Research team shows benefits of alternative biofuel crops
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EmailWhen it comes to biofuels, corn leads the all-important category of biomass yield. However, focusing solely on yield comes at a high price.
When it comes to biofuels, corn leads the all-important category of biomass yield. However, focusing solely on yield comes at a high price. In the current issue of the Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences, several MSU entomologists are part of a team showing that perennial grass biomass crops increase biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services including pollination, pest suppression.
“We believe our findings have major implications for bioenergy research and policy,” said Doug Landis, MSU entomologist and one of the paper’s lead authors. “Biomass yield is obviously a key goal, but it appears to come at the expense of many other environmental benefits that society may desire from rural landscapes.” Read more at MSU Today.
Additional MSU researchers who contributed to this study include: Ben Werling, Timothy Dickson, Rufus Isaacs, Katherine Gross, Carolyn Malmstrom, Leilei Ruan, Philip Robertson, Thomas Schmidt, Tracy Teal and Julianna Wilson.
