Midwest Research Institute researches biofuels

The central prairies are once again beckoning pioneers.

This time, it’s in the form of potential biofuel sources, and Midwest Research Institute researchers are gathering data to help move along the process.

MRI’s research field in Butler, south of Kansas City, is set up to be an educational hub to investigate renewable energy on a pilot scale, said Dean Gray, MRI section manager.

Two varieties of switchgrass grow on much of the campus’s 160 acres.

Because the perennial is native to Missouri, Kansas and Iowa, it already is adapted to seasonal conditions here.

It is aggressive, and its most recent appeal is that it can be used for cellulosic ethanol.

MRI began its study of the controlled cultivation of two switchgrass varieties — alamo and kanlow — in 2008 to focus on future energy and environmental opportunities.

“We aren’t interested in conventional farming,” Gray said.

The work focuses on long-term soil health with plans to monitor long-term effects for cultivating plants for energy use. The data researchers collect could back up what scientists think is a possible win-win for the environment.

Read the full story in the Kansas City Business Journal.