Researchers at the University of Arizona say that salt loving plants might hold the key to 63bn gallons ethanol from non-crop land, according to Biofuels Digest, which quoted from Wired.
If this is true then it really is interesting. With one bound (or several faltering steps) we could be free of the reliance on high-quality land which we need for crops globally. Questions around the level of salt tolerance, yield and so on must be answered. But it could be one of those win-wins where it is possible to increases wealth for people who own marginal land. I wonder if there is any chance that such crops could remediate land that has become saline through irrigation.
If this is true then it really is interesting. With one bound (or several faltering steps) we could be free of the reliance on high-quality land which we need for crops globally. Questions around the level of salt tolerance, yield and so on must be answered. But it could be one of those win-wins where it is possible to increases wealth for people who own marginal land. I wonder if there is any chance that such crops could remediate land that has become saline through irrigation.
Comments (3)
Very interesting..I read about samphire about a week ago and thought about biofuels..
I would love to see a more detailed estimate of fuel production though..63 billion gallons seems a bit optimisitic..
Posted by Pradeep | December 10, 2008 5:08 PM
Posted on December 10, 2008 17:08
Samphire is the kind of thing that you find in chintzy/ritzy seafood restaurants on the coasts of the UK... Not exactly a huge food demand, but you can eat it. There's a recipe here...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/warmsaladofsamphirea_3290.shtml
I've not tried it myself.
Posted by Simon Robinson
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December 11, 2008 9:28 AM
Posted on December 11, 2008 09:28
No question that salt loving plants will be a part of the solution.
I always laugh at the totals myself, it is not 63 billion gallons or nothing, it is whatever market share the companies utilizing this feedstock can capture. If it is one billion gallons that is still a huge gain for our side.
Posted by larry hagedon | December 19, 2008 12:49 AM
Posted on December 19, 2008 00:49