Researchers and Educators

North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station

Tim Faller
• Develop support for the concept of a major biomass conversion initiative and describe how NDSU can be a force in its development.

Agribusiness and Applied Economics

Dwight Aakre
• Study biofuel’s impact on agriculture; ethanol industry expansion, statistics and projected growth; and Impacts, economics and risks of an expanded ethanol industry.
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Cole Gustafson
• Develop crop insurance provisions for biofuel crops. Many potential biofuel crops are not insurable. Existing crops are insured for yield, but oil/starch is the more insurable trait. Biofuel crops may have unique agronomic characteristics (e.g., drought tolerance, different harvest period) requiring insurance program modifi cation.
• Investigate technical feasibility and logistics of using field pea fractions in North Dakota ethanol plants by determining economic feasibility of North Dakota farmers increasing pea production, including assessment of agronomic and economic risk/returns, and accessing synergies of vertically integrating pea fractionation with existing and potential ethanol production activities in North Dakota.
• Develop risk management strategies for biofuel producers to minimize income variability and sustain operations in rural communities.

Nancy Hodur
• Develop and commercialize technologies to produce materials and fuels from biomass feedstocks.

Won Koo
• Investigate potential amount of ethanol production from biomass produced in Conservation Reserve Program land with current processing technology and its impacts on farm income and rural economy in North Dakota. North Dakota can produce 350 million gallons of ethanol from 60 percent of its CRP land. The economic value of the ethanol is $437.5 million per year.
• Determine the optimal feedstock transportation, handling and storage methods to deliver a steady supply of biomass from subdivided CRP regions to a centrally located cellulosic ethanol processing plant.

F. Larry Leistritz
• Develop and commercialize technologies to produce materials and fuels from biomass feedstocks through the NDSU/MBI Biomaterials Program. Initial efforts have focused on commercializing technology to produce a biomass nanocomposite material as a substitute for fiberglass and petroleum-based composites. Wheat straw is a preferred feedstock for a biorefi nery because it has a higher content of both cellulose and lignin than alternative feedstocks.
• Estimate production, harvest and transportation costs and supply prices for switchgrass and other energy crops as part of the Central Grasslands Research Extension Center feedstock project.
• Determine potential contribution to the North Dakota economy if livestock enterprises were developed to use byproduct feed from an ethanol plant. Economic impacts were estimated for a 20,000-head capacity beef finishing lot and for a 5,000-cow dairy.
• Evaluate the impact of the Conservation Reserve Program on local economies in North Dakota. The study included an extensive survey of CRP landowners and
interviews with a cross section of community leaders in six multicounty study areas.

Bill Wilson
• Serve as director of the NDSU Oilseed Development Center of Excellence. Its goal is to increase North Dakota's competitiveness in production and processing
of specialty oils and biodiesel. The center is a multidisciplinary team of research efforts to evaluate canola varieties, test new lines and develop new technologies in the production of canola biodiesel and bioproducts. Canola biodiesel plants are under construction in North Dakota, increasing the immediate local impacts of the center's research. Improved NDSU Pilot Plant laboratory technology is focusing on new and innovative uses for canola meal and bioproducts from producing biodiesel, including construction materials, adhesives and thermoplastics and the development of epoxy and other resins from canola oil for plastic composites.
• Conduct research in areas including risk analysis, strategy, Intellectual property, feasibility studies, logistics and commodity marketing.

• Participate in the USDA’s Current Research Information System project to assess economic changes in trade arrangements, bioterrorism threats and renewable fuels requirements on the U.S. grain and oilseed sector.

Agribusiness and Biosystems Engineering

Ken Hellevang
• Serve on the North Dakota Biomass Energy Task Force. The North Dakota Department of Commerce selected the North Dakota State University Extension Service through a grant proposal process to convene a task force of representatives from agencies and organizations associated with or interested in biomass for energy in North Dakota. The task force’s mission was to complete the following objectives:
a) Review biomass energy activities, development and potential in North Dakota
b) Examine current state policies/programs related to biomass development
c) Propose action items to promote biomass as an energy source, including possible legislation for the 2007 legislative session.
• Participate with other Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering/NDSU Extension Service faculty in the North Dakota Renewable Energy Partnership (NDREP).
The NDREP promotes ethanol, biodiesel, wind and biomass energy production in North Dakota through development and expansion of markets for renewable
energy and through support of state and federal legislation enhancing the industry. The coalition grew out of “A Vision for the Future,” the state’s fi rst renewable
energy summit. The North Dakota Department of Agriculture, North Dakota Department of Commerce, North Dakota Corn Utilization Council, North Dakota
Soybean Growers Association and University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center organized the 2003 conference.
• Co-author an Extension publication titled “Fuel Cost Comparison Chart,” AE-1015, which provides North Dakota residents with an easy way to compare the
heating cost of various fuels, including some biomass fuels. It also provides information on the energy content in British thermal units per pound of the biomass
products.
• Work with Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering/NDSU Extension Service faculty to obtain funding for several years from the North Dakota Department of
Commerce’s Division of Community Service as part of the State Energy Program to deliver energy-related information and education to North Dakota residents.

