Biotech Updates

Ceres Introduces First Bioenergy Crop Seed Brand

May 2, 2008

Ceres, Inc., a U.S. based energy crop company, is set to market its agricultural seeds under the trade name Blade Energy Crops. "Blade will be the first multi-crop seed brand supplying the new market for non-food, low-carbon biofuel feedstocks," CEO Richard Hamilton said. He added that these biomass-dense crops will be grown as raw materials for next-generation biofuels and that they can thrive on agricultural lands that are not suited for food production.

Ceres reports that due to their high yields, energy crops can produce more fuel per-acre than first-generation biofuel crops. In addition, they mitigate greenhouse gas emissions since these new crops require fewer inputs and actually build new topsoil. Ethanol made from switchgrass, for instance, produces 90% less greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum, and nearly five times more net energy than starch-based ethanol.

See http://www.ceres.net/News/NewsReleases/2008/04-29-08-News-Rel.html for more information.