A project by Ceres to increase biomass yields of several energy grasses has attracted a $5 million advanced research grant form the US Department of Energy. Commenting at the announcement of the award yesterday (10th November) Ceres chief scientific officer Richard Flavell said; “Low-input traits developed through modern genetics can provide wide-reaching benefits to the energy and agricultural sectors as well as the environment — just the type of transformational impact energy officials are looking for.”

According to the company projections indicate that the traits alone could displace 1.3 billion barrels of oil and 58 million tons of coal over a ten year period. Depending on cropping practices, 1.2 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer could be eliminated (about the amount of nitrogen needed for 24 million acres of cotton), among other benefits.

“At the heart of our ambitions for a full-scale bioenergy industry will be how well we utilize our land resources,” said Richard Hamilton, Ceres chief executive.  “With greater use of technology, increased productivity will go hand-in-hand with greater sustainability.” He noted that higher yields reduce the land area needed to support individual projects. Hardier, higher yielding seed varieties could also sequester more carbon and expand the area where economic yields can be obtained – so-called marginal acres.

The three-year project is expected to begin next month. Ceres researchers will test its advanced traits in a variety of energy grasses such as switchgrass, sorghum and miscanthus. Productivity and inputs requirements, such as fertilizer, will be evaluated as well as expected improvements to carbon and nitrogen cycles. Upon successful completion, the Ceres traits would undergo a customary evaluation by USDA prior to full commercialization.