Vern Hofman
• Test green canola for quality for the production of biodiesel and to determine harvesting practices.

• Serve on the North Dakota Biomass Energy Task Force to review biomass energy activities, development and potential in North Dakota.
• Work on developing a hydrogen- and diesel fueloperated tractor.

John Nowatzki
• Present educational sessions on biofuels production and uses.
• Coordinate biodiesel seminars for NDSU county Extension faculty.

Scott Pryor
• Produce ethanol from Conservation Reserve Program biomass and other lignocellulosic materials. Aims are to 1) characterize mixed-grass biomass from CRP lands to determine ideal mixtures for optimal fermentable sugar production and 2) determine the effect of mixed
feedstocks on biomass pretreatment processes.

• Conduct feasibility study for colocating a cattle feedlot and anaerobic digestion system at the Blue Flint ethanol plant.
• Study the utilization of canola meal and canola proteins for industrial bioproducts and economic viability for higher value uses, e.g., adhesives, polymers and
polymer matrix composites from canola proteins.

• Research the possible cofermentation of pea starch in a corn ethanol facility and test the feasibility (ethanol production rates and yields) of integrating peas starch into the corn ethanol production process.

Dennis Wiesenborn/Kristi Tostenson/Darrin Haagenson
• Develop new products from vegetable oils and oilseed coproducts, such as resins from canola oil that can be used to manufacture composite materials, and conduct product analysis.
• Evaluate biodiesel technology and feedstock, such as use of green canola seed.
• Conduct high-throughput spectroscopic evaluation of new canola varieties for biodiesel and coproduct use.
• Conduct engineering analysis of processes, such as fractionation of fi eld peas for ethanol feedstock.

Animal and Range Sciences

Mario Biondini
• Determine which combination(s) of plant species will produce optimal fermentable sugar yields. Sugar yields will be considered optimal if they are high on a mean yearly basis and have low year to year variability. The task involves individual species and mixed feedstock biomass characterization (including cellulose,
hemicellulose and lignin) and evaluation of biomass pretreatment conditions for mixed grass feedstocks.
• Develop restoration techniques and management strategies to optimize biomass production for ethanol while maintaining the USDA Conservation Reserve
Program objectives. This involves concentrating on the following question: What species combinations, minimum levels of species diversity and harvest periodicity are required to generate sustainable and economically viable biomass output for ethanol production, to maintain plant
community stability and to minimize invasion by exotic species?
• Construct a user-oriented model for the planning and ecological assessments of CRP-ethanol projects across a variety of climatic and soils conditions.

Joel Caton
• Evaluate nutrient and non-nutrient compounds associated with coproducts.
• Evaluate composition of coproducts, coproducts as sources of nutrients for livestock feed and value-added uses of coproducts as part of an active, collaborative research and Extension effort in byproduct/coproduct use for livestock diets.

Greg Lardy
• Conduct research on feeding various ethanol byproducts to cattle to determine appropriate feeding levels and optimum usage.
• Conduct a study to determine feasibility of a cattle feedlot and dairy colocated with the Blue Flint Ethanol plant at Falkirk, N.D. This feedlot and dairy would feed distillers grains (ethanol byproduct) and the manure from the feedlot would be used in an anaerobic digestion system to produce biogas. The biogas could be utilized for thermal purposes (boilers, etc.) or could be used to generate electricity.

Kevin Sedivec
• Study growth patterns, biomass and nutritional quality, including acid detergent fi ber and neutral detergent fiber, of 36 cool- and warm-season perennial grass cultivars in North and South Dakota.

