Ethanol production potential from conservation buffers in the inland Pacific Northwest

Meeting the goals set by the Energy Independence and Security Act requires evaluation of all potential feedstock sources including arid and semi-arid portions of the western United States (U.S.). The objective of this study was to assess the lignocellulosic feedstock potential in stream buffers of the inland Pacific Northwest. A 3-yr (2010–2012) experiment was conducted at two sites within each of the three precipitation zones (low, mid, and high). At each site, barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., cultivar Ladak), tall wheatgrass (Agropyron elongatum Podp. cultivar Alkar) (TWG), and a mix of alfalfa and tall wheatgrass (MIX) were planted in a randomized complete block experimental design. Productivity followed precipitation; in the high and mid precipitation zones, the MIX and TWG treatments showed potential production of 3,079 ± 262 l ha−1 and 3,062 ± 235 l ha−1. Productivity in the low zone was inadequate or unreliable as a source of feedstocks. A geog...