Tamarix Kenaf Bioengineering Trees and Non-Food Plants for Biofuel Feedstock

BIOMASS renewable basis Any organic matter which is available on a renewable basis including forest residues, agricultural crops and wastes, wood and wood wastes, animal wastes, livestock operation residue, aquatic plants and municipal wastes (USDOE)

Agricultural Biomass

Forest Residue Biomass

Wood Residue Wood residues are renewable resources that can be use for energy reducing the dependency on non- renewable resources (i.e., coal, petroleum)

Unlike NON-RENEWABLE natural resources… RENEWABLES, once used, can be replaced in a relatively short period of time or even used continuously without depleting the resource.

HIGH HIGH Heat Values Trees Osage-Orange Hickories Dogwood Persimmon White oak Red oak White ash American beech

MODERATE MODERATE Heat Values Trees American holly Green ash Black walnut Sweetgum Black cherry Sassafras Eastern redcedar Baldcypress

LOW LOW Heat Values Trees Yellow-poplar Black willow Eastern white pine Eastern cottonwood Red alder Large-tooth aspen Weeping willow

Biomass/Biofuel Plantations Perennial energy crop Hibiscus cannabinusSwitchgrass Short-rotation woody crop

BIOENERGY The conversion of the complex carbohydrates in organic matter into energy, either by using it directly as a fuel or by processing it into liquids and gasses that are more efficient.

Bioenergy Biofuel. ’Bioenergy’ is really the result of taking organic matter/renewable natural resources and changing this substance into a fuel source or a Biofuel.

BIOFUEL Transportation Heating

Transportation Ethanol = produced from corn, trees or other cellulosic material Methane = captured from landfills and agricultural livestock facilities Biodiesel = created from soybean oil, yellow grease, etc.

Heating Wood … fireplace, pellet stove Biodiesel … home heating oils (during the 1870’s, wood was the dominate form of domestic energy…then coal and petroleum became easier and cheaper to use for this purpose)

BIOFUELS Methods of obtaining BIOFUELS

DIRECT COMBUSTION Where plant fiber is broken down and ignited to generate steam heat

BIOCHEMICAL Anaerobic digestionAnaerobic digestion = fermentation in absence of O 2 to produce biogas FermentationFermentation = using enzymes and yeast

BIOENERGY manufactured … for BIOENERGY options to be utilized, they must first be manufactured and made available at a cost competitive/market price

Tamarix aphylla Department of Plant Sciences Faculty of Life Sciences Tel Aviv University Support: Italy-Israel cooperation in R. & D. Yoav Waise Amram Eshel Aviah Zilberstein Coordinated by

Cutting planted at experimental site in Northern Negev April 2004 Tamarix aphylla Tamarix aphylla A native salt resistant tree

Tamarix aphylla Sampling 4 m tall Trees, January months after planting

Planted cuttings January 2006

5 months after planting

10 months after planting

Tree productivity average ~15 t/ha/y organic matter 20 months after planting

Kenaf a non food multi-purpose crop plants with elevated fiber content Roni Aloni Jonathan Dayan Adi Avni Department of Plant Sciences Faculty of Life Sciences Tel Aviv University Support: Horowitz foundation, RAMOT

Kenaf: nonwoody alternative source of paper pulp Kenaf Kenaf = Hibiscus cannabinus Drought resistant annual Grows 5 m in 5 mo. Requires few or no herbicides or pesticides Use whole plant

Plant Hormones and Growth Gibberellin growth Gibberellin stimulating cell division and elongation, induction germination, fruit setting and growth.

Green Revolution

pipic huge fruit © Sylvan Wittwer / Visuals Unlimited GA-20 Oxidase GA-2 Oxidase Inactive Active Gibberellin Biosynthesis GA-20 Oxidase GA-20 Oxidase – rate limiting enzyme GA-2 Oxidase GA-2 Oxidase – deactivating enzyme

Wild type

Arabidopsis GA-20 Oxidase overexpressionGA-20 Oxidase overexpression –Thicker and elongated inflorescence axis. –Faster growth. GA-2 Oxidase silencingGA-2 Oxidase silencing –Similar to above.

Fiber cell in silenced GA 2 oxidase plants Bark

Transgenic tobacco GA2 oxidase silenced plants Wild type GA 2-oxidase Silenced

In Conclusion producing BIOMASS … is a VALUABLE Bio-energy fuel!