1. Is This a Reliable Model for Producing 1000 gal/A with Today’s Ethanol Plants?
Charles LeRoy Deichman
Deichman Consulting
Session: Bioenergy Production, Modeling, Sustainability, and Policy
ASA, CSSA, and SSSA 2010 International Annual Meetings
Long Beach, CA
October 31 - November 3, 2010

2. Photosynthesis CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2P CHL < CM < GL SS CS AF SUNLIGHT
CATALYST
HPF
MDAP
(kW) OF
H2O
360o Carbon Cycle
CHL – Chloroplast
CM – Chlorophyll Molecule
GL – Green Leaf
SS – Simple Sugars
CS – Complex Sugars
AF – Alcohol Fuels
HPF – High Protein (VM) Feed
MDAP – Meat, Dairy, and Animal Products
CO2P – CO2 Sourced Products
OF – Organic Fertilizer

3. SUNLIGHT in Corn Production
A Paradigm Shift
The Solar Corridor
Rows oriented North-South to maximize sunlight falling between the twin row pairs and on the secondary crops
Lower leaves are exposed to sunlight
Secondary Crop
Wheat, then clover
Corn Twin Row
Corn rows spaced widely enough apart to enable sunlight to reach the lower leaves for the entire growing season

4. SUNLIGHT in Corn Production
A Paradigm Shift
Corn rows spaced far enough apart to enable sunlight to reach the lower leaves for the entire growing season
Enabling the bio capture of more CO2 for BioSynthesis into more photosynthate derived carbon compounds
Rows oriented North-South to maximize sunlight falling between the twin row pairs and on the secondary crops
Lower leaves are exposed to sunlight
Secondary Crop
Wheat, then clover
Corn Twin Row
Grow a shorter symbiotic crop on the vacated row that completes its 
peak demand for sunlight before the corn plant begins its increasing demand for that light

5. The New Paradigm
Enables the mature chloroplasts to capture more CO2 and produce more photosynthates
Enables the highest capacity reproductive sinks to access more photosynthates
Enables vegetative sinks to access more photosynthates
Cultivar and variety selection is site specific, production inputs then become variety specific   

6. Treatments 12 Production Environments
4 Hybrids (Designated A, B, C, and D)
4 Plant populations
3 Replications
Randomized Block Split/Split Plot design
1st split by hybrid, 2nd by plant population  
2 Row width entries
Control: Single rows on 30 or 36 inch centers
Treatment: Twin rows on 60 or 72 inch centers
All treatments were in north/south rows between 40 and 41 degrees North latitude
Deichman Consulting

7. RESPONSE OF HYBRIDS TO ROW SPACING Average Over 12 Environments And 4 Plant Populations
Deichman Consulting

8. RESPONSE OF HYBRIDS TO ROW SPACING Average Over 8 Highest Yielding Environments And 4 Plant Populations
Deichman Consulting

9. RESPONSE OF HYBRIDS TO ROW SPACING Average Over 12 Environments At Highest Yielding Plant Population (30,000)
Deichman Consulting

10. Plant Population and Row Width Brenton Sil – Hybrid B
Deichman Consulting

11. Plant Population and Row Width Brenton Sil – Hybrid D
Deichman Consulting

12. HYBRID B – AT 30,000 POPULATION
Site 1
Site 2
Deichman Consulting

13. HYBRID C – AT 30,000 POPULATION
Site 1
Site 2
Deichman Consulting

14. HYBRID D – AT 30,000 POPULATION
Site 1
Site 2
Deichman Consulting

15. HARVESTING OPTIONS FOR THE SOLAR CORRIDOR FLOOR CROP
MITSUBISHI
MB220 Binder
MITSUBISHI
VM7 Combine
fits 60” rows
MITSUBISHI
VS281 Combine
fits 72” rows

16. Floor Crops and Effective Yields
As specifically demonstrated in Solar Corridor Floor Experiments (Deichman, and US Patent # , claims 2 and 4), we can produce other specifically chosen crops between the corn twin rows without a reduction in corn yield.  Our approach has always been to select crops that had no negative impact on corn yield. We have concluded that:
Soybeans are not a viable floor crop because of their effect on corn yields.
Wheat is a viable floor crop. If careful attention is given to the swath width of the wheat crop,  a full yield (per wheat acre) of what can be produced without affecting corn yield (per crop acre).
Therefore ½ of the Solar Corridor crop acre can be assigned to corn, and the other ½ to a viable floor crop such as wheat.
The effective yields per corn acre are therefore exactly double the yields per crop acre reported on the previous charts.
1 Deichman, C. L., “Solar Corridor Floor Crop Experiments”, ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, November 6-10, 2005, Salt Lake City, 147-9

17. Comparison of Crop Yields Achieving The Goal of 1000 gal/A Ethanol
Conventional Planting
The Solar Corridor System
1x Corn
Corn Field
Wheat and Clover Field
1x Wheat and Clover
≥2x Corn +
1x Wheat and Clover
Wheat and Clover Planted Between Widely-spaced Twin Rows of Corn
Using the Solar Corridor System, each of the hybrids B, C, & D yielded 192 or more bushels per crop acre (384 bushels per effective corn acre), enough for today's ethanol plants to produce 1000 gallons of ethanol (assuming 2.65 gallons/bushel yield).

18. Summary and Conclusions
Increased productivity can be achieved through the utilization of the Solar Corridor System
Sunlight is made available to more chloroplasts to produce more carbohydrates to meet sink demands through physiological maturity
Appropriately selected site specific supporting practices maximize Solar Corridor benefits
Increased Yield, Reduced Lodging
Increased Sequestration of CO2
Solar Corridor floor crop harvest options do exist
We need to further develop and refine these options

19. Summary and Conclusions (cont.)
Based on the performance data presented, the increased biosynthesis of the atmospheric CO2 currently available in the US heartland resulting from the full deployment of the proposed new paradigm:
Can produce another 30bb annual gal of anhydrous equivalent alcohol fuels,
Plus significant quantities of clean substitutes for diesel fuel, glycerol, methane to power electric generators, high energy protein, etc.,
Without using any of our current food supply, cellulosic feedstock, or increasing corn (or total crop) acres,
While increasing sequestration of CO2.