nitrate-nitrite ammonifiers and denitrifiers.2) Measure soil properties and gas fluxes (N2O, CH4, NH3, CO2) in SDSC. Carry out spatially and temporally intensive sampling of soil properties (including pH and redox) and GHG fluxes from SDSC plots (comparing broadcast- and injected manure, with and without cover crops), and link these measurements to expression levels of bacterial genes for key N transformations in relation to surface residues and manure injection sites.3) Assess NA and denitrification activities in soil mesocosms under varied conditions. Conduct controlled studies with diverse soils amended with manures, stable-isotope labeled nitrate, and specific organic substrates in laboratory mesocosms. These experiments will be used to evaluate application methods and determine relationships between gas fluxes, C additions, and incubation conditions. |
| Integrated Farm-Based Refining for Biofuel and Chemical Production | 1006820 | 09/01/2015 | 08/31/2020 | COMPLETE | EAST LANSING | The renewable fuels, chemicals, biomaterials, and power derived from plant biomass can make important contributions to energy security, rural economic development, and environmental quality. In particular, fossil energy dependence can be reduced by accelerating the development of renewable alternatives to stationary power and transportation fuel, and the United States intends to displace up to 30% of the nation's gasoline consumption, and 10% of total industrial and electric power demand by 2030. Agricultural residues are an underutilized reservoir of lignocellulosic biomass. As a result, these residues have great potential as feedstock for the production of renewable bio-based fuels and chemical products, and they could ultimately replace a non-trivial fraction of current fossil fuel use. However, the challenges associated with both the feedstock logistics and the conversion technology are the major economic barriers hindering the commercialization of lignocellulose-based biorefining.Systems integration approaches considering a concurrently engineered set of conversion processes may offer the opportunity to alleviate feedstock logistical problems and improve conversion efficiency. Therefore, the goal of the proposed study aims at developing an integrated farm-based biorefining concept that combines anaerobic digestion, algal cultivation, and biofuel and chemical production on lignocellulosic feedstock (animal manure and corn stover), makes use of synergies between process streams, and produces multiple fuel and chemical products (methane, biodiesel, biolubricant, and algal biomass), which results in improving carbon utilization efficiency and potentially improves the economics of the net process. In order to achieve the project goal, three specific objectives will be fulfilled in the coming five years: 1) optimize anaerobic microbial communities to improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion and produce stabilized solid digestate; 2) construct a robust algal assemblage for outdoor open-pond culture system; and 3) develop conversion processes to turn AD fiber into fuels and chemicals.The outcomes of the proposed research will lead to a novel farm-based biorefining system for biofuels/chemical production with minimum water/nutrient/energy consumption. The implementation of such system will create great economic value for agricultural industry, and further stimulate job creation, farm profit, and rural development. Thus, the proposed research fits well into the mission of AgBioResearch that is to engage in innovative, leading-edge research that combines scientific expertise with practical experience to generate economic prosperity, sustain natural resources, and enhance the quality of life in Michigan, the nation, and the world. | The goal of the proposed study will be to develop an integrated farm-based biorefining concept that combines anaerobic digestion, algal cultivation, and biofuel and chemical production on lignocellulosic feedstock (animal manure and corn stover), makes use of synergies between process streams, and produces multiple fuel and chemical products (methane, biodiesel, and algal biomass), which results in improve carbon utilization efficiency and potentially improves the economics of the net process. In order to achieve the goal, three specific objectives will be fulfilled in the coming five years: 1) optimize anaerobic microbial communities to improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion and produce stabilized solid digestate; 2) construct a robust algal assemblage for outdoor open-pond culture system; and 3) develop conversion processes to turn AD fiber into fuels and chemicals. |
| The Science and Engineering for a Biobased Industry and Economy | 1002249 | 01/14/2014 | 09/30/2018 | COMPLETE | UNIVERSITY PARK | Use of increased renewable resources will require deliberate development of technologies for efficient use of resources due to three converging issues: (1) decrease in productive agricultural land areas under urbanization pressures; (2) clearing of land areas using unsustainable methods; and (3) increasing world population with an increased standard of living including a clean environment. One billion hectares of land will be cleared by 2050, resulting in the release of three Gt/year of greenhouse gases (Tilman et al., 2011). Global population will reach nine billion by 2050, resulting in increases in global food demand from 2005 to 2050 (Tilman et al., 2011). Breadth of these intersecting problems are so vast that constructive solutions can be designed and implemented only through collaborations crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries.The objectives of this project are to address research relating directly to SAAESD Goal 1 F (biobased products) and H (processing agricultural coproducts); research will influence Goal 5 B (rural community development and revitalizing rural economies) indirectly. Because renewable energy systems occupy large land expanses, they are typically not located in urban areas, promoting economic development of rural US communities. Transitioning from sequestered-carbon sources such as oil, natural gas and coal, to more renewable energy systems requires research and development work. Without this productive research, the technical capacity to switch from a sequestered-carbon economy to a diverse bioresource-based economy will be severely hampered with unanswered questions, undeveloped technologies, and under-delivered capacity in production and utilization of bioresources. Research proposed herein is designed to help address these limitations as conducted by professional scientists and engineers either directly with or strongly associated with the Land Grant University system.This project is written at a time when US natural gas has increased in productivity and decreased in costs. The natural gas production was 22.1 trillion cubic feet in the first nine months of 2012 compared to 21.0 for the same period in 2011. Although, natural gas may be considered the energy panacea for the next decade, natural gas combustion is a net emitter of greenhouse gases. Natural gas can certainly play a major role