Researchers Take Two Steps Toward Green Fuel
Researchers
designed two-step process to break down rice straws into sugars for fuel (Photo
: Figure adapted from Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2019 58 (14), 5686-5697. Copyright ©
2019 American Chemical Society)
An international collaboration led by scientists at Tokyo
University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Japan, has developed a
two-step method to more efficiently break down carbohydrates into their single
sugar components, a critical process in producing green fuel.
The researchers published their results on April 10th in
the American Chemical Society journal, Industrial & Engineering
Chemical Research.
The
breakdown process is called saccharification. The single sugar components
produced, called monosaccharides, can be fermented into bioethanol or
biobutanol, alcohols that can be used as fuel.
"For a
long time, considerable attention has been focused on the utilization of
homogenous acids and enzymes for saccharification," said Eika W. Qian,
paper author and professor in the Graduate School of Bio-Applications and
Systems Engineering at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology in
Japan. "Enzymatic saccharification is seen to be a reasonable prospect
since it offers the potential for higher yields, lower energy costs, and it's
more environmentally friendly."
The use of
enzymes to break down the carbohydrates could actually be hindered, especially
in the practical biomass such as rice straw. A byproduct of the rice harvest,
rice straw consists of three complicated carbohydrates: starch, hemicellulose,
and cellulose. Enzymes cannot approach hemicellulose or cellulose, due to their
cell wall structure and surface area, among other characteristics. They must be
pre-treated to become receptive to the enzymatic activity, which can be
costly.
One answer
to the cost and inefficiency of enzymes is the use of solid acid catalysts,
which are acids that cause chemical reactions without dissolving and becoming a
permanent part of the reaction. They're particularly appealing because they can
be recovered after saccharification and reused.
Still, it's
not as easy as swapping the enzymes for the acids, according to Qian, as the
carbohydrates are non-uniform. Hemicellulose and starch degrade at 180 degrees
Celsius and below, and if the resulting components are heated further, the
sugars produced discompose and are converted to other byproducts. On the other
hand, the degradation of cellulose only happens at temperatures of 200 degrees
Celsius and above.
That's why,
in order to maximize the resulting yield of sugar from rice straw, the
researchers developed a two-step process - one step for the hemicellulose and
another for the cellulose. The first step requires a gentle solid acid at low
temperatures (150 degrees Celsius and below), while the second step consists of
harsher conditions, with a stronger solid acid and higher temperatures (210
degrees Celsius and above).
Overall, the
two-step process not only proved effective, but it also produced about 30
percent more sugars than traditional one-step processes.
"We are
now looking for a partner to evaluate the feasibility of our two-step
saccharification process in rice straw and other various materials such as
wheat straw and corn stoke etc. in a pilot unit," Qian said. "Our
ultimate goal is to commercialize our process to manufacture monosaccharides
from this type of material in the future."
Building more small irrigation units to bring immediate and
enduring relief to rice farmers
Published June 15, 2019, 10:00 PM
Dr. Emil Q. Javier
The rice tariffication act (RTA)
has two major consequences: 1) lower price of rice to consumers, and 2) loss of
income to rice farmers. The former remains to be seen but the latter is
immediate and certain. From a high of P21.00 per kilogram farm gate price of
palay, the average farm gate price of palay is now down to P17.00 per kilogram
and in many places, even less.
To make up for this loss of
income of farmers, the RTA provided for free farm equipment, seeds, subsidized
credit, and intensified farmers’ training and extension support.
This column underscores the value
of small irrigation units which are made up of small water impounding projects,
small diversion dams, and shallow tube wells, as interventions which will bring
immediate and enduring relief to our beleaguered rice farmers.
The adequate and timely delivery
of water is the single most important factor in rice cultivation. Lowland rice
fields with irrigation routinely produce 5-6 tons palay per hectare while
rainfed lowland rice fields yield 3-4 tons per hectare. Upland rice (not
puddled) are worst off with only 2–3 tons palay per hectare.
Free seeds and farm equipment
bring immediate relief to rice farmers but these interventions are temporary.
Small irrigation units like small pond reservoirs and small diversion dams
bring immediate relief as well but since small reservoirs and diversion dams
with proper maintenance will be there for a long time, they are more enduring
and with minimal recurring costs to farmers.
