LETHBRIDGE – Triticale made its reputation as a good silage crop but 130 researchers across Canada are investigating its suitability as a source for plastics, fibre and energy.
The triticale initiative is a federal-provincial program to accelerate development of the crop for industrial purposes including ethanol production.
“The goal is to have an industrial biorefining facility for the whole triticale plant,” said Richard Gibson of Alberta Research Council.
The possibilities for this crop were on display at Lethbridge’s Ag Expo Feb. 27.
The project is into the second of a 10 year program. So far, $22 million will be made available over the next three years to measure the potential of the made-in-Canada crop.
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Triticale is a cross between durum wheat and rye and was developed in Manitoba in 1953.
It is cheaper to grow than corn and produces more biomass than either parent crop. It adapts to a wide range of growing conditions as a winter or spring variety.
The main work is being done with Agriculture Canada, Alberta Agriculture and the research council. The goal is to take projects from the demonstration level to prototype to a pilot project before transfer to the private sector, said Gibson.
Research priorities are for a competitive biorefining sector to convert triticale varieties into primary and secondary manufactured products.
Biotechnology advances are encouraged to develop a designer triticale. Genomics sequencing will also be used to track major carbohydrates at the molecular level for use in chemical production.
The petrochemical industry produces most of the world’s plastics from nine foundation chemicals found in hydrocarbons. Complex carbohydrates found in triticale could also be broken down to their simple chemical building blocks.
Plant-based polymers work well for the plastics industry because they are biodegradable and have a range of suitable applications from grocery bags to hard plastic containers.
Researchers are also investigating triticale’s suitability for fuel production using the grain or the straw.
Triticale grain has less starch than corn but more than wheat, so it may be better for industrial purposes.
The plant also produces high levels of fibre that could have other uses.
