Plants, microbes, biofertilizers and biofuels

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Climate change maybe the greatest environmental challenge ever faced by humankind. Amongst the solutions to address global climate change is a greater reliance on biologically and economically effective biofuels. Biodiesel derived from oilseed crops (e.g. canola, rapeseed, soybean) is one of the most promising biofuels. Although much emphasis in North America is paid to bioethanol derived from corn and wheat, without addressing the greenhouse gas emissions derived from the inputs required to grow these crops (especially nitrogen fertilizer), greenhouse gas savings from bioethanol will be marginal. Utilization of symbiotic bacteria which can supply nitrogen to plants through biological nitrogen (N) fixation has great potential for improving some crop plants as feedstock for biofuel production.