Actually the need for irrigation
is accorded the highest priority in our development programs for agriculture.
Year in, year out, the budget of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA),
which is in the order of P20 billion-P30 billion per year, dwarfs those of all
other agencies in the Department of Agriculture (DA). To date, we must have
invested close to P800 billion in irrigation.
However, the bulk of the
allocations have been for the construction of huge multi-purpose dams for
irrigation, power generation, and domestic use and to a less extent on
dedicated communal irrigation systems which are still relatively large.
Much less attention had been
devoted to small irrigation units whose service areas are small but which are
cheaper and quicker to build.
Higher incomes from crop
diversification
Irrigation raises and stabilizes
the yield of rice. But even more importantly the availability of water opens
the opportunity for multiple cropping and crop diversification. Rice farmers
who are able to introduce into their cropping calendar the growing of other
crops like pechay, mustard, garlic, onion, melons, mungbean, tomato, chili
pepper, eggplant and ornamentals (also tobacco) make much more income from
these other crops than from the main crop of rice.
However, the large irrigation systems are designed for rice and are ill-suited for the frequent and intermittent water requirements of the other crops. In order to effectively practice multiple cropping, the farmers need to have full control over the volume and timing of delivery of water which is possible with small irrigation units. Thus even in the service areas of the large national and communal irrigations systems, there is a niche for small irrigation units.
However, the large irrigation systems are designed for rice and are ill-suited for the frequent and intermittent water requirements of the other crops. In order to effectively practice multiple cropping, the farmers need to have full control over the volume and timing of delivery of water which is possible with small irrigation units. Thus even in the service areas of the large national and communal irrigations systems, there is a niche for small irrigation units.
Recommendations
The above arguments lead to four
salient recommendations namely:
1.
To
prioritize shallow tube wells and water pumps in the menu of free farm machines
and equipment under the Rice Tariffication Act.
2) To raise the allocation
of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) for construction of small
irrigation units for rainfed lowland and upland farmers who are even poorer
than those in the irrigated lowlands.
3) For NIA, as well, to embed
small irrigation units in the national and communal irrigation systems under
its administration.
4) For the Philippine Rice
Research Institute (PhilRice), Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and
Mechanization (PhilMech), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Agricultural Credit
Policy Council (ACPC), Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), and the DA marketing
unit to converge their activities in the service areas of BSWM and NIA to
promote multiple cropping and crop diversification to fully exploit our
investments in irrigation.
*****
Dr. Emil Q. Javier is a Member of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and also Chair of the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines (CAMP).
Dr. Emil Q. Javier is a Member of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and also Chair of the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines (CAMP).
For any feedback, email
eqjavier@yahoo.com.
Love rice? Here are five places in Las Vegas that make it special
(Ada's)
Pamplona Tapas
Ferraro's
Ferraro's
Lotus of Siam
Lotus of Siam
Shiraz
Shiraz
More Stories
By Al Mancini
June 14,
2019 - 7:26 pm
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Pamplona Tapas
Chef Ariel Zuniga used
to work for Spanish celebrity chef Jose Andres, so it’s no surprise his paella
game is on point. Among the half dozen varieties his neighborhood spot offers,
in portions intended to feed two, are valenciana (rabbit), langosta (lobster)
and verdura (vegetable), $32 to $65 for two-person portions.
5781 W. Sahara
Avenue, 702-659-5781, pamplonalv.com
Ada’s
While this new Tivoli
Village hot spot is known for its pizzas, ice cream and gin cocktails, you won’t
want to overlook its perfectly prepared arancini. More than simple risotto
spheres, chef James Trees blends rice with corn for a beautiful creamy mix,
which he then stuffs with truffle cheese before breading and frying, $11.
Tivoli Village,
410 S. Rampart Blvd., 702-463-7433, adaslv.com
Lotus of Siam
Thai fried rice is a
very different product from the Chinese version most people know — lighter,
fluffier and usually more complex. Chef Saipin Chutima offers a dozen takes on
it in her local landmark restaurant, all made with jasmine rice and a house blend
of spices, $12-$17.
