2011 Western NC Bioenergy Field Day
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
12:30 pm - 5:00 pm
North Carolina
State University
Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station
74 Research Drive
Mills River, NC 28759
North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services invite you to attend this event designed to provide a time for researchers to share the latest information of the work being conducted on energy crops in Western NC. Tours of research plots and processing equipment demonstrations will help growers, researchers, and private industry interests learn how we are working to meet the state’s renewable fuels and energy goals of the future.
The afternoon event will cover topics including the science of cellulosic fuel production, production of energy grasses, cultural management of bioenergy crops, high-oil crops and biodiesel production, sorghum production for biofuels, breeding efforts and genetic improvements of biomass crops, and short rotation woody biomass and southern hardwoods for bioenergy. Speakers include NC State University researchers in Soil Science, Horticultural Science, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and Forestry and Environmental Resources. Field demonstrations will include biomass pelleting, oilseed crushing and biodiesel production, and sorghum harvest, squeezing, and distillation. The field day is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Ron Gehl at ron_gehl@ncsu.edu of 828-684-3562 x129.
Download Posters from this event in Adobe Acrobat format:
Development and Evaluation of Cold Hardy Energy Canes for North Carolina
Micropropagation and Development of Noninvasive Grasses
Giant Miscanthus Production and Nutrient Management
Short Rotation Populus for Bioenergy
Bioenergy Crop Production on Swine Effluent Spray Fields
Download an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file of the event brochure/program (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
2011 Biofuels Field Day Program
14 September 2011
Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station
Mills River, NC
12:30 p.m.-- Registration
1:00 p.m.-- Welcome and Remarks
W. David Smith, Director, N.C. Agricultural Research Service, N.C. State University
Kaleb Rathbone, Representative, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Steven Burke, President and CEO, Biofuels Center of North Carolina
Denny Thompson, Superintendent, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station, N.C. State University
Ron Gehl, Department of Soil Science, N.C. State University
1:30 – 4:30 p.m.-- Sequential Presentations
Sam Brake, Biofuels Center of North Carolina Research Projects Coordinator, presiding
(Presentations are 20 minutes each with 5 minutes for rotation between stations 1 through 7.)
1. The Science of Cellulosic Material (challenges and science of cellulosic material conversion)
Ratna Sharma-Shivappaand Anusha Paneerselvam, Dept. of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, NC State Univ.
2. Energy Grasses for Western North Carolina (perennial biomass crops, yield, nutrient response and uptake, cultural management)
Irene Palmer, Tom Ranney, Darren Touchell and Nic George, Dept. of Horticultural Science, NC State Univ.; and Ron Gehl, Dept. of Soil Science, NC State Univ.
3. Giant Miscanthus Production and Nutrient Management (yield, N and P nutrient response and uptake)
Stephanie Haines, Ron Gehl and John Havlin, Dept. of Soil Science, NC State Univ.; and Tom Ranney, Dept. of Horticultural Science, N.C. State Univ.
4. High-Oil Crops/Biodiesel Production (genetic modification, oilseed development, biodiesel production steps and cost)
Matt Veal*, Dept. of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, NC State Univ.
5. Sorghum: Biofuels and Value-Added Products (sweet and forage sorghum production; in-field direct fermentation of sorghum sugars)
Matt Whitfield* and Mari Chinn, Dept. of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, NC State Univ.
6a. Germplasm and Genetic Improvement of Biomass Crops (selective breeding, hybrid development)
Tom Ranney*, Darren Touchell, Tom Eaker, Mitch Sewell, Dept. of Horticultural Sciences, NC State Univ.; Ron Gehl, Dept. of Soil Science, NC State Univ.
6b. Micropropagation and Development of Noninvasive Grasses
Darren Touchell*, Tom Ranney, and Jeremy Smith, Dept. of Horticultural Sciences, NC State Univ.
7. Short Rotation Woody Biomass (SRWC research program: Populus and other southern hardwoods across NC)
Aletta Davis* and John King, Dept. of Forestry and Environmental Resources, NC State Univ.
4:30 PM-- Field Demonstrations
Simultaneous demonstrations, field day attendees are free to float between demonstrations.
1. Biomass Pelleting – Demonstration of machinery and procedures required to pelletize biomass for on-site heating needs. Matt Veal, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, NC State Univ.
2. Biodiesel Production – Demonstration of portable oilseed crusher and biodiesel processor. Michelle Mayer, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, NC State Univ.
3. Sorghum Harvest, Squeezing, and Distillation – Demonstration of a small-scale sweet sorghum harvester, juice extraction, and distillation equipment. Matt Whitfield and Barry Lineberger, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, NC State Univ.
Note-- If you have a disability or desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact the N.C. Agricultural Research Service at 919.515.2717 during business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to request accommodations.