Cereal and Food Sciences

Sam Chang
• Analyze physical and chemical characteristics of byproduct biopolymers, such as proteins and carbohydrates, for industrial uses.
• Convert valuable byproducts to foods.

Clifford Hall
• Develop uses for coproducts from biofuels production. The goal of this activity is to develop high-value food ingredients from low-cost coproducts. Additional work involves the isolation of valuable food ingredients prior to biofuels production.

Plant Pathology

Luis del Rio
• Study the epidemiology and management of diseases affecting canola production.
• Generate and evaluate germplasm with resistance to diseases affecting canola production.

Stephen Neate

• Assess threats and impacts of diseases on production and quality of gramineaceous crops and grasses considered for bioethanol.
• Develop control strategies for diseases impacting production and quality of gramineaceous crops and grasses considered for bioethanol.

Plant Sciences

Bill Berzonsky
• Conduct specialty wheat breeding and genetics research.
• Study the possible use of wheat genotypes with specialty straw traits for use as feedstock in biorefineries and other processes.

Darrin Haagenson
• Ensure analysis can be done on large amounts of canola trial seed (testing oil content) efficiently.

Burton Johnson
• Research sunflower, alternative and new crops. Research will continue to be directed to identify production practices that will improve crop agronomic
and economic yield and thus net returns to the producer. Crops evaluated in this endeavor include traditional, alternative and new biomass, grain and oil-producing crops that would have direct utilization in biofuel and other applications.

Chiwon Lee
• Work on biomass to heat greenhouses. This includes working with a group in the Turtle Mountains.

Marcelo Melani
• Conduct research in plant breeding and genetics.
• Develop canola germplasm with enhanced value for bidiesel production.

Dwain Meyer
• Research forage production and physiology.
• Study biomass production of switchgrass and other forage-related plants.

Soil Science

Adnan Akyuz
• Conduct research on meteorology, local climatology and agricultural microclimatology.
• Conduct environmental monitoring.
• Study bioresponse to weather and climate variables, environmental measurement techniques and alternative
renewable energy (wind and solar) potentials in North Dakota.

Larry Cihacek
• Study terrestrial carbon (carbon dioxide) sequestration on Conservation Reserve Program land, specifi cally the relationship between age of restored grasslands and changes in stored soil carbon (C). Changes are being compared with current cropland and undisturbed native grassland. Models are being developed relating age of grass stand with soil C.
• Research terrestrial C (carbon dioxide) sequestration in cropping systems management, specifi cally evaluate changes in soil C sequestration due to changes in conversion of grassland to cropland and cropland to grassland under conventional and no-till tillage management and grazed and ungrazed grassland
management.
• Participate in a USDA Current Research Information System project on carbon sequestration and storage on eroded landscapes. This includes evaluation of
processes on landscapes that offset changes in soil C on a landscape continuum from uplands to wetland periphery under both cropland and grassland
management in the northern Great Plains.

Tom DeSutter
• Study the impacts of biofuels on soil quality.
• Determine how soil quality is infl uenced by the harvesting of both grain and biomass for ethanol production when monoculture rotations (corn-corn) are
used.

Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences

Charlene Wolf-Hall
• Study the utilization of soybean coproducts in mushroom production. The goal is to evaluate the role of variations in soybean meal as a substrate for specialty mushroom growth. The hull is the best substrate for producing oyster mushrooms.
• Conduct research in industrial and food microbiology, with emphasis on microorganisms that affect quality and safety of bioproducts.

Center for Community Vitality, Institute for Business and Industry Development

Kathy Tweeten
• Serve on the North Dakota Biomass Energy Task Force to review biomass energy activities, development and potential in North Dakota.

Civil Engineering

Eakalak Khan
• Study the bioremediation of contaminated soil and water and biodegradation of waste.
• Investigate the utilization of biomass, such as cattail fi ber and rice husks, for removing polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (biosorption) from water.
• Study the use of biotechnologies, such as bioaugmentation and cell entrapment, for removing atrazine from agricultural infi ltrate.
• Investigate the bioconversion of agricultural waste, such as sugarcane mill wastewater and manure, to energy (ethanol and biogas).

Wei Lin
• Work on biomass to heat greenhouses. This includes working with a group in the Turtle Mountains.

Coatings and Polymers

Stuart Croll (chair)
• Study biowaste materials as a source of useful chemicals.
• Conduct analytical materials characterization.
• Model materials structure and properties.

Dean Webster
• Study how to use biowaste and biomass as feedstock for polymers for coatings.