620 E. Flamingo
Road, 702-735-3033, lotusofsiamlv.com
Ferraro’s
This off-Strip
institution offers three spins on the classic Italian rice dish risotto.
Risotto sottobosco offers lemon-basil rice with stracciatella cheese and garden
vegetables. Risotto aragosta spotlights lobster, seasonal black truffle and
mascarpone cheese. Risotto caprese features tomato rice with vegan mozzarella
and a drizzle of pesto, $28-$38.
4480 Paradise
Road, 702-364-5300, ferraroslasvegas.com
Shiraz
You can find biryani (an
aromatic mix of basmati rice and stewed meats) in just about all Indian
restaurants. At Shiraz, however, you can enjoy chicken, lamb or goat versions
in a clay pot from the Indian section of the menu, alongside a large selection
of Persian and Pakistani dishes, $13-$17.
2575 S. Decatur
Blvd., 702-870-0860, shirazrestaurant.com
Dispelling falsehoods about GM crops
Updated: June 17, 2019 11:20:19 AM
What India can
learn from the Philippines, which set up a Biotech Program Office in 2000 to
promote the responsible use of agri-biotechnology to sustain food security
Dispelling falsehoods about GM crops
With Prakash Javadekar taking charge of the environment ministry
from the inert Harsh Vardhan, and hopes kindling of genetically-engineered
brinjal and mustard being approved for cultivation, one wishes the government
had a specialised communication agency for advocacy and outreach to create
public opinion favourable for agri-biotechnology.
Although India approved Bt cotton, genetically-engineered to be
toxic to the American bollworm, in 2002, and permitted another variant in 2006
(both of which farmers have embraced enthusiastically), those opposing these
have been so successful in demonising the technology that no other crop—Bt
brinjal, herbicide-tolerant (HT) cotton, or GM mustard—have got the nod for
cultivation.
Javadekar is known to be in favour of the science. In December
2015, he told me that he was “determined” to approve GM mustard. But before he
could take a decision, he was shifted to the ministry of human resource
development. Any positive moves he makes now will be met with strong opposition
from anti-GM activists, including the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, one of the 36
organisations affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the mentor of the
ruling party.
Over the past 15 years, both the UPA and NDA governments stalled;
they did not approve new GM crops. Only a few political leaders support the
technology. But farmers are restive. They’ve planted large tracts with illegal
HT cotton. In May, a farmer in Haryana was forced to destroy his illegal Bt
brinjal crop, which he found profitable because it required very few sprays
against the fruit and shoot borer. On June 10, the Shetkari Sanghatana, founded
by the pro-market and pro-technology Sharad Joshi, defied the law and planted
illegal HT cotton and Bt brinjal near Akola in Maharashtra, demanding
time-bound approvals and certainty in access to agri-biotechnology.
The government could learn from the Philippines, which set up a
Biotech Program Office in 2000 to promote the responsible use of
agri-biotechnology to sustain food security. It was educative to meet its
director-coordinator Annalyn Lopez during a visit to Manila in April at the
invitation and expense of CropLife Asia, which represents the
agri-biotechnology industry in this part of the world.
Apart from overseeing research and development in biotech,
developing skills in officials to regulate GM crops, and promoting policy
research and advocacy, the Biotech Program Office strives for public
understanding and acceptance of agri-biotechnology. “Communicating health and
safety to laypeople is difficult as biotech is sophisticated,” says Lopez. “We
are communicating to people who may not have a background in science.”
Both India and the Philippines are democracies, although the
latter has a history of military dictatorships. India was first off on GM
crops. It approved Bt cotton in 2002. The Philippines permitted GM corn
resistant to the Asiatic corn borer in 2003. About 70% of yellow corn (there is
a white variety, too) grown in the Philippines is GM corn, says Lopez. From
50,000 hectares in 2004, it now covers 642,000 hectares, with 470,000 farmers
planting it. That’s 46% of the Philippines’ corn area. In India, 93% of the
cotton planted in 2017 was of the GM kind.
Both India and the Philippines have strong anti-GM groups. In the
Philippines, they have vandalised Golden Rice trials. Greenpeace moved its
Supreme Court against Bt brinjal trials, which, in 2013, halted the trials,
nullified the 2002 biosafety regulations, and temporarily halted all
applications for authorisation of GM crop trials, commercialisation and
imports. In 2016, it lifted its injunctions and recognised the newly-issued
biosafety regulations. India’s Supreme Court is also quite adversarial.
