New Energy Farms. Dedicated Biomass Solutions

Transcription

1 2013 New Energy Farms Dedicated Biomass Solutions

2 NEW ENERGY FARMS

3 Genetics NEF BREEDING Since 2008 New Energy Farms has had a internal miscanthus breeding program. Today NEF has one of the largest miscanthus collections in the world. NEF now is developing other breeding platforms for other species. Protein-Digestibility and biomass fiber quality are now our leading deliverables in our breeding program. As well as the management of these production systems using Biomass Direct to maximize the output of higher value uses, reducing costs of tertiary demand. With access to new species and new propagation and establishment systems like CEEDS NEF is a significant player in any crop or cropping system that requires vegetative propagation.

4 Miscanthus Establishment

5 Rhizomatous Establishment of Miscanthus 1. Seed Bed: When land is fit, prepare seed bed to 3-5 inch depth. This provides the rhizome proper cover and good soil to rhizome contact. Soil moisture is critical in the early stage for germination. Prepare land in dryer conditions just before planting to ensure good soil moisture. SEED BED

6 2. Plant Material: Rhizomes should be dormant and cool on arrival without any shoots starting to break. If rhizome quality is not ideal over planting must be done. Density per acre should be lbs of clean rhizomes. Densities with automatic planting equipment should be a minimum of 6500 per acre to achieve good stands. Each rhizome should have a strong dominant meristem and many recessive ones. RHIZOME PLANT MATERIAL Each rhizome should have at Least one strong dominant meristem and many recessive ones. Rhizomes must be kept moist and cool before planting. Ideal storage temperatures are F.

7 3. Crop Inputs: Glyphosate burndown, Pre planting pre emerge herbicides like Harness Xtra (atrazine and acetochlor) is recommended. Broad leaf herbicides like Banvel (dicamba)/ 2,4 D can be sprayed through the season. Atrazine post emergence is also recommended. Like corn adjust rates to soil types. Soil tests should be done to observe soil fertility. Direct application in years 1 and 2 of NPK (primarily N) is suggested with rates that will vary, but generally should be lbs of N per acre (direct if possible). Once there is significant leaf drop in later years the need to apply nutrient is less critical. Observations of insects like wireworm should be noted, and if following pastures treatment of wireworm will be critical. Pasture land ideally Should be prepared in the fall with a herbicide burn down before perennial grasses go dormant and a deep plow should be done with possible cover crop. Cropping after pasture it is recommended to plant a glyphosate resistant crop a year prior to planting miscanthus to break many of the weed complexes. Companion planting of corn is becoming a normal practice for grain or silage production.

8 NEF Planters developed in 2002 in the UK, WH Loxton Ltd WH Loxton is NEF partner supplying these planters and CEEDS system Plants up to Acres per day per machine, supplied in EU, US, Canada Use lb per acre 7-8K per Acre NEF RHIZOME PLANTERS

9 Miscanthus x Giganteus ENERGY CROP ESTABLISHMENT

10 Light sandy soils: Propagation field planted using our automated planter. 27 acres planted with one person in 3hrs. Pyramid Farms Ltd Leamington Ontario Second Generation Biofuels Divison

11 Pyramid Farms Ltd Leamington Ontario Second Generation Biofuels Divison

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13 August Miscanthus Leamington

14 Economics of Rhizome Establishment Two most expensive parts of Miscanthus establishment is the plant material and land opportunity cost lost during the establishment years. Land prep and pre and post emergence inputs are not a factor unless the land being planted was abandoned or pastured. Plant costs can be mitigated in expansion of new crops from producing on farm or local aggregated rhizome propagation. Once this happens the cost of plant material becomes a non issue (taking the price from 8-15 cents each to less than 2 cents). Note: it is key to receive plant material with documentation (pedigree) and if in the public domain. Find suppliers that do not carry any restrictions. MxG in your region has the most research done (has the data and track record) and is the most stable and highest yielding cultivar in the market. NEF has the most experience in yield trialing out of any company in the world with this. Having trial plots of many pre commercial cultivars for over 8 yrs. Do not buy into groups that want to sell you rebranded material with false claims. Look for U of Illinois (Erik Sacks) poster on MxG cultivars in the market.

15 Seed Cane Establishment Plant propagation Multiplication rates: Irrigated and non irrigated lands will preform differently. Sandy loam soils are recommended for ease of extraction. Multiplication rates will vary 1 st year 8-15, 2 nd year 20-30, 3 rd year to one of mechanically harvested rhizomes. After the 3 rd year then the rhizome clump develops many rhizomes that are old and will not be the best for establishment. These rhizomes (inner clump) should be not factored in as a viable rhizome when planting. The outer edges of the clump (4 yr and older stand) will provide you the best material in this case. This is why NEF plants by weight not by piece. Planting Seed cane fields are similar to cane fields other than the density. It will depend on soil types and year that you want to harvest the rhizomes to what density one should plant. Higher nutrition is highly recommended to reduce the amount of advantages roots. Bed planting at rates of rhizomes per acre is recommended.