Electrical and Computing Engineering

Dan Ewert (chair)
• Work on developing a hydrogen- and diesel fueloperated tractor.

Mechanical Engineering

Alan Kallmeyer
• Work on developing a hydrogen- and diesel fuel operated tractor.

Zakaria Mahmud
• Work on developing a hydrogen- and diesel fuel operated tractor.

Robert Pieri
• Work on developing a hydrogen- and diesel fuel operated tractor.

Michael Stewart
• Work on developing a hydrogen- and diesel fuel operated tractor.

Chad Ulven
• Study the utilization of canola meal and canola proteins for industrial bioproducts and economic viability for higher-value uses, e.g., adhesives, polymers and
polymer matrix composites from canola proteins.

• Study the utilization of fl ax fi ber in the production of natural fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites for
primary and secondary structural applications.

Northern Crops Institute

Kim Koch
• Develop biofuel coproducts into effi cient livestock feedstuffs as part of an active, cooperative research and outreach effort involving corn-ethanol coproduct (and other regional coproducts), coproduct nutrient content and value generation.

Mehmet Tulbek
• Evaluate biofuel coproducts (canola meal, glycerin, soybean meal, dried distillers grains with solubles) in extruded food and feed products.
• Screen regional soybean and canola varieties as a feedstock for the biodiesel industry.

Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute

Alan Dybing
• Study transportation infrastructure impacts.
• Estimate the highway impacts of a proposed ethanol facility at Spiritwood, N.D. The study focuses on modal shift from long-haul rail shipments to short truck
shipments to the facility.

Carrington Research Extension Center

Blaine Schatz, director
• Evaluate traditional and alternative oilseed crops that have potential as a feedstock for biodiesel production.

Vern Anderson
• Lead extensive investigations in the utilization of biofuel processing coproducts in beef diets and assisting to expand livestock industry associated with diverse co-products.
• Conduct research to determine coproduct value, appropriate methods of utilization and opportunities to formulate and commercialize with other feedstuffs.

Dokyoung Lee
• Evaluate perennial grass species and management practices to optimize crop biomass production for cellulosic-based ethanol.

Walt Albus
• Researches refi nement of corn production systems (e.g., continuous corn, strip-till, nitrogen strategies) under irrigated environments to address increased demands on corn production capabilities.

Paul Hendrickson
• Evaluate corn production techniques to enhance and sustain productivity for traditional uses and expanded demands for ethanol.

Ezra Aberle
• Evaluate fertilizer management for perennial grasses to enhance and maintain productivity.

Steve Zwinger
• Evaluate alternative species for forage and biomass production.

Central Grasslands Research Extension Center (Streeter)

Paul Nyren, director
• Research production practices for growing switchgrass as a biomass fuel crop (fi ve-year project started in 2001). This included producing a paper titled “Costs of producing switchgrass on farmers’ fi elds in the Great Plains.”
• Work with biochemists to evaluate new bacterium for extracting ethanol from cellulosic materials.
• Work with engineers to set up a pilot biomass briquetting plant to evaluate its potential use in small-scale installations that would be located throughout North
Dakota.
• Evaluate perennial herbaceous biomass crops for ethanol. This is being conducted on fi ve sites: Hettinger REC, Williston REC, North Central REC, Carrington
REC and Central Grasslands REC. This study has the following objectives: determine the biomass yield and select chemical composition of perennial herbaceous
crops at several locations throughout central and western North Dakota, determine the optimum harvest dates for maximum biomass yield and maintenance
of the stands, compare annual and biennial harvest on total biomass yield and maintenance of the stands, evaluate carbon sequestration and storage of the various perennial crops and evaluate the economic feasibility of the various perennial herbaceous energy crops with competing crops in the surrounding area.

Dickinson Research Extension Center

Kris Ringwall, director
• See Biondini research project summary (Animal and Range Sciences).

Hettinger Research Extension Center

Christopher Schauer, director
• Conduct research on the use of ethanol co-products in lamb finishing rations. The research is particularly useful nationwide as producers deal with high feed costs. Recommendations for the level of inclusion of ethanol co-products in lamb rations are especially useful in these time periods.
• Develop multiple-use land management strategies for Conservation Reserve Program lands.
• Study the effect of land management changes (converting CRP lands to barley/corn production, grazing and haying) on pheasant and upland bird population
dynamics.

