Corn ethanol production

The natural conditions for producing corn for ethanol in the southeastern U.S. are favorable. However, within Georgia and other states in the Southeast, there is a natural variability in soil and climate conditions that affects the corn yield. UGA biological and agricultural scientists are conducting studies to determine the impact of crop management practices and climate and soil variability on corn ethanol feedstock production and net energy value (NEV). In these studies corn production as a function of soil weather and crop management factors has been simulated with a dynamic crop simulation model. Results showed that corn ethanol feedstock productivity and NEV vary with crop management practices. Results indicate that there is a possibility to substantially increase the ethanol feedstock production in the Southeast in an energy sustainable way.