In terms of biofuel, corn yields the most on a worldwide scale. But an MSU study shows that focusing solely on the fuel output of the crop could come with large-scale consequences.
The study, conducted by MSU researchers and included in the current issue of the Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences, shows that looking at the concept of biofuel and crops in a well-rounded manner could open doors for other alternatives.
For his research, entomology professor Doug Landis and his team studied corn, switchgrass and native prairies grasses, measuring plant diversity, the effect of pesticides and beneficial insects.
Landis said focusing on yield and numbers alone could bring unforeseen costs to the environment.
“We believe our findings have major implications for bioenergy research and policy,” Landis said in a statement. “Biomass yield is obviously a key goal, but it appears to come at the expense of many other environmental benefits that society may desire from rural landscapes.”
Landis said many farmers are tempted to maximize their product yield by planting on as much land as possible and focusing on corn as their sole product, because of the crop’s high price.
He said the eagerness could cause farmers to use as much land as possible, working on less profitable land and potentially depleting conservation land.
“Yes, corn prices are currently attractive to farmers, but with the exception of biomass yield, all other services were greater in the perennial grass crops,” Landis said in a statement. “If high commodity prices continue to drive conversion of these marginal lands to annual crop production, it will reduce the flexibility we have in the future to promote other critical services like pollination, pest suppression and reduction of greenhouse gasses.”
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