Proceedings - Biomass South 2008
Dr. Cory Christensen, Ceres, Inc.
Cory Christensen has been a product manager at Ceres, Inc. since 2007. Based in Thousand Oaks, California, he oversees the seed company’s pipeline of high-yielding switchgrass cultivars, from early development to commercialization, as well as external partnerships and trials. He previously led Ceres’ trait development efforts in drought and cold stress as well as enhanced biomass production. Prior to joining Ceres, he managed gene-trait discovery work at Paradigm Genetics, focusing on drought stress and herbicides. Dr. Christensen holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Utah, where he studied plant reproductive development.
Development of Dedcated Energy Crops to Supply the Biofuel and Biopoweer Industries
Notes:
- Switchgrass, miscanthus, sugar cane, prairie cord grass, mixed prairie sorguhm, corn stover
- Economic viability - production - transport - conversion to biofuel
- Sustainability
- Environmental services
- Switchgrass - don't get full yields in the first year
- Slow to start - then out competes
- developing agronomy treatments
- Miscanthus - likes cold wet climate
- Largest switchgrass breending company in nation (TX, OK, SD)
- Apply genomic techniques to biomass crops
- Move lowland varieties north - flow later, increase biomass, may decrease winter survival
- Stem versus leafy - can tailor for conversion to biofuel
- Rapid composition analysis process - allows faster analysis of traits
- Blade energy crops
Thanks to Sarah Ashton, Rachel Cook, Lindsey Hannum, James Jeuck, Liwei Lin, James McCarter, Susan McIntyre, and Mark Megalos for providing notes and summaries for presentations.
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