in assisting in the transition from sequestered-carbon based energy systems to renewable ones. However, due to continual increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations economically viable renewable energy systems must be developed and implemented. The Land Grant University system can partner with important policy-setting agencies including United States Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Energy (US DOE), Defense (US DOD), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) for doing the research that will allow us to meet our renewable energy production goals. | (1) Develop deployable biomass feedstock supply knowledge, processes and logistics systems that economically deliver timely and sufficient quantities of biomass with predictable specifications to meet conversion process-dictated feedstock tolerances. (2) Investigate and develop sustainable technologies to convert biomass resources into chemicals, energy, materials and other value added products. (3) Develop modeling and systems approaches to support development of sustainable biomass production and conversion to bioenergy and bioproducts. (4) Identify and develop needed educational resources, expand distance-based delivery methods, and grow a trained work force for the biobased economy |
| Algae for conversion of manure nutrients to animal feed: Evaluation of advanced nutritional value, toxicity, and zoonotic pathogens | 1000956 | 09/01/2013 | 08/31/2017 | COMPLETE | Pomona | Rationale The need to control manure-derived nutrient pollution is straining the confined animal production industry. California is the top milk producing state and has some of the strictest nutrient regulations. But in the San Joaquin Valley, many dairies do not have affordable access to more land for manure application. A highly productive crop is needed that will convert manure nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P) into feed but in smaller land areas than crops such as corn. Algae are a candidate feed with annual yields typically 7-13 times greater than soy or corn. Beyond 40-50% protein, algae also contain fatty acids, amino acids, pigments, and vitamins that are valuable in animal feeds, especially for adding value to milk. Advances in molecular biology allow us to gather needed information on the risks and benefits of algae-based animal feeds. Overall goal Benefit animal agriculture and the environment by introducing microalgae as a fast-growing livestock feed crop. Aim 1 Cultivate algae in dairy freestall barn flush water, treating this wastewater, while producing algae feedstock at a high annual rate, at least 10-times greater than corn. Algae will be cultivated in 30-cm deep raceway ponds at the 300-head Cal Poly campus dairy farm where extensive manure management research already occurs under USDA and USEPA sponsorship. Aim 2 Produce algae with favorable nutritional characteristics (high digestibility, valuable fatty and amino acid profiles, balanced protein and carbohydrate concentration, etc.) by adjusting the treated-water recycling into the ponds to optimize the N concentration in the growth medium. Aim 3 Test pathogen survival in algae feeds prepared by pasteurization and/or drying and heating. A trend in municipal wastewater treatment is pasteurization of treated effluent using waste heat from natural gas electrical generator. Large dairies with digesters will have waste heat available for pasteurization and drying. High-protein algae will be pelletized with high carbohydrate feeds to create a balanced feed. The heat of pelletization also contributes to pasteurization. Cal Poly has a research feed mill for producing such blended feeds. Aim 4 Monitor contamination by cyanobacteria and any cyanobacterial toxins. Approach Removal of N, P, and other constituents will be optimized in influent and effluent of identical ponds. Algal biomass (harvested by bioflocculation+settling) will be analyzed for N, P, protein, carbohydrates, and profiles of fatty and amino acids. Pathogen and algal communities extant in raw and feed-processed algal biomass will be analyzed using metagenomics and pyrosequencing. Potential toxicity of algal biomass will be studied using toxicity evaluation of cell-free extracts on cultured mammalian cells. A TC 20 Cell counter (BioRad Laboratories) will be used to monitor toxicity events on treated cells using trypan blue staining. Cytotoxic positive samples will be tested for both presence and concentration of known cyanobacterial toxins. The researchers have decades' experience in algae production, wastewater treatment, and food safety. Expected outcomes Starting with dairy, the project will lead the way towards an algae feed industry based on advanced nutritional features to enhance agricultural products (e.g., milk protein, poultry pigment) while assisting farmers to meet manure management challenges. We will address topics rarely covered in the algae field: potential toxicity and zoonotic pathogens. Our approach is unique in that it integrates and addresses a triad of issues, namely, food safety issues along with algae production techniques and waste management. | Project Goals 1. Generate experimental field data and calibrate optimization models. For treatment, expected removals are 85-95% biochemical oxygen demand and soluble Nitrogen (N) and 40-80% solublePhosphate (P) removal, depending on culturing technique and season. 2. Maximize the nutritional value of produced algae for animal feed. The cultures will be optimized to produce biomass at a high rate while also having the highest value composition for feed (in terms of lipids, digestibility, essential fatty and amino acid profiles, including balanced protein and carbohydrate concentrations). 3. Optimize pathogen inactivation methods. Pathogens will die-off in the ponds and during disinfection processing of the harvested biomass. Inactivation rates for representative pathogen indicators will be determined under various algae cultivation conditions and during trials with several biomass disinfection techniques. The optimal combination of pond conditions (e.g., high pH) and biomass processing (e.g., pasteurization) will be determined to achieve needed log inactivation of pathogens, which is typically 1- >4 log10 reduction (Sobsey et al., Available Online). 4. Quantify and control any cyanobacterial toxins. qPCR assays described by Al-Tarineh et al. (2012 a and b) will be used and optimized to reliably determine the copy number of cyanotoxin biosynthesis genes, as well as an internal cyanobacteria 16S rDNA control, in a single reaction. The latter detects for presence of cyanobacteria. If toxins are detected, measures will be taken to control invasion of the ponds by cyanotoxin-producing cyanobacteria strains. Overall Goal Benefit agriculture and the environment by introducing microalgae, a fast-growing livestock feed crop. |
