The straws of two high-biomass soybean lines developed at ARS for bioenergy were subjected to thermochemical conversion by fast pyrolysis. The objective was to evaluate the potential use of the straw Or the production of liquid fuel intermediates. The immediate goal was to demonstrate production of pyrolysis liquid that can be burned "as is" and/or potentially be upgraded to transportation grade fuel and at the same time produce biochar that can be deployed as a soil amendment. The goal supports the concept of on-farm biorefinery where food and bioenergy can be sustainably produced in a soybean farm system. The study shows that high yields of pyrolysis liquids (blood) can be efficiently produced from the soybean straws using the fluidized-bed fast pyrolysis technology. Free flowing biooils with heating values in excess of 20 MJ/kg were produced in yields of approximately 70 wt %. Accompanying this was 22 wt % mineral-rich biochar that can be returned to the soil and up to 10 wt % combustible gas with the potential to partially power the pyrolysis system. A sustainable farm system may be enhanced by the synergy between production of extra biomass in soybean cultivation, lignocellulosic biofuel production, production and use of carbon sequestering, soil-amending biochar in addition to nitrogen fixation by rhizobial bacteria. Although the findings are encouraging, actual data over several :years will be necessary to fully evaluate a potential soybean farm biorefinery system. by comprehensive life-cycle analysis. (C) 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog. 29: 175-183. 2010

Crop ScienceVolume 45, Issue 1 cropsci2005.0408 p. 408-409 Registrations Of Cultivars Registration of ‘Asmara’ Vegetable Soybean T. Mebrahtu, Corresponding Author T. Mebrahtu tmebraht@vsu.edu Agricultural Research Station of Virginia State Univ., P.O. Box 9061, Petersburg, VA, 23806Corresponding author (tmebraht@vsu.edu)Search for more papers by this authorT. E. Devine, T. E. Devine Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, USDA-ARS, Bldg. 001, BARC-West, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD, 20705Search for more papers by this authorP. Donald, P. Donald USDA-ARS, 605 Airways Blvd, Jackson, TN, 38301Search for more papers by this authorT.S. Abney, T.S. Abney USDA-ARS, Purdue State University, Dep. of Botany and Plant Pathology, Lilly Hall, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2054Search for more papers by this author T. Mebrahtu, Corresponding Author T. Mebrahtu tmebraht@vsu.edu Agricultural Research Station of Virginia State Univ., P.O. Box 9061, Petersburg, VA, 23806Corresponding author (tmebraht@vsu.edu)Search for more papers by this authorT. E. Devine, T. E. Devine Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, USDA-ARS, Bldg. 001, BARC-West, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD, 20705Search for more papers by this authorP. Donald, P. Donald USDA-ARS, 605 Airways Blvd, Jackson, TN, 38301Search for more papers by this authorT.S. Abney, T.S. Abney USDA-ARS, Purdue State University, Dep. of Botany and Plant Pathology, Lilly Hall, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2054Search for more papers by this author First published: 01 January 2005 https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2005.0408Citations: 15 Registration by CSSA. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume45, Issue1January–February 2005Pages 408-409 RelatedInformation

A spectrally derived cellulose absorption index (CAI) was tested to determine its value as a remote sensing method for detecting crop residue ground coverage for soil erosion control in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Soybean produces inadequate crop residue for soil conservation purposes in many production years. Crop residues left on the soil surface after harvest slow soil erosion rates. The CAI remote sensing technique was tested over field plots of conventional and large biomass soybean (LBS) with known above ground crop residue biomass and surface coverage. New LBS types are being bred and tested at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), Beltsville, Maryland, US, and can grow to heights of 1.8 m and produce increased amounts of crop residue compared to conventional cultivars. The highest performing LBS line for these traits provided 2963 kg/ha more crop residue biomass and provided a maximum increase of 42% more crop residue cover than the poorest performing conventional soybean. The comparison of LBS versus conventional soybean provided a wide range of soybean residue coverage for testing the CAI remote sensing algorithm. Spectrally derived CAI measures of crop residue were significantly associated with physical ground measurements of crop biomass at harvest and % cover after over wintering. Significant correlations were found between, the CAI and at harvest biomass (r 2 = 0.66), between, the CAI and the line point transect measurement (r 2 = 0.74), and between, CAI and the analysis of red-green-blue digital imagery (r 2 = 0.74) for measuring crop residue cover. These findings indicate that LBS can increase crop residue biomass and crop residue soil coverage by soybean litter and these factors can be detected by remote sensing methods in the field.

