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Reporting on Marginal Lands for Bioenergy Feedstock Production: a Modest Proposal

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Abstract

Growing bioenergy feedstocks can provide a long-term sustainable production system for marginal land resources and is essential for minimizing food vs. fuel competition for prime croplands. However, the term “marginal” is too often used in research reports without being defined. We here suggest that clearly specifying the biophysical factors and agroeconomic context contributing to marginality will greatly enhance the utility and comparability of published research.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the US Department of Agriculture through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Sustainable Bioenergy grant no. 2010-03869 and by funding from the North Central Regional Sun Grant Center at South Dakota State University through a grant provided by the US Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office under award number DE-FC36-05GO85041.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Brian K. Richards, Cathelijne R. Stoof & Ian J. Cary

  2. Department of Crop & Soil Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Peter B. Woodbury

Authors
  1. Brian K. Richards
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  2. Cathelijne R. Stoof
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  3. Ian J. Cary
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  4. Peter B. Woodbury
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Correspondence to Brian K. Richards.

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Richards, B.K., Stoof, C.R., Cary, I.J. et al. Reporting on Marginal Lands for Bioenergy Feedstock Production: a Modest Proposal. Bioenerg. Res. 7, 1060–1062 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-014-9408-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-014-9408-x

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