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Although the price of cellulosic feedstocks will likely remain lower than that of grain, the added costs of pretreatment and enzymes for cellulosic biomass refining will likely continue to make grain competitive with cellulosic feedstocks for the foreseeable future, even considering cheaper cellulosic biomass. There are many factors affecting the relative prices of ethanol derived from different feedstocks, but with the current infrastructure investment in grain ethanol refineries, it seems likely that grain ethanol will continue to consume a substantial proportion of US corn production—25% in 2007,> 30% in 2008—for at least the next decade. Thus, it makes sense to consider ways to minimize the environmental costs of additional intensive grain production. We know, for example, that no-till farming can slow erosion and build soil organic matter where residue inputs are sufficient; that advanced fertilizer technologies can …