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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Dawson, Georgia » National Peanut Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #225317
Title: Further investigations into the suitability of peanuts for biodiesel production

Author
item Faircloth, Wilson
item Rowland, Diane
item HAWKINS, GARY - UGA
item PERRY, CALVIN - UGA

Submitted to: American Peanut Research and Education Society Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2008
Publication Date: 10/1/2008
Citation: Faircloth, W.H., Rowland, D., Hawkins, G., Perry, C. 2008. Further investigations into the suitability of peanuts for biodiesel production. American Peanut Research and Education Society Proceedings.

Interpretive Summary: NOT REQUIRED.

Technical Abstract: Field studies were conducted during 2007 at multiple locations to continue investigations into the suitability and practicality of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) as a biodiesel feedstock. An evaluation was conducted at Dawson, GA, to assess 24 peanut cultivars for performance under low input growing conditions. Low input systems used neither fungicides nor insecticides and limited use of herbicides in order to minimize production costs, thereby making an oil feedstock of minimal cost. Cultivars were subjected to each of four irrigation regimes although only dryland and fully irrigated will be discussed. Treatments were replicated three times in small research plots. Dryland peanut yield ranged from 430 to 2000 lb/A while irrigated yield ranged from 610 to 2890 lb/A. The 2007 growing season exposed peanuts to higher than normal temperatures, drought, moderate TSWV pressure, and high pressure from both late leafspot and whitemold. Four cultivars yielded in the top 25% under both irrigation regimes: TifGuard, DP-1, Andru II, and Georgia-03L. Dryland peanut oil yield for these four cultivars was 81 to 94 gal/A, while irrigated yields were 140 to 144 gal/A. Average production cost per unit of oil for the four cultivars was $1.98 and $1.59/gal for dryland and irrigated, respectively. Preliminary data from a biodiesel pilot refinery suggests processing B100 (100% biodiesel) from farmer stock peanuts costs approx. $0.92/gal, thus average cost of on-farm biodiesel from these top four cultivars was $2.90 and $2.51/gal for dryland and irrigated, respectively. A study located near Camilla, GA, evaluated eight superior cultivars isolated from 2005 and 2006 biodiesel trials in larger 0.15 A plots. As described previously, field plots were managed in a low input, “biodiesel-style” technique. The eight cultivars were subjected also to each of four irrigation regimes and planted in both conventional tillage (CT) and strip-tillage (ST). This eight x four x two factorial treatment arrangement was replicated three times. For brevity, only the dryland and fully irrigated portions will be discussed. ANOVA revealed significant main effects of cultivar (p<0.0001) and tillage (p=0.0038), but not irrigation (p=0.1571). However, a cultivar x irrigation interaction was significant (p=0.0108). Peanuts at this location were benefited by timely rainfall which mitigated irrigation effects and disease incidence was light to moderate, thus peanut oil yields were greater than expected, ranging from 117 to 205 gal/A. CT increased yield versus ST (164 and 155 gal/A, respectively). Two cultivars, AP-3 and Georgia-02C yielded higher in dryland than irrigated. The cultivars Georganic and DP-1 yielded higher in irrigated than dryland. Remaining cultivars that yielded equally in dryland and irrigated were C-99R, Georgia-03L, Georgia-04S, and Georgia Green. Within the dryland, Georgia-03L and AP-3 yielded significantly higher than the other cultivars (192 gal/A average) and Georgia-03L had the highest yield within the fully irrigated (205 gal/A). Cost analyses will be completed in spring of 2008 and per gal value of biodiesel produced calculated.