| Improving the Sustainability and Quality of Food and Dairy Products from Manufacturing to Consumption via Process Modeling and Edible Packaging | 0438139 | 04/13/2020 | 11/30/2021 | COMPLETE | WYNDMOOR | Not applicable | 1: Integrate new processes into the Fluid Milk Process Model (FMPM) to determine the effects of reductions in energy use, water use or waste on commercial dairy plant economics and greenhouse gas emissions. 1a: Develop benchmark simulations for configurations of stirred, set and strained curd yogurt processing plants in the U.S. that quantify energy use, economics, and greenhouse gas emissions, validated using data from industry. 1b: Use process simulation for evaluation of possible alternatives of whey utilization for the strained curd method of yogurt manufacture. 2: Integrate properties of edible films and coatings from dairy and food processing wastes with formulation strategies to better target commercial food and nonfood applications. 2a: Investigate thermal and mechanical properties of dairy protein-based edible films and coatings in real-life storage and utilization conditions. 2b: Apply new property findings to the investigation of useful and/or sustainable applications utilizing edible milk protein films. 3: Investigate the effects of different film-making technologies to manipulate the physical and functional properties of films and coatings made from agricultural materials. 3a: Investigate the effect of protein conformation on the ability to electrospin caseinates in aqueous solution and in the presence of a polysaccharide. 3b: Investigate the use of fluid milk, nonfat dry milk and milk protein concentrates as a source for production of electrospun fibers. 3c: Investigate the effects of edible and non-edible additives to the electrospun polysaccharide-caseinate fibers in aqueous solution. 4. Investigate techniques for separating components of dairy waste to determine their potential as ingredients. [C1,PS1A] 5. Investigate technologies for large-scale production of the ingredients identified in Objective 4, with products targeted to food applications. [C1, PS1A]. |
| Attaining High Quality Soft White Winter Wheat through Optimal Management of Nitrogen, Residue and Soil Microbes | 0435472 | 09/06/2018 | 09/05/2023 | COMPLETE | PENDLETON | Not applicable | Obj. 1: Extend the N replacement approach to soft white winter wheat for guiding precision management of fertilizer N and crop residue to optimize soil microbial processes and maximize the biological potential of soil. 1A: Evaluate grain protein concentration and yield response to N under varying levels of water to define the critical protein level and fertilizer N equivalent to a unit change in protein for popular cultivars of soft white winter wheat. 1B: Determine whether uniformity of protein levels in the crop can be achieved with the precision N replacement approach. 1C: Adapt instruments and algorithms to support on-farm implementation of the N replacement approach to precision fertilizer management in dryland wheat production systems. 1D: Evaluate the effects of residue management (standing, distributed on the soil surface, or removed) on the plant-available N, precipitation capture efficiency, crop productivity, weed density, and microbial activity during the 13 months of fallow. Obj. 2: Identify whether soil microbial communities adapted to dry environments benefit plant fitness under water limited conditions. 2A: Identify the composition of microbial consortia naturally adapted to low water availability. 2B: Determine whether cultivar selection and N management can be manipulated to shift the structure and function of microbial communities to benefit plants under water stress. Obj. 3. Develop resilient cropping systems and strategies that increase resilience, improve economic returns, and enhance ecosystem services; assess their economic and environmental performance of various cropping systems in concert with their supporting components; and develop decision support systems for optimizing agronomic production in these cropping systems. 3A: Compare economic returns from the variable N replacement approach based on previous seasonâ¿¿s site-specific SWW crop yield data and conventional uniform N placement based on field bulk soil sampling and laboratory testing. 3B: Increase dryland farming resilience by developing cropping systems more intensive and diverse than the conventional winter wheat-fallow system. 3C: Investigate the yields and economic returns of alternative crops following winter wheat and winter wheat following cover crops across low and intermediate precipitation zones using current and future climate scenarios. Obj. 4. Increase the sustainability resilience and tolerance of the dryland crop production system to biotic and abiotic stressors through improved understanding of developmental, environmental, and management factors that limit plant health and growth, including but not limited to stress tolerance, water use efficiency, and disease resistance. 4A: Evaluate stress indicators and yield components of wheat in alternative cropping systems compared to wheat-fallow with relation to soil water availability, disease incidence, and rotational crop morphology. 4B: Investigate crop response to water deficit, high temperature, and/or nitrogen availability. |
| Improvement of Soil Management Practices and Manure Treatment/Handling Systems of the Southern Coastal Plain | 0431207 | 07/27/2016 | 07/05/2021 | ACTIVE | FLORENCE | Not applicable | 1. Develop and test improved tillage and biomass management practices to enhance soil health and long-term agricultural productivity in the Southeastern Coastal Plain. 2. Develop manure treatment and handling systems that improve soil health and water quality while minimizing the emissions of greenhouse gases, odors and ammonia and the transport of phosphorus and pathogens. Subobjective 2a. Develop improved treatment systems and methods for ammonia and phosphorus recovery from liquid and solid wastes using gas-permeable membrane technology. Subobjective 2b. Develop improved biological treatment systems for liquid effluents and soils based on deammonification reaction using ARS patented bacterial anammox and high performance nitrifying sludge cultures. Subobjective 2c. Improve the ARS patented â¿¿Quick Washâ¿? process for phosphorus recovery. Subobjective 2d. Assess treatment methods for their ability to reduce or eliminate pathogens and cell-free, microbially-derived DNA from agricultural waste streams. Subobjective 2e. Improved manure treatment and handling systems, and management strategies for minimizing emissions. Subobjective 2f. Assess the impact of manure treatment and handling systems on agricultural ecosystem services for soil, water, and air quality conservation and protection. 3. Develop beneficial uses of agricultural, industrial, and municipal byproducts, including manure. Subobjective 3a. Evaluate application of designer biochars to soils to increase crop yields while improving soil health, increasing carbon sequestration, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Subobjective 3b. Develop methods and guidelines to remediate mine soils using designer biochars. Subobjective 3c. Evaluate the agronomic value of byproducts produced from emerging manure and municipal waste treatment technologies. |
