Beets an Alternative Energy Source

Did you know that Henry Ford originally planned to fuel the Model Ts with ethanol? Biofuels have been around just as long as the first cars. Biofuels never became popular because huge deposits of petroleum were discovered which was cheaper to refine than creating biofuels. Biofuels have recently become an interest again due to the rise in fuel prices and concerns about global warming. Biofuels can be created from many plant sources such as corn, sugarcane, palm oil, and energy beets.

The interest and research into energy beets has increased recently similar to other biofuels. Energy beets are sugar type beets not produced for food, but are bred distinctively for the production of biofuels. The reason energy beets have growing interest is that they produce double the ethanol per acre compared to corn which has been one of the primary sources of ethanol lately.

Energy beets are important to Agriculture Engineers for many reasons. Two main reasons Ag Engineers are working with energy beets for protecting the environment and to meet a growing demand of fuel.

Working on this new development of energy beets, Ag Engineers have worked to make the beets have positive effects on the environment. For instance these new beets are certified by the Environmental Protection Agency as advanced biofuels. Advanced biofuels create 50% less carbon emissions compared to the traditional oil based fuels. This will in turn lower the greenhouse gasses that are causing global warming. Another aspect about the environment, Ag Engineers are concerned with the management of the fields the beets are grown on. Energy beets have a tap root that can penetrate up to six feet into the ground. These long roots have a positive impact because they can use water and nutrients that other plants cannot reach.  The long roots also improve internal drainage of the soil.

The second reason Ag Engineers are working with energy beets is to meet the growing demand of biofuels. The United States has increased standards for the going green movement and increasing prices at the pump. By 2020, the US standard will have at least 36 billion gallons of renewable energy of which 21 billion gallons must be advanced biofuels. Also as the population grows higher, supplies of fuel will be needed to supply the demand. If new forms of fuel are not created the price of the traditional petroleum products will increase even more to control the demand.

Ag Engineers are one of the main driving forces working to solve the energy crisis. One driving force would be North Dakota State University which is currently running test plots on a variety of soil conditions and regions to gain information regarding this new development.

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/agnews/beets-being-considered-for-ethanol-production/article_f8d32ac8-7c3f-11e2-9079-001a4bcf887a.html

http://www.beetsallbiofuel.com/index.html

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/biofuel-profile/