In Canada, researchers at the University of Saskatchewan revealed that canola and mustard meals have some special chemical characteristics that allow them to convert into an oil product that is potentially useful. A problem, though, is that the oil produced is thick and doesn’t blend easily with petroleum, which is necessary for use in machinery […]
In Illinois, researchers at the Agricultural Research Service are looking at Lesquerella, a Southwest U.S. native plant from the mustard family, as a potential feedstock for biobutanol. The crop was first identified for its potential due to the high hydroxy fatty acid content in its oil but the challenge was with its presscake that had […]
In the UK, an international team of researchers has developed an enzyme produced from agricultural waste that could be used as an important additive in laundry detergents. By using an enzyme produced from a by-product of mustard seeds, they hope to develop a low-cost naturally derived version of lipase, the second largest commercially produced enzyme, […]
In Denmark, researchers at the University of Copenhagen working with Bayer CropScience have removed toxins from mustard plants that could in turn make them prolific oil producers, even surpassing canola. Though mustard’s distinct taste, produced by toxins, is enjoyed by humans the toxins are hazardous to animals so the meal resulting from pressing for oil […]
By Don Konantz, President & CEO, Calyx Bio-Ventures, Vancouver, British Columbia Navigant Research forecasts that the “global biofuels production will reach 61 billion gallons by 2023, replacing nearly 6% of global transportation fuel production from fossil sources and generating $70 billion in new revenue over the next decade.” The demand for an appropriate crop that […]
In Canada, Mustard 21 Canada has received an investment of $4.9 million to cover research and development as the company explores industrial mustard use for biofuels. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers are to collaborate on these projects, including developing a mustard with high oil and protein content, early maturing properties, and disease resistance. The funding […]
In North Carolina, researchers from are studying Pyrococcus furiosus, microorganisms that live n the scalding waters of ocean volcanic vents, in an attempt to develop traits that will allow plants to survive in harsher conditions, opening up non-traditional areas as potential land for biofuel feedstock production. Research, which was originally started to develop plants that […]
In California, California State University-Fresno has undertaken a comprehensive four-year study to determine if canola and mustard for biodiesel would be suitable crops for the western side of the San Joaquin Valley that is challenged by selenium-laden irrigation effluent. The results show that the 40 acre test plots produced an average of 2.2 tons of […]
In Indiana, Corteva Inc. announced a collaboration with bp on the companies’ shared intent to form a crop-based biofuel feedstock joint venture. The JV envisaged by Corteva and bp would produce and deliver crop-based biofuel feedstocks to help meet the anticipated growth in demand for ‘sustainable aviation fuel’ (SAF). A number of countries around the […]
News has arrived from Yield10 Bioscience and Mitsubishi that they are noodling over a partnership to supply, offtake and market Camelina as a low-carbon feedstock oil for biofuels; the two companies have now progressed to a memorandum of understanding of a deal which would ultimately be aimed at supporting Mitsubishi’s stated goal o mass produce […]
