11/22/06 U of I biofuels research, part 2

Americans are looking to their farms and ranches as a source for alternative energy. The University of Idaho oilseed breeder Jack Brown will lead the program that will develop new crops like mustard, canola and rapeseed that have high oil yield but can be adapted to all climatic and environmental conditions. That will lead to more biofuel production. BROWN "Its place is going to be that it has the highest energy return on any liquid energy fuel, much more so than ethanol and it's environmentally friendly. So we should use it and develop it to be specific for pristine areas of the USA." Brown says the new crops he's breeding aren't just for fuel. Pacific Gold is a spicy Oriental table mustard Brown`s breeding program produced in 2002. Although seed from Pacific Gold is grown for the food market, it is also grown by potato producers as a biofumigant by plowing green plants into the soil to combat nematodes. BROWN "Organic farming may have an entirely new bent when these cultivars become available in the marketplace." The university research could open new doors to Idaho farmers by giving them some new crop options in a growing alternative energy market. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott