September 11, 2006

US scientists developing corn for ethanol production
 

With the ethanol boom raging across the US, teams at Monsanto and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, both in Creve Coeur in the US state of Missouri, are racing to find corn varieties that would yield the highest amount of ethanol.

Monsanto's group of about 100 scientists in the state has analysed more than 3 million corn kernels to find strains that are the most fermentable, contain high levels of lysine and carry other useful traits. That is not counting ongoing research work at the argi-giant's subsidiaries in other states and at least three other agricultural countries.

Monsanto's magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI machines and other specialised machines are used to scan kernels to measure the corn's starch, protein and fibre content as well as oil and moisture content. Those with the most starch yield the most ethanol.

High lysine leads to more nutritious distiller's grains, which are used as animal feed.

In fact, as nutrition of distillers' grain improves, it would displace the use of whole corn in animal feed - making even more kernels available for ethanol production and thus tempering demand, said the National Corn Growers' Association.

Lysine also may improve the performance of yeast in fermenting fuel.

The best corn is used to produce seed, but not before genetic modifications imbue it with additional traits, such as insect resistance and herbicide tolerance, that would improve overall yield for farmers.

To help put doubters at ease, Monsanto equips ethanol producers with scanners and computer software for them to analyse the grain and verify its high-starch composition.

Even as feed users are worried that corn prices may shoot up as ethanol ramps up demand for corn, biotech companies are saying that the use of biotech seeds and breeding technology would ensure that this does not happen.

As evidence, they point to the increased yields experienced in recent years. Despite fewer acres under corn production, the 2003 through 2005 corn harvests were the largest on record, with a high of 11.8 million bushels in 2004, thanks to technology.