| Technologies for Improving Industrial Biorefineries that Produce Marketable Biobased Products | 0427427 | 10/01/2014 | 09/30/2019 | COMPLETE | ALBANY | Not applicable | This project provides technological solutions to the biofuels industry to help the U.S. meet its Congressionally mandated goal of doubling advanced biofuels production within the next decade. The overall goal is to develop optimal strategies for converting agricultural biomass to biofuels and to create value-added products (bioproducts) that improve the economics of biorefining processes. Specific emphasis is to develop strategies for biorefineries located in the Western United States by using regionally-specific feedstocks and crops, including sorghum, almond byproducts, citrus juicing wastes, pomace, municipal solid wastes (MSW), and food processing wastes. These feedstocks will be converted into biofuels, bioenergy and fine chemicals. Objective 1: Develop commercially-viable technologies for converting agriculturally-derived biomass, crop residues, biogas, and underutilized waste streams into marketable chemicals. Research on converting biogas will involve significant collaboration with one or more industrial partners. Sub-objective 1A: Provide data and process models for integrated biorefineries that utilize sorghum and available solid waste to produce ethanol, biogas and commercially-viable coproducts. Sub-objective 1B. Convert biogas from biorefining processes into polyhydroxyalkanoate plastics. Sub-objective 1C: Apply the latest tools in immobilized enzymes, nano-assemblies, to convert biomass to fermentable sugars, formaldehyde, and other fine chemicals. Objective 2: Develop commercially-viable fractionation, separation, de-construction, recovery and conversion technologies that enable the production of marketable products and co-products from the byproducts of large-scale food production and processing. Sub-objective 2A: Add value to almond byproducts. Sub-objective 2B: Apply bioenegineering of bacteria and yeast to produce diacids, ascorbic acid and other value-added products from pectin-rich citrus peel waste. Sub-objective 2C: Convert biomass into commercially-viable designer oligosaccharides using combinatorial enzyme technology. |
| Developing Technologies that Enable Growth and Profitability in the Commercial Conversion of Sugarcane, Sweet Sorghum, and Energy Beets into Sugar, Advanced Biofuels, and Bioproducts | 0426599 | 09/22/2014 | 09/02/2019 | ACTIVE | New Orleans | Not applicable | The overall objective of this project is to enhance the value of sugarcane, sweet sorghum, and energy beets, and their major commercial products sugar, biofuel and bioproducts, by improving postharvest quality and processing. Specific objectives are: 1. Develop commercially-viable technologies that reduce or eliminate undesirable effects of starch and color on sugar processing/refining efficiency and end-product quality. 2. Develop commercially-viable technologies that reduce or eliminate undesirable effects of high viscosity on sugar processing/refining efficiency and end-product quality. 3. Develop commercially-viable technologies to increase the stability and lengthen storage of sugar feedstocks for the manufacture of sugars, advanced biofuels, and bioproducts. 4. Develop commercially-viable technologies for the biorefining of sugar crop feedstocks into advanced biofuels and bioproducts. 5. Identify and characterize field sugar crop quality traits that affect sugar crop refining/biorefining efficiency and end-product quality, and collaborate with plant breeders in the development of new cultivars/hybrids to optimize desirable quality traits. 6. Develop, in collaboration with commercial partners, technologies to improve the efficiency and profitability of U.S. sugar manufacturing and enable the commercial production of marketable products from residues (e.g. , bagasse, trash) and by-product streams (e.g., low purity juices) associated with postharvest sugar crop processing. Please see Project Plan for all listed Sub-objectives. |
| Integration of Site-Specific Crop Production Practices and Industrial and Animal Agricultural Byproducts to Improve Agricultural Competitiveness and Sustainability | 0425032 | 10/01/2013 | 09/30/2018 | ACTIVE | MISSISSIPPI STATE | Not applicable | Obj 1. Develop ecological and sustainable site-specific agriculture systems, for cotton, corn, wheat, and soybean rotations. 1: Geographical coordinates constitutes necessary and sufficient cornerstone required to define, develop and implement ecological/sustainable agricultural systems. 2: Develop methods of variable-rate manure application based on soil organic matter (SOM), apparent electrical conductivity, elevation, or crop yield maps. 3: Relate SOM, electrical conductivity, and elevation. Obj 2. Develop sustainable and scalable practices for site-specific integration of animal agriculture byproducts to improve food, feed, fiber, and feedstock production systems. 1: Quantify effects of management on sustainability for sweet potato. 2: Balance soil phosphorus (P)/micro¿nutrients using broiler litter/flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum. 3: Effects of site-specific broiler litter applications. 4: Manure application/crop management practices in southern U.S. 5: Compare banded/broadcast litter applications in corn. 6: Develop reflectance algorithms for potassium in wheat. 7: Determine swine mortality compost value in small farm vegetable production. Obj 3. Analyze the economics of production practices for site-specific integration of animal agriculture byproducts to identify practices that are economically sustainable, scalable, and that increase competitiveness and profitability of production systems. 1: Evaluate economics of on-farm resource utilization in the south. Obj 4. Determine the environmental effects in soil, water, and air from site-specific integration of animal agricultural and industrial byproducts into production practices to estimate risks and benefits from byproduct nutrients, microbes, and management practices. 1: Quantitatively determine bioaerosol transport. 2: Role of P and nitrogen (N) immobilizing agents in corn production. 3: Assess impact of management on water sources. 4: Impact of FGD gypsum/rainfall on mobilization of organic carbon/veterinary pharmaceutical compounds in runoff/leached water. 5: Assess soil microbial ecology, antibiotic resistance, and pathogen changes using manure and industrial byproducts in crop production systems. 6: Develop nutrient management practices for sustainable crop production. 7: Develop nutrient management practices for reclaimed coal mine soils. 8: Determine effects of poultry litter/swine lagoon effluent in swine mortality composts. 9: Determine survival of fecal bacterial pathogens on contaminated plant tissue. 10: Identify agricultural/industrial byproducts that modify the breakdown of organic matter. Obj 5. Integrate research data into regional and national databases and statistical models to improve competitiveness and sustainability of farming practices. 1: Develop broiler house emission models. 2: Apply quantitative microbial risk assessment models to animal agriculture/anthropogenic activities. Obj 6. Develop statistical approaches to integrate and analyze large and diverse spatial and temporal geo-referenced data sets derived from crop production systems that include ecological and natural resource based inputs. 1: Develop novel methods of imaging processing. |
