Giant soybeans offer possible ethanol material

USDA-ARS researchers are working with a line of super-strong soybean plants that stand up straight throughout the season due to high concentrations of cellulose. A couple of potential applications could spin off of this early research. First, the plants - which can grow as tall as 7 feet - might be a raw material for making such building products as fiber board. Second, they could provide a cellulose source for producing ethanol, provided enzymes are developed that can inexpensively break down the wood-like fiber. (That's the big challenge right now in converting cellulose to ethanol.) Soybeans would be important in that regards because they don't require nitrogen applications.

Here a link to the USDA press release.