U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home News & Events News Articles Research News 2007





- ARS News & Events
- AgResearch Magazine
- Image Gallery
- News
- Search News & Events
- Pesticide Drift May Endanger Pollinators
- ARS Seeks a Fire Ant Fix
- Scientific Discoveries 2024
- ARS Featured Photos
- Down on the Farm
- Facebook Live Events
- Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
- News Archive
- Science in Your Shopping Cart
- Scientific Discoveries
- Social Media
- Under the Microscope
- AgResearch magazine
- ARS at Work
- ARS Memorial Lectures
- ARS Science Hall of Fame
- Citrus Disease (Huanglongbing)
- Contact Office of Communications
- Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Mobile Apps
- Public Affairs Contacts
- Publications and Other Resources
- USDA Blog
- Videos

Archived Page
 This page has been archived and is being provided for reference purposes only. The page is no longer being updated, and therefore, links on the page may be invalid.
 Beltsville scientists are growing switchgrass to capture nutrients from manure, add soil carbon, and for bioenergy. It could help protect the Chesapeake Bay and provide energy for rural communities. Click the image for more information about it.For further readingAntidotes to oil dependencySwitchgrass saves carbonFeasibility of switchgrass for bioenergyUSDA-DOE team up for bioenergy ARS Center Searches for "Opportunity Fuels" By Don Comis  March 30, 2007 The Henry A. Wallace Beltsville (Md.) Agricultural Research Center (BARC) is doing a feasibility study on construction of a 1- to 2-megawatt research and development gasification facility to generate electricity and steam for BARC labs, offices and farm buildings. The unit would use a variety of feedstocks, and the technology could be transferable to rural communities and farm cooperatives. BARC is operated by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief in-house scientific research agency. The study is being done under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy. Gasification is a process of burning biomasswhether animal wastes or other materialsto turn it into a fuel gas that can be used directly for heat or electricity or further converted into a variety of liquid fuels. The study should be ready sometime in mid- to late April. Matt Smith, research leader of the ARS Environmental Management and Byproduct Utilization Laboratory at Beltsville, and colleagues are growing poplar trees and switchgrass to study the plants' ability to use excess nutrients from animal manures, add carbon to the soil, and provide feedstocks for bioenergy. If successful, such plants could help protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and help provide energy for farms and rural communities. At other ARS locations, switchgrass is being studied for cellulosic ethanol production. The idea is for the 6,500-acre BARC to demonstrate the use of wastes as "opportunity fuels," using whatever farm products are in excess or available at the time fuel is needed. For example, BARC composts 11,850 cubic yards of manure each year. This comes from the farm's livestockcows, pigs, sheep, goats, turkeys and chickensabout 5,000 to 6,000 animals. Smith also studies biogas (methane) production from the wastes from the BARC dairy. Biogas can be used to produce heat and electricity for use on the farm. BARC has been running all of its diesel vehicles and equipment and backup generators on B20 biodiesel fuel since 1999.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov