Biofuel Feedstocks Gain a New Candidate: Kudzu

If we were smart, invasive species would be the only thing we use for biofuels. Generally speaking they grow rapidly, and are obviously un-welcome. Water hyacinth is another that could easily be used (pelletised) and farmed automatically.

How about taking it one step further and take the grass clippings from your lawn and put them to some good use.

I wonder if kudzu's enhanced growth rate is being taken into account? There might also be other factors than just the energy conversion. If the kudzu needs less nitrogen, or even repletes it, it could help offset some fertilizer costs and prevent nitrogen runoff. As with many invasive species, it is also edible so getting it under control should be no harder than unleashing some livestock on it.

"Given how the plant spreads, do you really want to plant more of the stuff?"

Hell no.

But if there were a generally easy, free way to make fuel out of it, people would likely start tearing it out of the trees. That would be cool.

Mass-produced biodiesel still.

""Given how the plant spreads, do you really want to plant more of the stuff?"

Hell no."

I second that. Although a "seasonal harvest" of the pre-existing stuff could be nice (just not necessarily profitable) but, with any luck, would rid the areas of the country where such plants dominate and kill off the natives (buckthorn, this means you).

The most important features of a bio-fuel is that it grow fast and have a high energy content. Being hardy is a bonus. Growing on marginal land that is otherwise unproductive is a bonus.

Kudzu sounds promising.

"New research published in Biomass and Bioenergy shows that kudzu could produce up to 270 gallons of ethanol per acre: Not very much when compared to rapeseed, jatropha or palm oil but easily as much as can be produced from corn."

Sorry MM, rapeseed, jatropha, and palm are used for making biodiesel, not ethanol. Although either can be made from virtually any biomass if using a biochar to synfuels process, it is more energy intensive than pressing out oils or fermenting sugars/starches.

No offense to you personally, but I'm kind of surprised that TH's new pick for a renewable energy writer would not at least have this VERY basic knowledge.

@ Greenovator: Do you seriously believe that I am not aware that jatropha, palm, etc are generally feedstocks for biodiesel, while corn (and perhaps kudzu) is generally turned into ethanol?

The point of the comment (which was not intended as deep scientific analysis) is that not only is kudzu an invasive species probably ill suited for cultivation it also has relatively low yield for fuel (regardless of the form that fuel ultimately takes) when compared to other feedstocks being considered for liquid fuels.

Perhaps I was a bit hasty in composing the post and should have clarified, but please don't insult my basic competency.

We'd probably never see Kudzu coverage like that photo again if it were to become fuel. The problem would be taken care of by harvesters.

It would be great is someone foudn a use for kudzu. Being from Alabama, I would love to see this vine that destroys huge areas of wild land brought under control. Also, there would be no need to plant more of this or domesticate it. it grows faster than anyone can harvest it. It grows a foot a day. Gathering wild kudzu isn't an issue either its along every roadway in the south.

So, just how hard would it be to harvest from the wild? Intuitively, it does seem impractical, but what if we tied it together with, say, a mandatory year of national service for graduating high school seniors. They could simultaneously clear unwanted kudzu from the landscape, and gather it for processing into ethanol, a double benefit to society. Perhaps still completely impractical. Just a thought.

kill it before it spreads

Kudzu doesn't work. The part you'd have to harvest for ethanol is the roots where 2/3 of the carbs are stored and they grow 6' underground making the harvest pretty much impossible from a financial standpoint. The only way to really kill it is to freeze it with a long hard winter. That's why it's taken over the south. It doesn't get cold enough to freeze the plant down to the deep roots.

Kudzu is a pretty much a dead end from everything I've read about it. It's better to just focus on the vertical algae farming. Now that's an efficient system.

Maybe climate change will give the south a solid freeze one long hard winter and the kudzu nightmare will finally be over, but until then, it's just a floral cancer.

Okay, as a southerner, this would be great! Who said anything about cultivating the stuff? There's plenty positively engulfing the southern highways. Harvesting could simply be added to the Department of Transportation tasks AND generate revinue for the department in that respect. Also, just like recycling cans, kudzu from private properties could be turned in by the weight. This has the potential to make southern states self sufficient. I won't hold my breath.

Being from the South, I agree that harvesting (removing) the roots is very difficult but on the other hand, if you can harvest the leaves/vines in a economical manner, then you could have a winner. When I was younger, to try to keep it down, we would regularly mow acres of it. You can kill kudzu with repeated mowing, but if it could be harvested like hay for use, then it could be a very useful plant.

The thing is you don't cultivate kudzu. It's all too free. No, it won't invade much more than it has-environmental constraints you know. Kudzu fixes nitrogen, no fertilizer. It can be harvested in the wild with big rakes and drag lines. The tubers can also be fermented-high starch. Perhaps, as we found with water hyacinths, it can take up toxic metals at the same time. It would be much more efficient-energy in for energy out- than corn or soy (they're both net energy sinks) plus it won't tie up the food production.

this sounds like a great idea and somethings need to worked out ,lets not forget a big part it free and we would be using something that is here and plentiful next look into other trouble some plants and weeds, take a negative and turn it to a positive . collection could be as simple as per pound like scrap metals or nickle bottles and cans.

These guys didn't discover anything. About a year ago, a high school student in Florida completed a nationally recognized project where he successfully fermented and distilled extractions from the kudzu plant into ethanol, so these scientists listed in the report aren't doing anything new.

Eurasian Milfoil. Completely unwelcome and grows like mad. I used to work harvesting the stuff from lakes, and I think they used it for fertilizer. I'm sure you could get ten tons a year from a few acres of lake.

Being a native of the Southeast, I've seen just how persistent kudzu growth is (it's definitely not going anywhere soon! ), and I understand fears that using it for commercial biofuel production might lead to its further spread.

While this is a legitimate concern, why not just harvest it from areas that are already overgrown with it anyway? I recently read a news story about a start-up business planning on beginning construction on a "kudzunol" plant. The company is paying local farmers to provide them with the weeds, making productive use of something that was formerly a nuisance.

Here's a link to the story, if you're interested. While it will take time before the plant is up and running, I think these entrepreneurs are definitely on the right track at the moment:

http://www.biobasednews.com/node/15959
("Fuel Made from Kudzu Plants")

Invasive species are such a huge (and often not talked about) threat to our native ecosystems. Alot of their weeding is done by volunteers with the National Parks. Who cares if it's not incredibly profitable, volunteers are already willing to weed them. If we could put even the smallest revenue behind weeding invasive species, can you imagine how much more successful weeding programs would be? I hope more research goes into harvesting all and any kind of invasive species because it just seems like a win-win situation.

I'm from the South as well and see no harm in harvesting kudzu as a renewable resource. The jury is still out on actually cultivating the stuff though. I still don't fully understand why everyone is looking for some super plant to grow as a huge monculture for biofuel. Why can't we use the kudzu here and the water hyacinth there along with municipally collected yard waste and DOT gathered highway and roadside clippings? Diversity is the spice of life no to mention the natural order of things.

I think everyone should have the webpage www.treehoo.com as their computers default homepage. This web plants trees for most of the profit, to fight global warming and climate change. Imagine all the billions of internet ad revenues invested in our poor planets environment!

This is not a new idea , I wrote on Kudzu in Transformation Times in 1981 . Applying Fuller's synergistic thinking,if we harvest invasive species that are actually harmful we ,so to speak kill two birds with one stone. I've advocated this apporach to kudzu which is also an excellent high protein animal feed,and a btter material for paper than hemp,(which is so coarse it's very difficult to make into good smooth paper that could go through a printer well). And biofuel . We would do well if,instead of lookig at capital intensive mass distirbution solutions that require semi-permanent infrastructure,and energy spent on distribution, we advacate local solutions to meeting local energy needs,people can do small scale biomass Fuel from Kudzu decimating S.E. US forests,reclaiming abandoned sugar cane lands in Hawaii to make the energy used locally,which is all imported. INstead of building new plants thta use fresh water to process sewage,we should be using the sewge to make methane ,burn it to generate electricity. etc.

I live in Mississippi and we are literally COVERED with Kudzu and the only way we can stop this plant from taking over our homes is to burn it which of course is not the greatest thing to do. I cannot see why the people cannot simply come hire normal people to harverst the kudzu that surrounds us. We have plenty of out of work individuals that would be willing and since kudzu is most always green down here it would make sense to use what we akready have growing. It is more renewable than corn because we wont have to plant it, the kudzu will keep returning whether we like it or not.

Prisoners! Harvesting by hand!!!
Kudzu Ethanol... a straight-chain(gang) alcohol?!? Anyone?

This could be a win win win situation, first for local municipalities to sell to fuel producers, for fuel producers to have a steady stream of feedstock, and for landfills to keep the stuff out.

I could imagine a fleet of harvesters rolling down the sides of the highways, straight to the ethanol plant. since the vine grows at 6.5 feet a week, the harvest would be continuous. Roadside over growth has to be cut anyway, why not use it for biofuel feedstock?

The difficulty exists only in the mind that sees only problems. This is a blessing in disguise, No need to plant any more just contain what they have. If local municipalities can make their public works department a profit center we will see innovative ways and means to control this kudzu "problem".

Seth

This could be a win win win situation, first for local municipalities to sell to fuel producers, for fuel producers to have a steady stream of feedstock, and for landfills to keep the stuff out.

I could imagine a fleet of harvesters rolling down the sides of the highways, straight to the ethanol plant. since the vine grows at 6.5 feet a week, the harvest would be continuous. Roadside over growth has to be cut anyway, why not use it for biofuel feedstock?

The difficulty exists only in the mind that sees only problems. This is a blessing in disguise, No need to plant any more just contain what they have. If local municipalities can make their public works department a profit center we will see innovative ways and means to control this kudzu "problem".

Seth

Has any organisation done research on kudzu? Is any investment happening in This field? what is the Level of commercialisation? Is there a report i can get on kudzu? When did the research in to this field start? Is India a leader in this kudzu opportunity? or is it atleast prevalent in India?
Can anybody answer these queries?

Biofuel is a very interesting and viable fuel source if procured in a great enough supply to fill the demands of American and world.

Today, the main problem of the future is FUEL becaz they create pollution and destroyed day by day But people not care anything and destroyed the fuel to fulfil their wants.................

So, to save fuel i think we remove the theory of piston in car engine and make a new engine which generate machinal energy without using any energy or fuel...
(mainly fuel is used in engines)

It is possible because nature give a chance to do it...(gravity) and by using this we made a engine which works without using a fuel..........a long theory about this topic

To improve the environment i have so many theory .......but discuss in future becaz i m teenager and people d'not believe my words..