Breeding Soybeans for Ethanol and Fiberboard

This news could be very significant for two reasons. First, soybeans do not require nitrogen fertilizer, commonly produced from natural gas. This means ethanol from soybean stalks would have a better energy balance. Secondly, these researchers say they may be able to breed soy cultivars with stalks that convert more easily to ethanol. This would decrease the cost of cellulosic ethanol production. -- Jeffrey Goettemoeller
Breeding Soybeans for Ethanol and Fiberboard / November 22, 2006 / News from the USDA Agricultural Research Service:
"Soybeans have an advantage over corn and other crops because they don't need commercial nitrogen fertilizer. This helps ensure that producing ethanol or other products from soybeans uses less energy. "