Breeding a Better Biofuel

The Durola seedmeal left after pressing, however, is low in glucosinolates, the pungent chemicals that give mustard its bite and make Durola a good source of high-protein feed valued by dairies.

To reduce fuel processing costs, Brown also sought to develop a variety that yielded oil high in monounsaturated fats.

Creating high-quality fuel requires bubbling hydrogen through the oil in the presence of a nickel catalyst to saturate it, or eliminate double bonds between carbon atoms.

Higher percentages of polyunsaturated fats – oils with many double bonds -- increases the processing cost, which means Durola gains an advantage.

And finally, Brown notes, Durola seeds have a higher oil content, plus the variety produces 2 percent higher yields in the field any other winter rapeseed.

“Durola is an ideal plant for producing fuel because its oil cannot be used for food, it is easy to process, the meal is valuable livestock feed and it produces high yields,” he says.

Brown’s other key role in oilseed research is as part of a five-year, $7 million USDA Agricultural Research Service project. It will focus on the genetics and physical traits of plants from the nation’s canola and rapeseed collection.

He will use genomics to assemble a genetic catalog of the oilseeds and employ traditional breeding techniques to assess the phenotypes – broadly meaning physical traits – of Brassica napus lines in the collection.

Brown’s canola breeding group in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences will use crop modeling and remote sensing data from satellites and other sources to seek ways to expand oilseed production in the United States. Brown’s goal remains the same, enhancing the versatility of an important crop valued for food and fuel.