Farm Energy IQ Farms Today Securing Our Energy Future Bioenergy Feedstock Production Greg Roth, Penn State Department of Agronomy
Farm Energy IQ Bioenergy Feedstock Production for Agricultural Service Providers Greg Roth Penn State, Department of Plant Science
Objectives • Review adaptation of crops and residues such as corn, corn cobs, oilseed crops (e.g., canola and soybeans), and biomass crops (e.g., Miscanthus and willow) • Review crop management and infrastructure requirements to produce bioenergy feedstocks • Review methods for adding value to feedstock production • Estimate production costs of various feedstocks
Corn • Most widely used feedstock • Experiences with corn ethanol production applicable to other potential bioenergy commodities • Main bioenergy product is ethanol, with valuable co ‐ products including distillers grains, corn oil, and CO 2 • Key drivers in building ethanol market are RFS, exports, expanded co ‐ product markets, and reduced energy use
Corn—Adaptation • Corn is widely adapted across U.S. with bulk of production in Midwest • Increased crop price due to ethanol has caused expansion of growing area
Corn—Management Month Operation Inputs March/April Tillage Diesel April/May Spreading Fertilizer Fertilizer, Diesel Seed, Fertilizer, April/May Planting Diesel May Herbicide Application Herbicide, Diesel June Sidedress Fertilizer Fertilizer, Diesel October Harvest and Store Diesel Nov/April Haul Corn to Market Diesel Chop/Harvest Corn December Diesel Stalks
Production Costs Price Amount Total Corn Price $5.00 160 $800 bu/acre • In 2014, production Variable Costs costs are estimated to Seed $3.44 34,000 $117 be $4.67/bushel. Price /1000 Fertilizer NPK + Lime $134 can vary with yield. Pesticides $51 • Ethanol returns vary Other Trucking, Ins., with prices Interest, Drying $126 Fixed Costs • Good long term returns Land $150 for producers and Labor $45 processors are essential Machinery $124 Net $53 Source: http://aede.osu.edu/research/osu ‐ farm ‐ management/enterprise ‐ budgets
Corn Ethanol—Production Costs 2/3/12 3/28/2014 • Ethanol returns vary with prices Corn Price $ 6.38 4.54 Ethanol $/gal 2.00 3.15 • One bushel of corn at $4.54 can be processed Ethanol/bu gal 2.8 2.8 into ethanol and distillers Value $ 5.60 8.82 wet grain soluables Wet distillers $/to 74.00 69.30 n (DWGS) worth $10.52 DWGS/bu lb 49.00 49.00 • Take home message for DWGS Value $ 1.81 1.70 bioenergy industry: good Value $ 7.41 10.52 long term returns for Ethanol + DWGS producers and processors Bioenergy $ 1.03 5.98 are essential value minus corn price Source: http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/nw_gr213.txt
Corn Cobs • Corn cobs can potentially be harvested and used for bioenergy • Historically corn cobs were used as a heat source in the Midwest and Europe • Cob removal has little to no environmental impacts
Corn Cob–Management • Corn cobs can be: – Shelled from ear corn – cleaned from a corn cob mix harvested with the combine and then cleaned from the grain – Collected from the back of the combine, sometimes mixed with husk and stover • Corn cobs and stover can also be collected following harvest
Corn Cob–Combine Separation • One example is this H120 cob harvester from Redekop • Tow ‐ behind cleaner separates cobs and discharges into a wagon • Adjustable to include material other than cob (MOC) Source: http://www.cobharvest.com/h120 ‐ cob ‐ harvester/
Corn Cobs–Management • Cobs collected with MOC • MOC increases yield per acre and captures some of the best fraction of the stover above the ear
Corn Cob–Harvest from Windrow • POET developed a system (EZ bale) which consists of a headed that stomps and rolls the stalks and discharges the cobs and upper stover into a windrow • In a second pass, cobs and stover from plant tops are collected with a baler set to minimize soil contamination Photo credit: http://poet ‐ dsm.com/biomass
Corn Cobs—Production Costs Price Amount Total • While most production costs are incurred in Cob Price $100 1 ton/acre $100 corn production, Variable Costs harvesting results in Storing, Piling $4.72 additional costs Fertilizer Replacement $8.62 • A Purdue study Other (Fuel, Labor, Lubrication, Etc.) $18.76 indicated that cob harvesting cost Total $32.10 approximately $54/ton Fixed Costs • Some farmers feel it Machinery (Harvest Wagon) $22.34 can be done for less Net Return $46 Source: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/ID ‐ 417 ‐ W.pdf
Corn Cobs—Production Cost • Increasing the amount of MOC could increase yields per acre from 20 to 30% and reduce cost per ton of material collected • Increased yields would make the biomass a more attractive feedstock
Corn Cobs/Stover–Added Value Uses • Alternative markets for corn cobs include mushroom compost, animal bedding, and metal polishing compound • Stover removal can reduce the need for residue management practices like stalk chopping or tillage and provide some value to cob harvest as well
Soybeans Typical yield: 3,000 lb/acre (50 bu/acre) Potential use: Biodiesel Animal ag co-product: Soybean meal Other potential products: Straw (1,000 lb/acre) Biodiesel yield/ac:74 gal/acre or 9.1 million Btu Adaptability to no-tillage: High Existing infrastructure: High N fertilizer Inputs: 0 lb/acre Other Comments: Widely grown for protein on livestock farms; oil used for food and biodiesel. Good rotational crop to break pest cycles and produce nitrogen for subsequent crops. Also, soybeans are drought tolerant and can be double cropped following barley or wheat. Soybean straw can be used as direct combustion feedstock.
