Nothing comes as a surprise anymore--at least not in the world of biofuels. When not back-pedaling from yet another controversy, the industry appears to be in a perpetual state of discovery.
Not too long ago, shrimp casings were being touted as the next biofuel source. Now it's rutabagas--or turnips, if you prefer. Not as flashy as shrimp, mind you. But, according to researchers at Michigan State University (MSU), their potential is impressive.
This question usually gets asked when the root vegetable finds its way onto a dinner plate, followed by a wrinkle of the nose. But this is precisely professor Christopher Benning's point. Rutabagas are not being consumed at a high rate in North America, which makes them perfect for biofuel consideration--hopefully avoiding any food vs. fuel controversy.
What's more, rutabagas appear to have a genetic structure that, with some modification, could allow for them to store and produce more oil than other similar plants that store oil in their seeds. "If we could make it (oil) in the green tissues, like the leaves, stems or even underground tissues like storage roots, then we think we can make a lot more," Benning says.
Benning and his fellow researchers at Michigan State in East Lansing have inserted a gene into rutabagas to try to get them to accumulate oil instead of starch throughout the plant.
"It took about a year to grow the first generation of genetically modified rutabaga in a university greenhouse," Benning explains. "The scientists will analyze seedlings from subsequent generations to see how oil production has been affected. Even if all works as expected, it could take 15 years before rutabaga biofuel becomes a reality."
Good News or Bad News?
Difficult to say. Nothing has been said about nitrogen oxide or carbon dioxide emissions during rutabaga growth cycles. We all know the controversy surrounding that. And while the concept of producing biofuels from a crop not heavily relied on for food seems good on the surface, it still begs the question.
Even if rutabagas aren't widely grown in the U.S. for people to eat, they could still potentially edge out other food crops. For example, if a large amount of land is dedicated for growing biofuel rutabagas, the crops are replacing ones formerly used for food (potentially). Yet another hot topic in the biofuels debate.
But this is all early speculation. MSU's research is in early stages. As Benning puts it, "It's not going to happen tomorrow, but the problem won't go away tomorrow."
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