| CONTROL OF HUMAN PATHOGENS ASSOCIATED WITH ACIDIFIED PRODUCE FOODS | 0420825 | 12/02/2010 | 10/27/2015 | COMPLETE | RALEIGH | Not applicable | 1. To define conditions to assure a 5 log reduction of acid tolerant pathogens in refrigerated or bulk stored acidified vegetables. 2. To determine how the metabolism of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (internal pH, membrane potential, ion concentrations, and cell metabolites) are affected as cells are exposed to organic acid and salt conditions typical of acidified foods. 3. To determine the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in commercial fermentation brines, with and without competing microflora, and under a variety of extrinsic and intrinsic conditions. |
| ECOLOGY, MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF WEEDY AND INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES IN A CHANGING CLIMATE | 0420487 | 10/01/2010 | 09/30/2015 | COMPLETE | Urbana | Not applicable | Objective 1: Measure effects of management, climate, and soil conditions on microbial processes (herbicide degradation, nitrogen cycling, and weed seedbank dynamics) in corn/soybean ecosystems. Objective 2: Evaluate the effects of management and climate change on the biology and ecology of weedy and invasive species, including potential weedy cellulosic bioenergy crops, in Midwestern cropping systems. Objective 3: Identify effective combinations of weed management components through application of both new and existing knowledge that exploit useful plant and environmental interactions in vegetable cropping systems. |
| Efficient Management and Use of Animal Manure to Protect Human Health and Environmental Quality | 0420394 | 10/01/2010 | 09/30/2015 | COMPLETE | BOWLING GREEN | Not applicable | The overall goal of the research project which is formulated as a real partnership between ARS and Western Kentucky University (WKU) is to conduct cost effective and problem solving research associated with animal waste management. The research will evaluate management practices and treatment strategies that protect water quality, reduce atmospheric emissions, and control pathogens at the animal production facilities, manure storage areas, and field application sites, particularly for the karst topography. This Project Plan is a unique situation in the sense that non-ARS scientists from WKU are included on an in-house project to conduct research under the NP 214. The objectives and related specific sub-objectives for the next 5 years are organized according to the Components (Nutrient, Emission, Pathogen, and Byproduct) of the NP 214, which mostly apply to this project as follows: 1) develop improved best management practices, application technologies, and decision support systems for poultry and livestock manure used in crop production; 2) develop methods to identify and quantify emissions, from poultry, dairy and swine rearing operations and manure applied lands; 3) reduce ammonia, odors, microorganisms and particulate emissions from dairy, swine and poultry operations through the use of treatment systems (e.g. biofilters and scrubbers) and innovative management practices; 4) perform runoff and leaching experiments on a variety of soils amended with dairy, swine, or poultry manures infected with Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni), Salmonella sp. or Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and compare observed transport with that observed for common indicator organisms such as E. coli, enterococci, and Bacteriodes; and 5) use molecular-based methodologies to quantify the occurrence of pathogens and evaluate new methods to inhibit their survival and transport in soil, water, and waste treatment systems. |
| Innovative Bioresource Management Technologies for Enhanced Environmental Quality and Value Optimization | 0420348 | 10/01/2010 | 09/30/2015 | COMPLETE | FLORENCE | Not applicable | 1. Develop improved treatment technologies to better manage manure from swine, poultry and dairy operations to reduce releases to the environment of odors, pathogens, ammonia, and greenhouse gases as well as to maximize nutrient recovery. 2. Develop renewable energy via thermochemical technologies and practices for improved conversion of manure into heat, power, biofuels, and biochars. 3. Develop guidelines to minimize nitrous oxide emissions from poultry and swine manure-impacted riparian buffers and treatment wetlands. 4. Develop beneficial uses of manure treatment technology byproducts. |
| Cell Wall Science & Technology | 0419190 | 10/01/2012 | 09/30/2022 | COMPLETE | MADISON | Comprehend key chemical and structural aspects of the cell wall so that forest products utilization can be increased and improved for traditional and non-traditional uses. The overall goal is to establish a better understanding of the chemistry of the cell wall and how the cell wall polymers are spatially arranged with respect to each other at the molecular level, as well as the nanoscale level. | The focus of this problem is to bridge the fundamental understanding of wood cell wall chemistry, biology, and mechanics with novel and applied technologies involving wood cell walls. The fundamental aspects of the cell wall that we learn will be a foundation on which all developed technologies can be built upon. Aspects will include research surrounding cell wall ultrastructure and architecture on a micron-scale, nano-scale, and ÿngstrom-scale. The components of this area include: (1) characterizing cell wall polymers in native wood and modified wood; (2) establishing more accurate wood cell wall models; (3) understanding structure-property relationships via water/solvent/component inter-diffusion and infiltration in the matrix; (4) improving the cell wall properties (physical, mechanical, biological degradation, fire resistance, etc.); (5) utilizing cell wall polymers from trees and plants for bio-resins and bio-energy. |
| BIOREFINING PROCESSES | 0418775 | 11/16/2009 | 09/30/2014 | COMPLETE | ALBANY | Not applicable | Objective 1: Develop enzyme-based technologies (based on cleaving specific covalent crosslinks which underlie plant cell wall recalcitrance) thereby enabling new commercially-viable* saccharification processes. Objective 2: Develop new enzyme-based technologies that enable the production of commercially-viable* coproducts such as specialty chemicals, polymer precursors, and nutritional additives/supplements from raw or pretreated lignocellulosic biomass. Objective 3: Develop pretreatment technologies that enable commercially-viable* biorefineries capable of utilizing diverse feedstocks such as rice straw, wheat straw, commingled wastes (including MSW), sorghum, switchgrass, algae, and food processing by-products. Objective 4: Develop new separation technologies that enable commercially-viable* and energy-efficient processes for the recovery of biofuels, biorefinery co-products, and/or bioproducts from dilute fermentation broths. |
