UMCA News Release

UMCA hosts annual symposium, Jan. 12

November 17, 2010

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Experts from across the country will discuss the role of bioenergy crops for meeting renewable energy goals at the second annual symposium of The Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011.

The program, "Meeting Renewable Energy Goals: Role of Bioenergy Crops," features a keynote address from Steve Flick, board chairman of the Show Me Energy Cooperative, Centerview, Mo. Flick will present "Real Green from Real Green."

The symposium, which is free and open to the public, runs 9:30 a.m.-5:10 p.m. in Conservation Hall Auditorium in the Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building on the MU campus. Lunch will be available for purchase at several locations on campus. A reception and poster session will follow the symposium.

The Energy Independence and Security Act mandates that biofuel production expand from the current 12 billion gallons per year to 36 billion gallons anually by 2022, with 21 billion gallons coming from advanced biofuels.

To achieve this goal, significant gaps must be addressed in all parts of the supply chain, said Shibu Jose, director of the Center for Agroforestry.

"A strategic approach is needed to ensure development of suitable energy crops, sustainable feedstock production systems and infrastructure-compatible advanced biofuel production," he said. "The goal of this symposium is to share the current state of knowledge on producing and processing the most common bioenergy crops in the region."

Other symposium presenters include Pete Nelson, director of AgBioworks; Michael Blazier, Louisiana State University; Hal Liechty, University of Arkansas at Monticello; William Rooney, Texas A&M University; Newell Kitchen, USDA Agricultural Research Service soil scientist, MU adjunct associate professor and president of the American Society of Agronomy; Bill Berguson, chairman of the Hybrid Poplar Research Cooperative, University of Minnesota; Zakiya Leggett, sustainability scientist, Weyerhaeuser Company; and Hank Stelzer, associate professor and state extension forestry specialist at MU.

The full schedule is available online at http://www.centerforagroforestry.org/.

RSVP to Julie Rhoads, rhoadsj@missouri.edu, by Jan. 5 to reserve a spot. For information on exhibiting posters related to agroforestry and/or biomass studies, contact Shibu Jose at joses@missouri.edu.

Michelle Hall
Senior Information Specialist
University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry
Phone: 573-882-9866
E-Mail: hallmich@missouri.edu

Source:
Shibu Jose, 573-882-0240