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17 Ground Speed and Depth Age of clump and Soil Types PROCESSING RHIZOME CLUMP

18 Modified Rock Digger Soil Separation and Packing RHIZOME HARVEST

19 Thank You

20 KEY POINTS Wuhan Botanical Gardens Hubei China Kangwon National University Gangwon-do Korea Hokkaido University Hokkaido Japan Colorado State University USA University of Illinois USA DEFRA collection United Kingdom NEF Collections Collaborate with Purdue, Penn State NEF BREEDING DETAILS In house breeders: Dr. Martin Deuter Germany Gerald Vankoverdan Canada

21 NEF BREEDING Screening germplasm for various end uses- observation field trials Leamington ie- Many perennial grasses in early season growth have high levels of Crude Protein and reasonable Digestibility. As the leaf and stem ratio changes through the growing season the use of this crop as a forage diminishes. Nutrient management, harvest protocols, target species, etc play a role in the economics. Key is the balance between feed and fibre end use needs.

22 Building on current and past experience of others. Trying not to make the same mistakes. Some energy crops don t have any useful rhizomes (M x Giganteus is relatively unique)

23 Building on current and past experience of others. Trying not to make the same mistakes. Image shows left rhizome plant establishment right CEEDS establishment after 60 days (Miscanthus)

24 Building on current and past experience of others. Trying not to make the same mistakes. Image shows from left to right, CEEDS, plug plant and rhizome after 60 days (Miscanthus). Yellow boxes highlight original propagule size.

25 Miscanthus x Giganteus Illinois clone 60 days ENERGY CROP ESTABLISHMENT

26 Arundo Donax 60 day after planting ENERGY CROP ESTABLISHMENT

27 Giant Reed (Arundo Donax) 40t Ha (DM)

28 Napier Grass MANY OPPORTUNITIES Energy Cane (Saccharum procerum ) >40 t Ha (DM)

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30 Napier Grass MANY OPPORTUNITIES Napier Grass (Pennisetum Purpereum) 40 t Ha (DM)

31 Napier Grass Leamington 14 wks from CEEDS Napier Grass CEEDS 24 wks

32 Building on current and past experience of others. Trying not to make the same mistakes. Commercial scale energy crop plantation

33 Short rotational forestry- NEF developing CEEDS protocols for 2014 trials

34 NEF is under development of CEEDS protocols for Sugarcane trails

35 CEEDS PLANTER OPERATING IN THE UK

36 Key points: When energy crops are scaled, growers and end users need assistance, current row crop support (on farm) is not cost effective as there is no annual sale. Farmers get extension advice specific for their crops, with the ability to trade direct to end users, aim is also to focus on good agronomy, increasing yield easier than breeding. ENERGY CROP MNAGEMENT End users get direct low cost sourcing of biomass with full sustainability reporting (accurate to field level) and benefits of logistics and yield forecasting. Breeders / developers get secure routes for generating per acre/per tonne royalty payments plus access to developmental tools (yield prediction etc)

37 BIOMASS DIRECT FURTHER DETAILS

38 BIOMASS DIRECT FURTHER DETAILS

39 BIOMASS DIRECT FURTHER DETAILS

40 Feedstock for Mushroom Industry First and Second Generation Bio Fuel and Compounds Windsor/Essex/Chatham/Lambton Project Pilot Southwestern Ontario Agricultural/Industrial Cluster Currently have 1000 acres of miscanthus growing for cane production and rhizome propagation (Infrastructure and investment in place to expand 20,000 acres). Pilot processing plant built with equipment (Total Investment to date of 4.5 million). Ag Industry Greenhouse/Industrial Heat And Power Fuel Low Cost Feedstock and Ability to Scale Livestock Feed Bedding Market SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO PROJECT Automotive and Manufacturing Industry Consumer Population of 60 million Creating Demand for Products/Consumables (also creating post consumer waste/feedstocks) Packaging Industry

41 Fuel/ Feed Nursery Mulch Ontario Local Trials Equine Bedding 20 Kg bags Plastic Compounding and Creation of Consumer Products Growing Media Bulk Poultry Bedding Tyson Foods NC Processed Miscanthus Flour for Packaging Products

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43 - Commissioning of a new 2000 lb per hr extruder in Leamington site to compound large commercial volumes. - Commercialization of current IP developed by/with University of Guelph. As well development of new IP and formulations. - Engaging large volume plastic recycling- Greenhouse industry films, post consumer waste steams, industrial tailings, etc. CGT PARTNERSHIP- COMPOUNDING AND RECYCLING All equipment purchased currently being commissioned.

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45 SUNATURA BIO PRODUCTS

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47 MISCANTHUS CHIP HOT WATER BOILER

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49 CEEDS IMAGES OF VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION MATERIAL

50 Napier Grass CEEDS IMAGES OF VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION MATERIAL

51 Pyramid Farms Ltd Leamington Ontario Second Generation Biofuels Divison

52 BIOMASS INVESTMENT

53 6 MW THERMAL