Characterization, Genetic Variation, and Combining Ability of Maize Traits Relevant to the Production of Cellulosic Ethanol

Lorenz, Aaron J.; Coors, J. G.; León, Natalia de; Wolfrum, Edward J.; Hames, Bonnie R.; Sluiter, Amie; Weimer, Paul J.

doi:10.2135/cropsci2008.06.0306

Cited by 68 publications

(111 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(47 reference statements)

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“…Cultivar differences were also evident for theoretical ethanol production (TEP; L ha −1 ) at two sites because of differences in biomass yield. Although compositional differences among cultivars may affect ethanol yield on a mass basis (L Mg −1 ), greater aboveground biomass may have a greater influence on ethanol production per land area (L ha −1 ) [21,23,29,35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Switchgrass Biofuel Production on Reclaimed Surface Mines: II. Feedstock Quality and Theoretical Ethanol Production

et al. 2015

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Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a warmseason perennial grass, is an important bioenergy crop candidate because it produces high biomass yields on marginal lands and on reclaimed surface mined sites. In companion studies, dry matter (DM) yields for Cave-inRock, Shawnee, and Carthage cultivars varied from 4.2 to 13.0 Mg ha −1 averaged over 6 years at the reclaimed Hampshire site, and fertilization increased yields of Cave-in-Rock at Black Castle and Coal Mac sites from 0.3 to 2 Mg ha −1 during the first 3 years. The objective of these experiments was to compare the impacts of cultivar and soil amendments on biomass quality and theoretical ethanol production of switchgrass grown on surface mines with differing soil characteristics. Biomass quality was determined for fiber, ash, lignin, digestibility, and carbohydrate contents via near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy, and carbohydrates were used to calculate theoretical ethanol yield (TEY; L Mg −1 ) and multiplied by biomass yield to calculate theoretical ethanol production (TEP; L ha −1 ). Cultivars at the Hampshire site did not differ in TEY and ranged from 426 to 457 L Mg −1 . Theoretical ethanol production from Cave-in-Rock at Hampshire was 7350 L ha −1 , which was higher than other cultivars because of its greater biomass production. This TEP was higher than in other studies which predicted 4000 to 5000 L ha −1 . At the Black Castle and Coal Mac sites, fertilizer applications slightly affected biomass quality of switchgrass and TEY, but provided greater TEP as a function of increased yield. Similar to other findings, total switchgrass biomass production has more impact than compositional differences on TEP, so maximizing biomass production is critical for maximizing potential biofuel production. With appropriate soil substrates, fertilization, planning, and management, large areas of reclaimed surface mines can be converted to switchgrass stands to produce high biomass quality and yields to support a bioethanol industry.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Switchgrass Biofuel Production on Reclaimed Surface Mines: II. Feedstock Quality and Theoretical Ethanol Production

et al. 2015

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“…Corn stover is a readily available and inexpensive feedstock for biofuel production through enzymatic ethanol or thermochemical conversion processing [2]. Therefore, improving biomass yield and/or the conversion efficiency could provide substantial economic benefit to interested industries [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of Structural Carbohydrates in Corn Plants Across the Southeastern USA

et al. 2014

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Quantifying lignin and carbohydrate composition of corn (Zea mays L.) is important to support the emerging cellulosic biofuels industry. Therefore, field studies with 0 or 100 % stover removal were established in Alabama and South Carolina as part of the Sun Grant Regional Partnership Corn Stover Project. In Alabama, cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) was also included as an additional experimental factor, serving as a winter cover crop. Plots were located on major soil types representative of their respective states: Compass and Decatur soils in Alabama and a Coxville/Rains-Goldsboro-Lynchburg soil association in South Carolina. Lignin and structural carbohydrate concentrations in the whole (above-ground) plant, cobs, vegetation excluding cobs above the primary ear (top), vegetation below the primary ear (bottom), and vegetation from above the primary ear including cobs (above-ear fraction) were determined using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The distribution of lignin, ash, and structural carbohydrates varied among plant fractions, but neither inclusion of a rye cover crop nor the stover harvest treatments consistently affected carbohydrate concentrations within locations. Total precipitation and average air temperature during the growing season were strongly correlated with stover composition indicating that weather conditions may have multiple effects on potential biofuel production (i.e., not only yield but also stover quality). When compared to the above-ear fractions, bottom plant partitions contained greater lignin concentrations. Holocellulose concentration was consistently greater in the above-ear fractions at all three locations. Data from this study suggests that the above-ear plant portions have the most desirable characteristics for cellulosic ethanol production via fermentation in the southeastern USA.

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“…Among the factors that are known to contribute to the recalcitrance of plant cell walls are degree of cellulose crystallinity, lignin content and structure, and heterogeneity in cell wall composition between plants and between cell types and tissues [3,5]. Some plant genotypes, especially those with mutations in genes encoding lignin biosynthetic enzymes, are known to be more amenable to enzymatic hydrolysis [6,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A High-Throughput Platform for Screening Milligram Quantities of Plant Biomass for Lignocellulose Digestibility

et al. 2010

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The development of a viable lignocellulosic ethanol industry requires multiple improvements in the process of converting biomass to ethanol. A key step is the improvement of the plants that are to be used as biomass feedstocks. To facilitate the identification and evaluation of feedstock plants, it would be useful to have a method to screen large numbers of individual plants for enhanced digestibility in response to combinations of specific pretreatments and enzymes. This paper describes a highthroughput digestibility platform (HTDP) for screening collections of germplasm for improved digestibility, which was developed under the auspices of the Department of Energy-Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (DOE-GLBRC). A key component of this platform is a customdesigned workstation that can grind and dispense 1-5 mg quantities of more than 250 different plant tissue samples in 16 h. The other steps in the processing (pretreatment, enzyme digestion, and sugar analysis) have also been largely automated and require 36 h. The process is adaptable to diverse acidic and basic, low-temperature pretreatments. Total throughput of the HTDP is 972 independent biomass samples per week. Validation of the platform was performed on brown midrib mutants of maize, which are known to have enhanced digestibility. Additional validation was performed by screening approximately 1,200 Arabidopsis mutant lines with T-DNA insertions in genes known or suspected to be involved in cell wall biosynthesis. Several lines showed highly significant (p<0.01) increases in glucose and xylose release (20-40% above the mean). The platform should be useful for screening populations of plants to identify superior germplasm for lignocellulosic ethanol applications and also for screening populations of mutant model plants to identify specific genes affecting digestibility.

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Characterization, Genetic Variation, and Combining Ability of Maize Traits Relevant to the Production of Cellulosic Ethanol

Cited by 68 publications

References 39 publications

Switchgrass Biofuel Production on Reclaimed Surface Mines: II. Feedstock Quality and Theoretical Ethanol Production

Switchgrass Biofuel Production on Reclaimed Surface Mines: II. Feedstock Quality and Theoretical Ethanol Production

Distribution of Structural Carbohydrates in Corn Plants Across the Southeastern USA

A High-Throughput Platform for Screening Milligram Quantities of Plant Biomass for Lignocellulose Digestibility

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