Scientists urges to devise bio-fuel cropping strategies

Speakers say they must utilise barren, uncultivated, and desert soil resources.

FAISALABAD: Speakers at a seminar on Current Progress Towards the Efficient Micro Algal Bio-fuels at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) on Saturday highlighted the dramatic increase in the global production of bio-fuels in recent years.

The seminar was organised by the Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences at the New Senate Hall.

The speakers said that the phenomenon had been most marked in high energy consuming regions such as the European Union and the North America, and in primary producer regions such as Brazil, Malaysia and Indonesia.

UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan presided over the seminar. Korean scientist Jung In Han was the chief guest.

Dr Khan said that scientists should devise bio-fuel cropping strategies by utilising uncultivated, barren and desert soil resources, otherwise food security for future generations would not be possible.

He said that the future prospects for second generation fuels such as bio-hydrogen and feed stocks such as lingo-cellulosic biomass should be examined by scientists keeping in view the broader aspects of bio-fuels and their long-term future in the context of global food production, population growth, fossil carbon substitution, and climate change. Han said that the United States planned to replace 75 per cent of its imported fuel with bio-fuel by 2025. This way, he said, the total gasoline use would be reduced by 20 per cent by 2017.

He said that the fuel shortfall would be replaced by renewable energy, especially bio-fuels.

He said that over the years, US policymakers had favoured bio-fuel production by granting subsidies to farmers and processors and by greatly increasing public and private investment in research and development.

Dr Muhammad Arshad of the Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences said that the institute was working on cultivation of bio-fuel plants on sewerage water. He said the results of this research outcome would be translated into business with the collaboration of the industrial sector.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2012.