| METABOLIC VARIABLES AFFECTING THE EFFICACY, SAFETY, AND FATE OF AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS | 0410345 | 02/03/2006 | 02/02/2011 | COMPLETE | FARGO | Not applicable | Objective 1: Determine metabolic variables (rates of absorption, tissue and microbial biotransformation, excretion) that positively or negatively influence the practical use of novel pre-harvest food safety chemicals in food animals. Objective 2: Determine the fate of endogenous animal hormones, novel pre-harvest food safety compounds, and antibiotics in animal wastes, including their transport through soil and water, and develop intervention strategies that reduce their environmental impact. Objective 3: Develop sensitive and accurate analytical tools to rapidly detect and quantify agriculturally important chemicals studied under objectives 1 and 2. |
| INNOVATIVE ANIMAL MANURE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY | 0409671 | 04/03/2005 | 04/02/2010 | COMPLETE | FLORENCE | Not applicable | Develop and evaluate environmentally superior technologies to prevent off-farm release of nutrients and to reduce pathogens, odors, and ammonia emissions. Develop information and technologies to enhance or retrofit existing manure treatment systems to help producers meet environmental criteria (nutrients, emissions, and pathogens). Improve and refine constructed natural treatment technologies to effectively manage nutrients including reducing emissions of ammonia and nitrous oxide. Develop and evaluate new and improved technologies that concentrate/sequester nutrients from manures or create value added products including conversion of livestock waste to energy. Evaluate swine wastewater treatment systems that can be used to reduce emissions, manage nutrients, and control pathogens on small farms. Develop cooperative activities as needed to conduct the research. |
| VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS FROM FORAGES AND BIOMASS ENERGY CROPS | 0408533 | 06/04/2004 | 06/03/2009 | COMPLETE | MADISON | Not applicable | 1. Develop harvesting, fractionation and storage processes for forages and bioenergy crops that are economical, and that retain product quality. 2. Identify specific varieties of energy crops that display maximum fermentability when grown at specific locations under defined environmental conditions. 3. Develop switchgrass germplasm having broad adaptation to the northern USA and improved fermentability for conversion to value-added products. 4. Develop and improve fermentations for direct bioconversion of cellulosic biomass to value-added products (viz., ethanol, chemical feedstocks and novel bioadhesive components). |
| BIOPROCESS AND METABOLIC ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES FOR BIOFUELS AND VALUE-ADDED COPRODUCTS | 0403945 | 12/15/2000 | 08/08/2004 | COMPLETE | PEORIA | Not applicable | Develop pretreatment, enzyme, and fermentation technologies for the conversion of corn fiber and other agricultural substrates into biofuels (e.g., ethanol, butanol) and value-added fermentation products (e.g., enzymes, polysaccharides, lactic acid). |
| VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS FROM PLANT MATERIALS | 0402375 | 10/01/1999 | 06/02/2004 | COMPLETE | MADISON | Not applicable | 1. Develop methods for harvesting forages and other cellulosic materials that retain feedstock qualtiy. 2. Develop methods to assess the energy feedstock quality of herbaceous biomass crops. 3. Develop low-cost, user-friendly assessment and processing technologies for biomass producers and processors. 4. Develop varieties of switchgrass adapted to the northern USA. 5. Develop technologies for processing and converting biomass materials to value-added products, including fuels, industrial chemicals, and enzymes. |
| Microbial Processes for Bioproducts and Biofuels Production | 0231133 | 09/01/2012 | 08/31/2017 | COMPLETE | EAST LANSING | Biobased fuels and chemicals can make important contributions to U.S. energy security, rural economic development, and the environment. Heterotrophic conversion of organic substances (fungi and bacteria) and autotrophic conversion of inorganic compounds (algae and cyanobacteria) are two major microbial systems to produce these biofuels and chemicals. Numerous studies have been conducted in the past several decades. However, significant challenges still exist in successful realization of these microbial processes for biofuels and chemical production The recalcitrant structure of organic substances (lignocellulosic materials), dispersed nature of energy crops and agricultural residues, and limited capacity of current available industrial strains to co-utilize C5 and C6 sugars, are main barriers for heterotrophic conversion; while, long-term system stability, water and nutrient requirements, and harvesting of biomass hurdle autotrophic conversion. Addressing these challenges should be of the highest research priority in order to develop next-generation biofuels and chemicals. In response to researching and developing new routes towards effective and sustainable biofuels/chemical production systems, my research foci are mainly on heterotrophic fungal platform and autotrophic algal platform. Studies on the fungal platform include fungal cellulosic enzyme production, fungal biojet conversion, and fungi-based pesticides production, and studies on the algal platform include mixture culture of algal assemblage for lipid accumulation and water reclamation, and transgenic algal strains for pharmaceutical/neutraceutical production. The outcomes of the proposed research will lead to novel bioprocesses for biofuel/chemical production with minimum water/nutrient/energy consumption. The implementation of these processes will create great economic value for the agricultural industry, and further stimulate job creation, farm profit, and rural development. | The long-term research goal is to develop environmentally benign bioprocesses to effectively utilize various renewable resources (crop residues, animal wastes, industrial organic wastes and carbon dioxide) for value-added energy/chemical production, with a specific aim towards making scientific and technological advances to meet demands of the emerging bioeconomy. The objective of the proposed research is to demonstrate novel fuel/chemical production systems that apply advanced fungal and algal cultivation technologies to produce enzymes, lipids, biopesticides from agricultural/industrial wastes. The objective will be achieved by pursuing following specific aims under fungal and algal platforms in five years. Specific Aims for Fungal Platform: 1. Investigating enzyme production using pelletized fungal culture; 2. Enhancing lipid accumulation in fungal biomass; 3. Enhancing biopesticide (chitosan) production from fungal cultivation. Specific Aims for Algal Platform: 1. Constructing algal/bacterial consortium to improve lipid accumulation and facilitate biomass precipitation; 2. Developing a culture strategy to enhance lipid/starch accumulation; 3. Developing transgenic algal culture for biofuels and value-added protein production. The expected outputs from the project include: 1. Peer reviewed articles and book chapters Publishing peer reviewed journal articles on those high-impact journals in the biofuels/chemical field is one of the best approaches to disseminate the research outcomes in relevant scientific communities. 