ABSTRACT
Rising energy prices and environmental problems have led to increased interest in alcohol as a fuel. Using corn, a human food resource, for ethanol production raises major ethical and moral issues. Today, malnourished people in the world number approximately 3 billion (WHO 2000). The current food shortages throughout the world call attention to the importance of using U.S. exports of corn and other grains for human food and search for alternative sources for biofuel production. For the production of cellulosic ethanol, residue including postharvest corn plants (stover) and timber residues could be used. There is a growing awareness among farmers to establish and use specialized high-biomass “energy crops” such as domesticated poplar trees, switchgrass, bamboo,
27.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 671 27.2 History of Paulownia in the Orient and the United States ................................................. 672 27.3 Botany and Distribution ...................................................................................................... 673
27.3.1 Reproduction and Early Growth ........................................................................... 674 27.3.1.1 Flowering and Fruiting ......................................................................... 674 27.3.1.2 Seed Production and Dissemination ..................................................... 674 27.3.1.3 Seedling Development .......................................................................... 676 27.3.1.4 Vegetative Reproduction ....................................................................... 676
27.3.2 Plant Production .................................................................................................. 676 27.3.2.1 Root Cuttings ........................................................................................ 676 27.3.2.2 Propagation by Seeds ............................................................................ 676
27.3.3 Physical Properties of Paulownia Wood ............................................................... 676 27.3.4 Diseases of Paulownia .......................................................................................... 677
27.4 Development of High-Yielding Paulownia Farms .............................................................. 677 27.5 A Tree for Lignocellulosic Ethanol ................................................................................... 678
27.5.1 Biomass Production and Molecular Biology of Cellulose .................................... 678 27.5.2 Sustainable Agriculture and Energy Crops .......................................................... 679 27.5.3 Biomass Production Potential of Paulownia......................................................... 679 27.5.4 Lignocellulosic Biofuel and Paulownia ............................................................... 679 27.5.5 Economic Justication ..........................................................................................680