Crop ScienceVolume 45, Issue 6 p. 2644-2645 Registration Registration of ‘Randolph’ Vegetable Soybean T. Mebrahtu, Corresponding Author T. Mebrahtu [email protected] Agricultural Research Station of Virginia State Univ., P.O. Box 9061, Petersburg, VA, 23806 Corresponding author ([email protected])Search for more papers by this authorT.E. Devine, T.E. Devine Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, USDA-ARS, Bldg. 001, BARC-West, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD, 20705Search for more papers by this authorP. Donald, P. Donald USDA-ARS, 605 Airways Blvd, Jackson, TN, 38301Search for more papers by this authorT.S. Abney, T.S. Abney USDA-ARS, Purdue University, Dep. of Botany and Plant Pathology, Lafayette, IN, 47907-1155Search for more papers by this author T. Mebrahtu, Corresponding Author T. Mebrahtu [email protected] Agricultural Research Station of Virginia State Univ., P.O. Box 9061, Petersburg, VA, 23806 Corresponding author ([email protected])Search for more papers by this authorT.E. Devine, T.E. Devine Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, USDA-ARS, Bldg. 001, BARC-West, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD, 20705Search for more papers by this authorP. Donald, P. Donald USDA-ARS, 605 Airways Blvd, Jackson, TN, 38301Search for more papers by this authorT.S. Abney, T.S. Abney USDA-ARS, Purdue University, Dep. of Botany and Plant Pathology, Lafayette, IN, 47907-1155Search for more papers by this author First published: 01 November 2005 https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2005.007Citations: 4 Registration by CSSA. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat REFERENCES Boerma, H.R. 1988. Registration of ‘Twiggs’ soybean. Crop Sci. 28: 375 http://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci1988.0011183X002800020046x Brim, C.A. 1966. A modified pedigree method of selection in soybean. Crop Sci. 6: 220 http://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci1966.0011183X000600020041x Carter, T.E., Jr., and S. Shanmugasundaram. 1993. Edamame, the vegetable soybean. p. 219–239. In T. Howard (ed.) Underutilized crops: Pulses and vegetables. Chapman and Hill, London. Fehr, W.E. 1971. [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] Stage of development description of soybean. Crop Sci. 11: 929–931 http://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci1971.0011183X001100060051x Konovsky, J., T.A. Lumpkin, and D. McClary. 1994. Edamame: The vegetable soybean. p. 173–181. In A.D. O'Rourke (ed.) Understanding the Japanese food and agrimarket: A multifaceted opportunity. Binghamton:Hayworth, UK. Kraemer, M.E. 1994. Evaluation of vegetable soybean genotype for resistance to Mexican bean beetle (Coleoptera:Coccinrllidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 87: 252–257 http://gateway.isiknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=agrocropsoil&KeyUT=A1994NR61300042&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS_CPL&UsrCustomerID=523bbf5d2a868de7bbaeea0bc70ec0e4 Mebrahtu, T. 2005. Registration of ‘Asmara’ vegetable soybean. Crop Sci. 45: 408–409 http://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2005.0408 Mebrahtu, T. 1991. Green pod and architectural traits of selected vegetable soybean genotypes. J. Prod. Agric. 4: 395–399 Palmer, R.G., and T.C. Kilen. 1987. Qualitative genetics and cytogenetics. p. 135–209. In J.R. Wilcox (ed.) Soybeans: Improvement, production, and uses. 2nd ed. Agron. Monogr.16. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Rao, M.S.S. 2002. Genotype × environment interaction and yield stability of food grade genotypes. Agron. J. 94: 72–80 http://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2002.0072 Smith, T.J. 1968. Registration of ‘York’ soybean crop. Crop Sci. 8: 776 http://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci1968.0011183X000800060045x USDA-AMS. 2000. National Organic Program. [Online]. Available at www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NOP/standards.html (modified 21 Oct. 2002; accessed 12 Jan. 2004; verified 17 July 2005). Natl. Agric. Library, Beltsville, MD. USDA-ARS. 2000. Organic food production, Alternative Farming Systems Information Center [Online]. Available at www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/ofp/ (accessed 12 Jan. 2004; verified 17 July 2005). Natl. Agric. Library, Beltsville, MD. USDA-ARS. 1995. National Genetic Resources Program. PI 83945–4. Germplasm Resources Information Network-(GRIN) [Online]. Available at www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/acchtml.pl?1485853 (accessed 9 Dec. 2003; verified 17 July 2005). Natl. Germplasm Resource Lab., Beltsville, MD. Citing Literature Volume45, Issue6November–December 2005Pages 2644-2645 ReferencesRelatedInformation

ABSTRACT Soybeans are planted on approximately eight million hectares (20 M acres) of highly erodible land (HEL) in the United States. Soybean crops have been recognized as deficient in supplying crop residues that reduce soil erosion. A new type of soybean tested at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Maryland, can grow to heights of 1.8-meters (6 ft) or more. The development of the large biomass soybean (LBS) suggested the potential of increased crop residue production to reduce soil loss on erodible soybean lands. An evaluation was conducted of the soil conservation benefits of LBS versus conventional soybean using data from a three-year field experiment. LBS produced more crop residue dry biomass and provided a mean increase of 31 percent more crop residue cover in the spring before mulch tillage and 47 percent more after mulch tillage than conventional cultivars. Soil loss estimates for LBS were much lower than for conventional soybeans as simulated by a revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE). Breeding for increased residue production in soybeans could produce significant environmental benefits as a soil conservation practice in reducing soil erosion. The conservation benefits of LBS can be realized if enhanced biomass production can be combined with adequate grain production.

ABSTRACT 'Emperor' broccoli (Brassica oleraceae L. var. italica) was grown in the fall of 1996 at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, MD and at the Kentland Agricultural Research Farm, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA. The objective was to determine the N requirements of broccoli grown in a no-till production system in which mulches from cover crops provided part of the N. The mulch treatments included cover crops of forage soybean (Glycine max L.), foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.P. Beauv), and a combination of soybean and millet, as compared with the conventional clean cultivation production system. Supplemental N (ammonium nitrate from commercial fertilizer) was applied to all mulch treatments at 0, 112, and 224 kg.ha−1. Cover crop biomass ranged from 3.6 to 5.2 t.ha−1 with N content of 10 kg.t−1 for millet to 28 kg.t−1 for soybean. The cover crops provided only part of the N required by the broccoli crop. Yield and head mass increased with additional N app...

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