2. Workshops Smaller groups of targeted parties from both academia and industries with much higher and more active engagement on specific research topics (algal or fungal related) will be invited to MSU campus. Research presentation, group discussion, system demonstration, and facility tour will be organized for the workshops to give the audience the first-hand information, and let them better understand the outcomes of the on-going biofuel/chemical research. 3. Media Potential media for biofuel/chemical research are Discovery Channel, Lansing State Journal, Biomass Products & Technology, Resource - Engineering & Technology for Sustainable World etc. 4. Industrial partners Collaborating with industrial and agricultural partnerships will enable applied and relevant research to be quickly commercialized. Considering the intellectual merits related with some of the proposed research, MSU technologies will be invited to be part of the conversation with the partners to protect potential intellectual properties. 5. Internet The research group website will be upgraded to include a dynamic web-based database. All updated research news and outcomes, educational and training materials will be updated in a timely manner. A much larger audience from different area such as agriculture, food/pharmaceutical/biofuels industries, K-16 educators, and general public will be targeted by the internet dissemination approach. |
| System For Advanced Biofuels Production From Woody Biomass In The Pacific Northwest | 0225392 | 09/01/2011 | 08/31/2019 | COMPLETE | Seattle | The United States is not on track to meet the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) targets for advanced biofuels production under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 (Biofuels Interagency Working Group, 2010). Our agricultural and forestry sectors can provide feedstock to support the fledgling industry (Perlack et al., 2005). However, lack of integration across the entire supply chain has led to sub-optimal solutions and stunted commercial rollout of the advanced biofuels industry. This project, led by the University of Washington, provides a holistic approach to the establishment of a regional biofuels industry with a project that encompasses research, extension, and education components. | The overall goal of this project is to ready the Pacific Northwest (PNW) for a 2015 introduction of a 100% infrastructure compatible biofuels industry that meets the region's pro-rata share of Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) targets using sustainably grown regionally appropriate woody energy crops, thereby helping to revitalize the region's agriculture/forestry sectors with establishment of a sustainable advanced biofuels industry that supports both large and small growers and brings jobs to rural communities in the region. We will complete a three prong integrated program of research, extension and education to achieve this goal. The desired actions (medium term outcomes) for the three project components are: RESEARCH - Mitigate technology risks along the entire supply chain so that a woody energy crop-based biofuels industry, which makes significant contributions towards RFS2 targets, can be built in the PNW. EXTENSION - Build a critical mass of competent small- and medium-size growers to provide the industry with timely supply of purpose-grown woody energy crops, and address the needs and concerns of stakeholders that will be impacted by an advanced biofuels industry in the PNW. EDUCATION - Build a critical mass of well-trained workers capable of filling the cross-disciplinary needs of the biofuels industry. Capstone activities for the project are: 1. GreenWood Resources, the Nation's larger grower of hybrid poplar, will establish and operate four 200-acre energy farms managed with low-input silviculture. 2. ZeaChem Inc., a leading biorefinery developer, will modify its 10 ton(dry)/day biorefinery in Boardman, OR to produce multiple 8,000 gallon truckloads of biobased gasoline and jet/diesel, which will be distributed to consumers on a test basis by Valero Energy Corporation. 3. Deployment of sustainability, extension and education programs by world-class regional institutions will lead to the establishment of a critical mass of well-trained growers and workers. Successful completion of these activities will lead to the desired actions of adequate risk reduction to allow the financing, construction, and operation of multiple biorefineries in the region. |
| Improving the Sustainability of Livestock and Poultry Production in the United States (OLD S1032) | 0213075 | 10/01/2007 | 09/30/2013 | COMPLETE | MINNEAPOLIS | The project proposes to develop computer based mathematical descriptions of the animal production industries using measures of sustainability and environmental impacts that will help describe and define that scientific framework. Although all aspects of animal production must be included, we propose to put special emphasis on evaluating manure management and utilization best management practices and their impact on sustainability and environmental impacts beyond the farm and field scale. A number of interesting and useful analytical paradigms already exist for describing and modeling the sustainability of arbitrarily defined systems, and we do not intend to suggest that one of them is necessarily superior to the others in every conceivable use or context. Each of them has strengths and shortcomings that depend on the way in which it is used. | Not applicable |
| Bacterial Methylation of Mine-Derived Inorganic Mercury in Lake and Estuarine Sediments | 0201896 | 10/01/2009 | 09/30/2014 | COMPLETE | DAVIS | California's legacy of inorganic mercury pollution from abandoned mines is of concern due to its potential conversion to methylmercury. Bacteria living in oxygen-depleted sediments produce this especially toxic form of mercury, which is readily biomagnified in predatory fish and birds near the apex of aquatic food webs. We have recently shown that a group called "iron-reducing bacteria" are as active at producing methylmercury as other bacteria, called "sulfate-reducers", which were previously believed to perform the bulk of these transformations in marine and freshwater sediments. The current proposal will continue to refine experiments based on natural sediments to determine the general importance of iron-reducers as mercury methylators throughout the sediments of a lake and an estuary impacted by typical mine-derived mercury. Pure cultures of abundant iron-reducing bacteria will also be isolated from mine-impacted marine sediments and assayed for their ability to produce methylmercury from the divalent inorganic form. A variety of stakeholder groups have been interested in our basic research findings on these and related topics to date. The PI will continue to keep these groups informed of our new findings and any possible implications for remediation