Energy Crops Growing on Seawater

The development of crops that can grow in marginal lands such as those damaged by salts, is the key to the use of crops as a source of renewable energy. Energy grasses such as sorghum, miscanthus and switchgrass are ideal sources of biomass for biofuel and electricity generation. Energy crop company Ceres Inc. has improved these grasses to thrive on seawater alone. The crops were tested in a greenhouse experiment where sea water from the Pacific Ocean which contains mixtures of salts in high-concentrations were used to water them.

"Soils containing salt and other growth-limiting substances restrict crop production in many locations in the world. This genetic breakthrough provides new opportunities to overcome the effects of salt," said Richard Flavell, Ceres Chief Scientific Officer. The technology developers are convinced that "techniques of modern plant science can continue to deliver innovations that increase yields and reduce the footprint of agriculture. Improvement of energy crops will enable the bioenergy industry to scale far beyond the limits of conventional wisdom."

See the news article at http://www.ceres.net/News/NewsReleases/2010/06-30-10-News-Rel.html