To a motorist, it probably looked like a bed of wildflowers. But along Interstate 40, what you see may be the seed of the future.

The Department of Transportation is working on a pilot program that would grow biofuel crops on the highway right-of-way. The flowers in question are from canola plants. Instead of just mowing down grass, the DOT harvested the seed from the plants about two weeks ago and will use them to make fuel for diesel engines. The program is in partnership with N.C. State University and is modeled after a program called Freeways to Fuel in Utah.

NCDOT and N.C. State experimented with sunflowers last year as the program’s inaugural crop. The project averaged almost 550 pounds of sunflower seed per acre. After processing, it is possible to generate about 40 gallons of biodiesel from each acre of sunflowers.

N.C. State researchers calculated that the cost of biodiesel production would equal the cost of purchasing gasoline or diesel fuel, and have less environmental impact. Biodiesel crops require minimal maintenance, along with possessing aesthetic value.

For now, it doesn’t appear the pilot program is coming to Richmond County but we don’t see why it couldn’t.

The N.C. program is in its second year, and this year’s crop, totaling just under 10 acres, consisted of four plots of canola grown along roadways in Raleigh, Faison, Mount Airy and Rutherford County. N.C. State will process the crop using specialized equipment designed to extract oil from the canola seeds to make biodiesel.

“The biodiesel program is one example of our department’s overall commitment to creating a more livable, sustainable future in North Carolina,” said Transportation Secretary Gene Conti. “We are constantly exploring innovative ways to realize this vision, whether we are using alternative fuels like biodiesel and solar power ... or recycling construction materials.”

“Biodiesel plants like canola and sunflower produce beautiful blooms that make our roadsides more attractive, and beyond that, provide a source of cleaner-burning fuel,” said Ted Sherrod, who chairs the biofuels research project.

The reality is with larger roads comes the job of maintaining the thousands of acres of right-of-way around them. Traditionally that’s been involving grass that must be mowed several times a year and produces no real value. The biofuels program, if it works, sounds like a win-win for the environment and the taxpayers.