Biofuel Feedstock Crops
Thomas G Chastain
CROP 200 Crop Ecology and Morphology
Biofuel Feedstock Crops
• Feedstock crops provide the source
of raw materials used in the
production of biofuels. Seed oils
serve as the feedstock for biodiesel
while starch in seeds or cellulose in
crop stems can serve as the
feedstock for ethanol.
• Feedstock crops also produce
valuable by-products that can be
used in animal feed or as
biopesticides, soil amendments or
other products. The crops
themselves may also serve as
potent agents of pest control.
Weed control with mustards and canola
compared to chemical control or no
treatment (University of Idaho photo)
Biofuel Feedstock Crops – Ethanol and Butanol
• Starch stored in the endosperm of seeds
such as corn is the primary source of
ethanol and butanol in the US.
• The starch is first converted to sugars
and is then fermented to form alcohol.
Oregon is not a major producer of corn.
Amylose (Starch)
Ethanol
Butanol
Biofuel Feedstock Crops – Ethanol
• Ethanol can be made from a variety
of feedstock crops. Most often
ethanol is made from starches stored
in seed but it can also be made from
starch stored in potato tubers, or
from sugars stored in fruit, sugarcane
or sugarbeets.
• Ethanol can also be made from
cellulose found in the straw of small
grain cereal crops or grass seed
crops. Biomass from dedicated
energy crops such as switchgrass
could also be used to make ethanol.
Baled grass seed straw (top – TG Chastain photo),
switchgrass (bottom – USDA photo)
Biofuel Feedstock Crops - Biodiesel
Glycerol
Transesterification
+ Methanol
Biodiesel + Glycerol
Catalyst
Fatty Acid
Triacylglycerol
(oil)
Biodiesel is a mono alkyl ester of fatty acids from plant or animal derived oils
Biofuel Feedstock Crops - Biodiesel
• The oil is extracted from the seed by
crushing using a cold-press or by
expeller-pressing followed by solvent
extraction.
• The meal remaining after oil extraction,
if edible (low glucosinolates), is a highprotein source of livestock feed. The
meal can also be used as a soil
amendment, and as a biopesticide.
Commercial oil seed crusher at
Willamette Biomass Producers at
Rickreall (TG Chastain photos)
Canola meal after oil
extraction by pressing
Biodiesel Feedstock Crops
World Production Statistics for Oil Seed Crops
Crop
Seed Production
Crop Harvested
Seed Yield
million metric tons
million hectares
metric tons/ha
Soybean
241.8
105.0
2.30
Canola
65.1
34.0
1.91
Sunflower
37.4
24.8
1.51
Flax
2.1
2.5
0.84
Safflower
0.83
0.99
0.84
Mustard
0.49
0.61
0.80
These oil seed crops can be harvested for either food grade oil or for biodiesel feedstock
Source: FAO 2014
Canola
• Canola (Brassica napus var. napus, B.
rapa) is an oil seed crop in the mustard
family. Oil concentration in the seed
often exceeds 45%. 19 pounds of canola
seed will yield one gallon of oil.
• Origin. Canola was bred for human
consumption from rapeseed - first
released in Canada in the 1970s. Canola
is different from rapeseed in that the oil
is low in erucic acid and the meal is low
in glucosinolates.
Winter canola crop in flower near
Corvallis (above), and seed (right).
TG Chastain photos
Canola
• Production. Time of planting is
important as later plantings give
poorer seed yields.
• In the Willamette Valley, winter
canola will yield 2,500 to 4,800 lbs per
acre, spring canola will yield 2,000 lbs
per acre. Oil yield ranges from 80 to
200 gallons of oil per acre.
• Seed yields are lower in eastern
Oregon than in the Willamette Valley
as the statewide average is 2,200
lbs/acre. The US average canola yield
was 1748 lbs/acre in 2013.
Time of planting effects
on canola seedlings.
TG Chastain photo
Canola
• Production. Canola seed production is responsive to nitrogen
fertilizer in the spring, but lodging of the crop can reduce seed yield
when May rainfall is high (Ferguson et al., 2015).
Canola
• Crop Improvement. Canola was developed
by conventional breeding methods, but in
recent years, many of cultivars have been
developed for herbicide resistance (GMO).
• Contrary to popular belief, not all canola is a
GMO crop – both GMO and non-GMO
canola exists. Non-GMO cultivars are
available and have seed yields that are
equivalent or better than GMO types.
