Home > Crops & Livestock > Crops > Bioenergy > The LSU AgCenter is engaged in a broad array of bioenergy/biofuels research and extension activities across Louisiana. With the goal of identifying and evaluating bioenergy production technologies and opportunities that can be economically feasible in Louisiana on a commercial scale, research activities of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station (LAES) are focused in two basic areas: (1) feedstock development and evaluation and (2) feedstock processing and bioenergy production. Research activities in feedstock development include evaluation of potential feedstock crops such as high-fiber sugarcane, sweet sorghum, switchgrass and sweet potatoes for ethanol production as well as a variety of oilseed crops and other feedstocks for biodiesel production. Feedstock processing and bioenergy production research covers a broad range of scientific investigation including gasification and cellulose conversion technologies. The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service (LCES) is responsible for bioenergy education and outreach programs to transfer research results and recommendations to agricultural producers, processors and other entities associated with Louisiana agriculture.   More than 25 LSU AgCenter faculty are involved in the various bioenergy/biofuels projects. For the project involving the energy potential of sweet sorghum, we have created a blog with photos so viewers can read about and actually view the fields in which this high-energy crop is being grown.   The greatest share of the LSU AgCenters projects on bioenergy are conducted at the W.A. Callegari Environmental Center in Baton Rouge and the Audubon Sugar Institute in St. Gabriel.   Read LSU AgCenter news releases and publications about bioenergy/biofuels projects. And find out about bioenergy projects at land-grant universities in other states at related links.   Faculty/Projects Sweet Sorghum Blog     Related Links News Releases Callegari Center LAES Publications Audubon Sugar LCES The Chinese Tallow Tree [Image: Chinese Tallow Tree] The Tallow tree is a fast growing species that produces abundant quantities of seed rich in lipids suitable for the production of biodiesel and other uses.Because of its high seed yields, this perennial crop has legitimate potential to supply the biodiesel industry with critical feedstock at low-cost. Tallow trees readily adapt to soils too infertile, wet or saline for profitable agriculture and therefore commercial production will not compete with food crops for limited land resources Current Status of the U.S. Biofuel Industry and Opportunities for Louisiana Agriculture [Image: biofeul] The term biofuels refers to any fuel – in a solid, liquid or gas form – made from the breakdown or decay of a biological feedstock source. This two-page fact sheet presents some basic information about biofuel production in the United States and in Louisiana and briefly describes current research on biofuels being conducted by the LSU AgCenter. Sweet sorghum blog from Iberia Research Station on September 15, 2008 [Image: sweet sorghum lodged at Iberia station 9-15-2008] All varieties of sweet sorghum remain completely recumbent two weeks after Hurricane Gustav, whereas, sugarcane has become considerably more erect. The inability of sweet sorghum to erect itself after lodging will make harvesting more difficult and losses will be greater. Rice Station Sweet Sorghum Blog 9-8-2008 continued [Image: Dale variety of sweet sorghum] The N fertilizer treatments (0, 45, 90 and 135 lb/A) were applied as urea by hand just after each harvest date.  more articles... Rice Research Station Sweet Sorghum blog - August 28, 2008 [Image: Sweet sorghum harvest] We began to harvest the Dale and Theis sweet sorghum varieties on July 24 and completed the harvest on the 25th. Only the Dale and Theis varieties were harvested on these dates because they reached harvest maturity before the M81-E and Topper varieties. Sweet Sorghum Blog from Iberia Research Station on August 26, 2008 [Image: Sweet Sorghum ready for harvest] Sweet Sorghum Blog from Iberia Research Station on August 26, 2008 Lacassine Sweet Sorghum Site - August 7, 2008 [Image: Lacassine sweet sorghum site - 8-8-08] Lacassine sweet sorghum site. Sweet Sorghum Blog from Iberia on August 6, 2008 [Image: new iberia plot of sweet sorghum] The three sweet sorghum varieties being evaluated are relatively close in maturity. Sweet Sorghum Test Plot Update from Winnsboro - July 29, 2008 [Image: Sweet Sorghum test at Winnsboro] Sweet sorghum growth response to nitrogen rate is evident from this photo taken in late July 2008. Lake Charles Sweet Sorghum Plot Updates - August 1, 2008 [Image: Lake Charles Sweet Sorghum Test Plot] Lake Charles Sweet Sorghum Plot Updates - August 1, 2008 from County Agents Jerry Whatley and Allen Hogan. Rice Station Sweet Sorghum Test Plot July 14, 2008 [Image: sweet sorghum - rice 7-14] The sweet sorghum varieties M-81E and Topper just began heading early this week (July 14). Sweet sorghum variety test at the Southeast Research Station. [Image: Overview of sweet sorghum variety test at the Southeast Research Station. ] Overview of sweet sorghum variety test at the Southeast Research Station. Sweet sorghum research progress (Southeast Research Station, Franklinton, LA) - July 21, 2008 [Image: M81E sweet sorghum variety] Currently, Southeast Research Station is conducting two sweet sorghum studies. Iberia Research Station Sweet Sorghum Blog for July 18, 2008 [Image: Iberia sweet sorghum plot 7-18] Post-directed chemicals have been used to provide weed control in our sweet sorghum plots. Click for more information...