Brief Synopsis

Some Facts

Roadways ≈ 4 million miles of roadways – (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/onh2p5.htm)

Railroads ≈ 140,000 miles of rights of way – (http://www.aar.org/PubCommon/Documents/AboutTheIndustry/

Statistics.pdf)

Airports ≈ 19,820: Total number of airports – (

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/001573.html)

Military ≈ Department of Defense owns 29 million acres of arable land in the United States – (http://www.defenselink.mil/dbt/

cip_etp07_comm_best_practice.html)

Project Objectives

How many millions of these acres are available? Will conditions permit crops to grow in fallow non-

traditional agronomic lands? (i.e. roadsides) Will cropping these areas cause envt. problems? Will this process be economically viable? Which crop will produce the most economical

yield? What would this cropping process do to the

existing plant ecosystem?

Potential Benefits/Advantages

This method of fuel production:– Does not affect food supply– Benefits of Biodiesel– Increases aesthetics– Decreases costs of maintenance– Aids in educating the public about renewable

fuels

“We need food and we need fuel, but those shouldn’t conflict” Jeff Steiner USDA ARS

Considerations

Safety Structural Integrity Establishment and Harvesting Economics Wildlife Impacts Ecology/Environmental Impacts Water Quality Grower Concerns

Roadside Biodiesel Production Potential (I.E. Utah)

UDOT Lands could potentially produce over 250 gallons/mile of Biodiesel – Assumptions:

100 Foot Wide Growing Region per Mile Equals @ 12 acres/mile

Use agronomic Methods and Equipment 60% Dry Land Yields

– This solves maintenance and pest cost problems $300/mile for 2007 Biomass potential for G2 fuel production

It is estimated this yield could be increased substantially in more tolerant climates

Examples of UDOT fleet vehicles that would utilize F2F biodiesel

Economics' of Freeways to Fuel A unique set of conditions contribute to a lower cost of production for UDOT Comparisons based on Private Production Costs for Direct Seeded Winter Canola after Summer Fallow, 14"

rainfall zone, Whitman County, Washington 2006 Break even for F2F assumed at 50% of agronomic yeilds

$0.00 $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 $20.00 $25.00 $30.00 $35.00

insurance

interest

machine taxes

overhead

Fallow Cost

Land Rent

Major Economic Differences of UDOT Land vs Private Land Oilseed Production (FY 2006)

UDOT Private

dollars/acre

cost

dif

fere

nce

s

Designing and Marking Research Plots

• Exp. Design• 6 treatments • 4 reps• 4 locations

• Control• Spring canola• RR Spring canola

with round up applied (Hyola)

• Fall canola• RR Fall canola

with round up applied

• Safflower (S-208)

Soil Conditions Along Roadsides

Normal agronomic results for nutrients and organic matter, pH and salt content Soil Nutrient Content - Freeways to Fuel

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

P K*(x20)

N Zn Fe Cu Mn S

PP

M

Mona

MM 240

Kaysville

Tremonton

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

OM pH EC

Organic Matter, pH and EC Freeways to Fuel Soils

Mona

MM240

Kaysville

Tremonton

Soil Conditions Along Roadsides

soil was compacted above normal values along roadsides

1 2 3 4 5 60

100

200

300

400

500

600

Compaction of Utah Roadside vs Traditional Farm Soils

Roadside Soil Compaction

Farm Soil Compaction

Soil Depth in Inches

PS

I

Establishing Plots

Killed existing vegetation with Roundup Weathermax®

Planted safflower and canola with Tye Pasture Pleaser no-till drill with ¾ inch depth bands

A Closer Look at Planting How did compaction effect planting?

≈Drill Opener and Press Wheels

Resulting in open furrows with no seed/soil contact and evaporation

Traditional vs Roadside

Roadside Safflower plot in foreground

Commercial Safflower field in background F2F Safflower Plot

Traditional Safflower Field

Yield Data 2007/2008Utah FreeWays to Fuel data utilizing no-till dry land practices

Normal Farm Conditions* Kaysville Roadside MM240 Roadside Tremonton Roadside0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Spring Canola Round up Ready Spring Canola Spring Safflower

lbs/

acre

* this represents <25% of average yield for these crops

Hypothesis for Low Crop Yield

Abnormal Climatic Conditions– Precipitation

Some of the lowest on record

– Temperature Some of the highest on record

Abnormally High Compaction Planting Technique

FreeWays to Fuel Alliance Top Tier Universities

Washington State University, Iowa State, Auburn, Michigan State University, Montana State, North Carolina State University, State University at New York – Cobbleskill, Penn State University

Corporate New Holland – tractor donation Great Plains – drill equipment donation Aerway Ag – aerator donation

Government State Departments of Transportation DOD Interests State Energy Departments

RSL Research Focus

Simulate Roadside conditions (compaction and soil quality equivalency)

Provide information on plant establishment techniques

RSL Research Focus (cont.)Seeding Pass

Compaction Relief Culti-Planting≈

Control = No Till Drill

Safflower seeds on top of the ground

VS

Culti-Banding

Compaction relief with minimal disturbance to soil

Initial Results

Greenhouse Study

Experiments with constant compaction– Depth of emergence

Other Crops

Are we looking at the right ones? Investigation of Other Crops

– Dwarf Sunflower– Fall/Winter Safflower– Camelina– Gumweed– Annual Flax– Mustard– Perennial Biomass (i.e. grasses, legumes)

Biomass to Liquid (G2)

Biomass to Liquids– Thermal

Platforms to transform biomass into liquid fuels

Other Possible Locations Estimated 10 Million Acres in Roadside

Lands (based on 25% of some 4 million miles of roadway nationally)

Other locations – Military installations– Airports– Brownfields– Railroads– Power companies– Tribal Lands– Landfills