• Canola production can co-exist with
production of specialty seed provided that
reasonable and prudent safeguards are
implemented. Growing non-GMO canola
(Brassica napus) in areas isolated from
where specialty seed crops are grown will
minimize the potential risk of crossing.
Winter canola cultivar
evaluation trials at Hyslop Farm
(TG Chastain photo)
Mustard
• Mustard (Brassica hirta, B. juncea
and Sinapis alba) are oil seed crops
in the mustard family. Oil
concentration in the seed is 27%.
• Origin. Native of Europe, mustards
have been in cultivation for more
than 4000 years.
Yellow mustard (Sinapis alba) crop
in flower (top), yellow mustard
seed (right). TG Chastain photos
Mustard
• Production. Mustard is a very competitive
crop and has less need for weed control
than many other crops. The crop grows
quickly and matures about 4 months after
planting.
• Seed yield for the crop ranges from 1,500 to
2300 lbs./acre in the Willamette Valley.
• Sinapis alba will not cross with vegetable
seed crops making it a good candidate for
production in the Willamette Valley.
• High glucosinolate content in meal makes
the meal unsuitable for animal feed, but
may have a place in the natural pest control
market.
Mustard seedling (top), closed crop
canopy (bottom). TG Chastain photos
Sunflower
• Sunflower (Helianthus annuus ) is
an oil seed crop in the sunflower
family. Oil concentration in the
seed ranges from 40 to 50%.
• Origin. Native to Central
America, sunflower has been in
cultivation for about 4000 years,
and has been grown for oil since
the 1700s.
• Production. Sunflower oil yields
under irrigation range from 90 to
100 gallons per acre.
Sunflower head (TG Chastain photo)
Safflower
• Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) is an oil
seed crop in the sunflower family. Oil
concentration in the seed ranges from 30
to 50%.
• Origin. Native to Asia and Africa, safflower
has been cultivated for dyes since the time
of the ancient Egyptians, but production
for oil began in the 1950s.
• Production. Safflower oil yields under
irrigation range from 57 to 94 gallons per
acre. Without irrigation, safflower oil
yields can drop to 12 gallons per acre.
Safflower flower (top) and plants (bottom)
TG Chastain photos.
Flax
• Flax (Linum usitatissimum) is an oil-seed crop
in the flax family (Linaceae). Oil concentrations
in the seed range from 30 to 45%. Flax seed is
the source of linseed oil and used in paints,
stains, and linoleum flooring.
• Origin. The crop was domesticated about
7000 years ago and was grown by the ancient
Egyptians.
• Production. Spring and winter annual crops.
Spring flax yields range from 600 to 1500
lbs/acre while winter flax can yield up to 2000
lbs/acre. Fiber flax is grown for linen fabrics.
Flax flowers
near Corvallis
(Garbacik
photo-above),
seed (left).
Camelina
• Camelina. Originating in Europe,
Camelina sativa is a spring annual oil
seed crop in the mustard family. Seed
is very small, about 1/3 the size of
canola. Oil concentration in the seed
is 40%.
• Production. Seed yields range from
1000 to 1800 lbs./acre in the
Willamette Valley. Production of
camelina is now underway in several
western states including Montana
and Oregon.
Camelina pods (TG Chastain photos)
Camelina
• Camelina seed yield increases
in response to applied
nitrogen fertilizers when
there is adequate water
available (Wysocki et al.,
2013).
Camelina seed (TG Chastain photo).
Soybean
• Soybean (Glycine max) is a summer
annual member of the legume family.
The most important oil seed crop in the
US and world-wide. Oil concentration in
the seed is a comparatively low 20%.
• Extensive work has been done by OSU
to determine the adaptation of
soybeans to Oregon conditions. Low
oils yields, late maturity, and need for
irrigation limit the utilization of soybean
in western Oregon, while some
production may be possible under
irrigation in parts of eastern Oregon.
Soybean pods and seed (left –
USDA photos).
Biofuel Feedstock Crops
Biodiesel – Can we grow enough feedstock in Oregon?
Oregonians consume 800 million gallons of diesel fuel annually.
Biodiesel grade
100 gallons/acre
200 gallons/acre
B20 (20%)
1.5 million acres
800,000 acres
B5 (5%)
400,000 acres
200,000 acres
B2 (2%)
160,000 acres
80,000 acres
These estimates do not include production of biodiesel from waste products (WVO
= waste vegetable oil). Note – total crop acreage in Oregon is 4.4 million acres.