actions. | The research objectives for this project are as follows: (1) For mine-impacted sediments of Clear Lake, determine the relative contribution of sulfate-reducing bacteria to methylation of mercury while altering native sediment properties and inorganic mercury levels as little as possible. (2) For mine-impacted sediments of Clear Lake that are first manipulated to biologically deplete sulfate and oxidized iron, determine the relative rates of mercury methylation upon supplementation with each biological oxidant separately and both together. (3) For mine-impacted sediments of Walker Creek Estuary and a control site, determine the proportional contribution of sulfate-reducing bacteria to methylation of mercury while altering native sediment properties and inorganic mercury levels as little as possible. (4) For a spectrum of sediment types from Walker Creek Estuary, isolate pure cultures of marine iron-oxidizing bacteria and test the per-cell rates of production of methylmercury for representative cultures. (5) Use bioaccumulation of methylmercury in the muscle tissue of the lined shore crab, PACHYGRAPSUS CRASSIPES, to determine the extent and magnitude of the impact of mercury from Walker Creek on biota around Tomales Bay; a site showing minimal impact will be selected as control sediment for the third objective. . Under the earlier version of this project the PI presented new basic research findings that have implications for mercury management policy to the following stakeholder groups: Delta Tributaries Mercury Council, San Francisco Estuary Institute, San Francisco Bay Water Board. These presentations, made in person or via dissemination of unpublished research findings, were in response to requests from these groups, and we will continue to disseminate our findings in this manner as they become available. Additionally, our report on our Walker Creek Estuary studies, which has been posted on the UC Office of the President Coastal Environmental Quality Initiative website (http://repositories.cdlib.org/ucmarine/ceqi/040), had 742 full-text downloads in the first 30 months of posting (2006-12-13) and continues to be downloaded at a steady pace. We will continue to present our findings at scientific meetings and in research journal articles. A recent peer-review of an earlier version of our pending manuscript on the Walker Creek Estuary studies characterized our 2006 publication (Fleming et al., 2006, Mercury methylation from unexpected sources: molybdate-inhibited freshwater sediments and an iron-reducing bacterium. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 72:457-464) as follows: "In this reviewer's opinion, that finding was one of the most significant advances in Hg biogeochemistry in recent years, because for over 20 years prior to the 2006 paper, SRB [sulfate-reducing bacteria] were the focus of all research on Hg methylation." Thus, we believe that our current basic research emphasis on establishing the generality of those earlier findings continues to have strong implications for environmental policy and remediation of contaminated sites. |
| ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD WASTE BIOMASS FOR THE EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF HIGH QUALITY BIOGAS | 0200286 | 04/01/2004 | 09/30/2009 | COMPLETE | COLUMBUS | This research initiative is rooted in the need for alternative energy sources that are renewable and competitive with imported petroleum fuels. Nearly all of the agricultural production entities, whether crop, horticultural, or animal in nature, create significant quantities of waste biomass. Closed system anaerobic digestion of these wastes offers the opportunity to produce a clean form of fuel (methane and/or hydrogen) with minimal environmental emissions | Initially this research is to develop laboratory scale anaerobic digestion systems to determine the metabolic and nutritional requirements of digesters for efficient conversion of diverse biomass feedstock types to biogas energy. Secondly, it is important to develop sensitive analytical technologies to monitor metabolic changes of feedstocks during biodigestion as well as define the purity of biogas produced as a necessary guide in the development of anaerobic process strategies. Sequentially, it is important to scale anaerobic digestion of biomass to produce competitive quantities of clean biogas for reliable power for process heat, combustion or turbine engines, or solid-oxide fuel cells. Finally, we intend to integrate biomass utilization and energy conversion technologies for a holistic environmental and energy conversion strategy to provide effective energy production and waste remediation. |
| Bio-energy engineering combining nano-technologies and microbial fuel cells | 0198382 | 10/01/2009 | 09/30/2014 | COMPLETE | COLUMBUS | Microbial fuel cells can generate small but sustainable electrical power by harnessing the natural abilities of some microbes. This research specifically uses the microbes found in the digestive tract of cows which are well suited to using cellulosic materials such as hay and grass as feed and have also been recently found to be electrochemically active. The goal is to increase power production in these fuel cells by using nano-technology and miniaturization techniques. Potential impacts include more economical applications for bio-energy, reduced dependence on non-renewable energy sources, treatment of lignocellulosic agricultural wastes, and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. | The long term goal is to develop a microbial energy conversion process that uses cellulosic waste as its feedstock, does not generate intermediate byproducts such as methane, and produces sufficient electrical power for applications where other forms of electricity are not readily available. The overall objectives of this research are to: (1.) Expand scientific knowledge of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as a bioenergy option. (2.) Increase power production in MFCs by using nano-technology and miniaturization techniques. |
| Animal Manure and Waste Utilization, Treatment and Nuisance Avoidance for a Sustainable Agriculture | 0191080 | 10/01/2001 | 09/30/2007 | COMPLETE | Baton Rouge | Grazing of cattle and land application of animal manure are common agricultural practices. Assessment of pollutant transport from grazed pastures and development of treatment options for animal manures are needed in order to protect Louisiana's water resources. The water quality impacts of grazing dairy cattle on pasture will be studied in regard to fecal coliform content in runoff water. As part of an ongoing study, pasture plots will be artificially dosed with dairy cow manure in a manner similar to natural deposition during grazing. | 1. Develop management tools, strategies, and systems for land application of animal manures and effluents that optimize efficient, environmentally friendly utilization of nutrients and are compatible with sustained land and water quality. 2. Develop, evaluate, and refine physical, chemical and biological treatment processes in engineered and natural systems for management of manures and other wastes. |