Soybean–Adaptation • Soybeans are widely grown through Mid ‐ Atlantic and Midwest states • Processing plants in Northeast extract oil to produce soybean meal • A portion of that oil is used for biodiesel production
Soybean–Management Month Operation Inputs Spreading Fertilizer, April/May fertilizer Diesel Seed, May Planting Fertilizer, Diesel Herbicide Herbicide, May application Diesel October Harvest and store Diesel Nov/April Haul to market Diesel
Soybean—Production Costs Price Amount Total Soybean Price $14.00 55 bu/acre $770 Variable costs Seed 0.41/ 180000 $74 1000 Fertilizer NPK + Lime $59 Pesticides $32 Other Trucking, Ins., Int., Drying $63 Fixed Costs Land $150 Labor $30 Machinery $108 Net $254/acre
Canola/Rapeseed Typical PA yield: 2500 lb/acre (50 bu/acre) Potential use: Biodiesel Animal ag co-product: Canola meal Other potential products: Straw (1000 lb/acre) Biodiesel yield/ac: 143 gal or 17.5 million Btu Adaptability to no-tillage: Medium Existing infrastructure: Medium N fertilizer inputs: 100 lb/acre Other Comments: Limited production in PA but widely grown in Europe because of high oil yield per acre and low saturated fat in oil, which contributes to high quality for biodiesel. Canola meal is high protein feed comparable to soybean meal. Winter and spring varieties exist. Winter canola is more adapted to southern half of state. Higher N requirement than soybeans.
Canola/Rapeseed—Adaptation • Winter and spring varieties available • Canola is widely adapted but can have difficulty competing with other crops such as wheat or soybeans. Most production is in ND • Canola oil has a low cloud point and one of the best feedstocks for SVO or biodiesel
Spring Canola—Management Month Operation Inputs Spreading Fertilizer, March fertilizer Diesel Seed, April Planting Fertilizer, Diesel Herbicide Herbicide, April application Diesel Harvest and August Diesel store Haul to Sept./April Diesel market
Canola—Production Costs Price Amount Total Canola Price $0.20 2,000 lb $400 Variable costs Seed $27 Fertilizer NPK + Lime $58 Pesticides $16 Other Trucking, Ins., Int., Drying $21 Fixed Costs Land $75 Labor $15 Machinery $102 Total Costs 314 Net $86/acre Source: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/pubs/mf2421.pdf
Canola Pressing
Canola Meal
Oilseed Economics Source: http:// www.vsjf.org/resources/reports ‐ tools/oilseed ‐ calculator
Oilseed Economics http://www.vsjf.org/resources/reports ‐ tools/oilseed ‐ calculator
Switchgrass Typical PA yield: 8,000 lb/acre Potential use: Direct combustion (DC), cellulosic ethanol Animal ag co-product: Aftermath grazing Other potential products/benefits: Wildlife habitat, bedding, absorbent Energy yield/ac: 56.4 million Btu (DC) Adaptability to no-tillage: High Existing infrastructure: High N fertilizer inputs: 0-100 lb/acre Other Comments: Widely adaptable, especially on droughty soils. Provides excellent conservation and wildlife habitat. Can be slow to establish. Harvest schedule can impact wildlife benefits and ash content.
Switchgrass—Management Month Operation Inputs Fertilizer, March Harvest Diesel Bale and April Diesel store Seed, Spread May Fertilizer, fertilizer Diesel May/ Haul to Diesel December market
Switchgrass—Adaptation • Switchgrass is widely adapted and has been grown from Florida to the corn belt on both productive and droughty soils
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