Eric Eriksmoen
• Participate in a multiyear, statewide project evaluating switchgrass production as an alternative source of biomass for ethanol production.
• Research grain production and physiology.
• Conduct research in conjunction with the Main Station on the development of drought-tolerant corn to meet the growing need for corn production.

Langdon Research Extension Center

Randy Mehlhoff, director
• Evaluate canola seed quality with different levels of green seed for use as a biofuel (diesel alternative).
• Conduct research that takes collected seed from two harvest methods (swathing and straight cutting) at three different timings (designed to obtain green seed levels of <2 percent, 8 percent to 10 percent and 10 percent to 20 percent) from two cultivars. Results are yielding green seed that are determining differences in the quality of biodiesel fuel among treatments.
• Participate in work to begin in 2007 to support the NDSU canola breeding effort through the NDSU Oilseed Development Center of Excellence for canola biodiesel development. Initial work will focus on developing high oil content canola varieties.

North Central Research Extension Center (Minot)

Jay Fisher, director
• Work on a project with the goal of finding the highest seed yield and oil content lines of canola. Canola research has been conducted for 27 years and
has intensified since the Center of Excellence was established. Two hundred breeder lines selected for high oil and high yield were evaluated in 2006. An 80-
horsepower tractor has been operated on 100 percent canola biodiesel for two years at NCREC with no negative effects.
• Develop hydrogen as an alternative fuel by the year 2025. Project construction began in 2006 at (NCREC) in concert with Basin Electric, Central Power, Verendrye Electric and the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center. Site and hydrogen storage are ready; project awaits arrival of electrolyzer from Belgium. Three pickups are ready to operate on hydrogen (as well as E85 or gasoline).
• Identify and test grasses and other plant materials for cellulosic ethanol. Project began in 2006, although switchgrass for foundation seed has been produced
for six years at NCREC. Trial consists of 80 plots (20 treatments) of various plant types.

Williston Research Extension Center

Jerry Bergman, director
• Breed and develop value-added saffl ower products (high oleic/low saturate saffl ower oil and high linoleic/ low saturate oils) for expanding market potentials in biofuel biolubricants, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and as a value-added feed supplement for livestock, in cooperation with the Montana State University Eastern Agricultural Research Center.
• Evaluate oilseed crops produced for vegetable oil-based biodiesel/biolubricant/biobased product industries cooperatively with the Montana State University Eastern Agricultural Research Center. Oleic safflower lines having up to 87 percent oleic oil and greater than 95 percent gamma tocopherol with increased oxidation stability have been developed.
• Develop high oleic, high gamma tocopherol safflower varieties for use in biofuel/biobased products and assessment of vegetable oil for biodiesel yield and
quality. Biodiesel will be produced utilizing a university research and development biodiesel production system and evaluated for fuel related properties.
• Study perennial grasses and Conservation Reserve Program mixtures for cellulosic ethanol on a dryland and irrigated site at Nesson Valley 23 miles northeast
of Williston, N.D., to identify most productive perennial herbaceous crops in western North Dakota and eastern Montana (MonDak region) for cellulosic ethanol.

Academics

Tom Bon
• ABEN 263: Biological Materials Processing — coursework on physical characteristics of biodiesel.

Scott Pryor
• ABEN 499/696: Biofuels — interdisciplinary course that brings together NDSU expertise in areas such as economics (Cole Gustafson), transportation (Mark
Lofgren and Mark Berwick), agronomics (Burton Johnson), farm management (Dwight Aakre), co-product utilization (Greg Lardy) and conversion technologies
(Dennis Wiesenborn and Scott Pryor) to provide students with a broad background of the complex issues and opportunities for the biofuels industry.

Paul Schwarz
• MICRO/CFS 454/654: Bioprocessing — the use of microorganisms and enzymes for processing agricultural materials into industrial products, including foods,
biofuels and antimicrobials. Prerequisite: MICR 202L, CHEM 260 or graduate standing.
• CFS 765: 765 Advanced Cereal and Food Chemistry - physiochemical, structural, functional analysis of cereal and food carbohydrates and enzymes. Biochemical aspects of these components also will be presented.

Charlene Wolf-Hall
• MICRO/CFS 454/654: Bioprocessing — the use of microorganisms and enzymes for processing agricultural materials into industrial products, including foods,
biofuels and antimicrobials. Prerequisite: MICR 202L, CHEM 260 or graduate standing.