Lopez says partnerships are important. Her office has enlisted TV
broadcasters and print media journalists. It gives awards for biotech
journalism since 2006. It publishes a biotech magazine with uplifting
testimonials. In 2011, it teamed up with the network of rural radio
broadcasters. Many towns have declared their support for biotechnology. Lopez
says her office has developed courses to educate their chief executives. In
association with the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines, it pushes for
regulation based on science and evidence. The International Rice Research
Institute and the Philippine Rice Research Institute are partners for Golden
Rice bio-fortified with pro-Vitamin A beta carotene.
The Biotech Program Office encourages high school and college
students to opt for biotechnology courses. It has developed curricula for them.
It holds short films, jingle-making and public-speaking contests on biotech for
them. A computer game—biotech crops vs zombies—has been developed. Students
participated in a fashion show with clothes made of GM corn kernels and cobs.
Lopez says her office reaches out to politicians who are neutral
or don’t have a stand on GM crops. They may be the chairperson of a committee
in Philippines’ Congress or influential in their political
party. Once an appointment is secured, she makes sure that good communicators
are fielded. These need not be scientists. They may be farmers who have a good
story to tell about how GM corn has benefited them. Politicians are taken to
farms so they can see for themselves that GM corn is no different from the
non-GM variety. Regulators are also invited to engage with politicians; they
explain the regulatory process and but don’t do advocacy so their integrity is
not doubted.
Since the Philippines is strongly religious, Lopez says her office
engages with religious leaders, too. Because of its outreach, a Catholic priest
has become a member of a technical advisory committee on biosafety. A
representative was also sent to an international halal conference, which said
GM food is kosher because it does not contain pork.
In fact, through a presidential proclamation back in 2005, the
National Biotechnology Week is also being regularly celebrated.
But well-funded NGOs pose a challenge, says Lopez. There are legislative proposals to disallow GM crops. Resolutions against them have been passed by local bodies. There is fake news in the social media. Consumers have low exposure to factual information. “We have our own voice, make our own choice, and assert the right to technology. That is what we are driven by,” says Lopez.
But well-funded NGOs pose a challenge, says Lopez. There are legislative proposals to disallow GM crops. Resolutions against them have been passed by local bodies. There is fake news in the social media. Consumers have low exposure to factual information. “We have our own voice, make our own choice, and assert the right to technology. That is what we are driven by,” says Lopez.
In India, there is strong support for GM crops in scientific
circles. The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) has passed a
resolution in favour of the technology. It has supported GM mustard and even
written to the Prime Minister not to withhold approval.
The apex regulator, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), has recommended release of Bt brinjal and GM mustard for commercial cultivation. It has asked the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) in Bengaluru to study and report Bangladesh’s experience with Bt brinjal, so it can revisit the moratorium on release imposed in 2010.
The apex regulator, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), has recommended release of Bt brinjal and GM mustard for commercial cultivation. It has asked the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) in Bengaluru to study and report Bangladesh’s experience with Bt brinjal, so it can revisit the moratorium on release imposed in 2010.
The English national dailies have favoured GM crop technology
through their editorials, though their reporters tend to support the activists.
But support for agri-biotechnology is diffused. The Department of Biotechnology
has not invested in advocacy and outreach, though it funnels money to
agricultural universities, almost all of which have departments of
agri-biotechnology. At last year’s National Eligibility Test (NET), which is a
gateway for assistant professorships in state agricultural universities, the
most number of candidates were from the discipline of agri-biotechnology. But
the choke on regulatory approvals makes all that teaching and research a
humongous waste.
In 2015, Karnataka’s expert committee on agricultural
biotechnology had advised the state government to set aside Rs 10 crore to
support NGOs with acceptable proposals on public outreach so that correct
information about the safety and benefits of GM crops could be communicated to
the public and misinformation spread by anti-GM activists could be countered.
The committee was headed by M Mahadevappa, a well-known rice scientist and
former vice-chancellor of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. It
also wanted public outreach cells in agricultural universities for creation of
awareness about biotechnology. The BJP’s recent Lok Sabha election campaign is a case
study in marketing. Javadekar could take some cues from it.
The author blogs at
www.smartindianagriculture.com
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‘PH rice discoveries not reaching farmers’
Philippine
Daily Inquirer / 05:32 AM June 17, 2019
FILE PHOTO
BAGUIO CITY, Benguet, Philippines — The
Philippines had planned to be self-sufficient in rice by 2017 and be at par
with rice exporting countries like Vietnam and Thailand.
But scientific breakthroughs and technology
had not been transmitted to farmers by the country’s food research community as
had been intended, Sen. Cynthia Villar said during a North Luzon business forum
of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday.
Villar, chair of the Senate committee on
agriculture, said rice farmers needed to be immersed in the latest discoveries
of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the Philippine Center
for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) now that rice
importation had been liberalized.
Technology transfer
“PhilRice and PhilMech (which are overseen
by the Department of Agriculture) were created but there appeared to be some
misconception that these institutions’ primary task was research when they
needed to bring their findings to the farm level,” she said.
Villar blamed the failure to transfer
knowledge and technology on budget constraints.
Farmers have been upset by the rice
tariffication law (Republic Act No. 11203), which lifted restrictions on rice
importation but imposed import taxes of as high as 35 percent on imports.
Villar said the agriculture industry could
be “steered in the right direction” using the six-year Rice Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund, amounting to P10 billion a year, which is provided for under
the tariffication law.
The law allocates P5 billion for
mechanizing rice farms and P3 billion for developing and promoting high-value
rice.
Also, P1 billion will be opened as credit
support, and another P1 billion will be spent on extension support and the
education of rice farmers.
Key to self-sufficiency
Villar said the key to self-sufficiency was
mechanization because it would cut down expenses on labor and reduce the
influence of middlemen.
Postharvest technologies will also enable
farmers to sell directly to the market, she said.
In Vietnam, mechanization reduced
production labor cost to the equivalent of P120, compared to the average P460
labor expense of a rice farmer in the Philippines, Villar said.
Vietnam, she said, spends P6 to produce a
kilo of palay, which is half the production cost of P12 in the Philippines.
PhilRice has developed an inbred grain
variety that can increase the yield of rice farmers to 6 metric tons a hectare
from the present 4 MT.
Should this happen, the country can solve
its 7-percent rice shortage, which ranges from 600,000 MT to 1 million MT,
Villar said.
The next six years will define the impact
of PhilMech and PhilRice on food production as well as farmers’ reception to
new technology, she said.
Of the 8 million crop farmers in the
country, 3.5 million are coconut farmers, while 3.5 million are rice growers.
Subsidy to state firms jumped 30% in April
By: Ben
O. de Vera - Reporter / @bendeveraINQ
Philippine
Daily Inquirer / 05:01 AM June 17, 2019
Subsidies to state-run firms jumped by almost
a third to P5.115 billion in April as the government extended more financial
assistance to agencies that were assisting farmers and fisherfolk amid a
prolonged dry spell due to El Niño.
The latest Bureau of the Treasury data showed
that the amount of subsidies extended to government-owned and/or -controlled
corporations (GOCCs) in April climbed 32 percent from P3.9 billion a year ago.
The top three recipients of subsidies that
month were the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), with P3.797 billion;
Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC), P644 million, and the Philippine Rice
Research Institute (PhilRice), P147 million.
In a separate report, the Department of Budget
and Management (DBM) attributed the higher GOCC subsidies in April to “payment
of prior year’s accounts payables of the NIA (P3.1 billion) for its completed
irrigation projects, as well as the payment for the previous year’s government
premium subsidy to Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (about P600 million) for the
insurance premiums of subsistence farmers and fisherfolk.”
For January to April, total subsidies dropped
70.7 percent to P14.419 billion from P49.2 billion a year ago.
As of end-April, the GOCCs that received the
biggest subsidies were the NIA, P9.566 billion; National Food Authority (NFA),
P1.065 billion, and PCIC, P644 million.
About 90 percent of the subsidies that state
corporations are getting are being spent on priority programs and projects. The
rest covers operational expenses.
GOCCs are also being provided budgetary
support by the national government via equity and net lending.
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