Sweetcane (Erianthus arundinaceus) as a native bioenergy crop with environmental remediation potential in southern China: A review

Abstract

Sweetcane (Erianthus arundinaceus [Retzius] Jeswiet) is an ecologically dominant warm‐season perennial grass native to southern China. It traditionally plays an important role in sugarcane breeding due to its excellent biological traits and genetic relatedness to sugarcane. Recent studies have shown that sweetcane has a great potential in bioenergy and environmental remediation. The objective of this paper is to review the current research on sweetcane biology, phenology, biogeography, agronomy, and conversion technology, in order to explore its development as a bioenergy crop with environmental remediation potential. Sweetcane is resistant to a variety of stressors and can adapt to different growth environments. It can be used for ecological restoration, soil and water conservation, contaminated land repairing, nonpoint source pollutants barriers in buffer strips along surface waters, and as an ornamental and remediation plant on roadsides and in wetlands. Sweetcane exhibits higher biomass yield, calorific value and cellulose content than other bioenergy crops under the same growth conditions, thereby indicating its superior potential in second‐generation biofuel production. However, research on sweetcane as a bioenergy plant is still in its infancy. More works need be conducted on breeding, cultivation, genetic transformation, and energy conversion technologies.

Marginal lands for bioenergy in China; an outlook in status, potential and management

“…For instance, sweetcane biomass yield in test field reached to 43.76 t/ha in Huaihua, Hubei, while it gave 38 t/ha when tested at Changsha, Hunan. When tested at Nanning, Guangxi, the biomass yield was 11.27–25.16 t/ha while in constructed wetland, it produced 9.5 t/ha biomass (Hou et al., 2015; Wang et al., 2019; Yao et al., 2016; Zeng et al, 2013. A study on 20 sweetcane varieties cultivated in Sichuan Province showed that coefficient of dry matter production per plant was 25% (Liang, 2011).…”

“…It is considered an important genetic source for the sugarcane breeding programme. The species is related to taxa in Mi scanthus, Narenga, Saccharum and Sclerostachya, so it is considered a member of the 'sugarcane complex' (Amalraj & Balasundaram, 2006;Wang et al, 2019).All sweetcanes were found in the tropical and subtropical areas of China, specifically in the regions east of the Tibetan Plateau, south of Huai River-Qinling Mountains line. Sweetcane was generally found below an altitude of 1,500 m; however, it could be distributed up to 2,350 m (Yan et al, 2009).…”

Biomass yields, cytogenetics, fertility, and compositional analyses of novel bioenergy grass hybrids (Tripidium spp.)

“…Prior reports have identified T. arundinaceum as a potential biomass and bioenergy feedstock (Dao et al, ; Palmer et al, ; Wang et al, ; Zhang et al, ), though cold hardiness is limited to USDA Zone 7b. The new interspecific Tripidium hybrids examined in this study demonstrated high biomass yields ranging from 24 to 61 dry Mg/ha for the third growing season within the temperate climes of Western North Carolina, USDA Zone 6b/7a (Figure ).…”

Comparative de novo transcriptome analysis identifies salinity stress responsive genes and metabolic pathways in sugarcane and its wild relative Erianthus arundinaceus [Retzius] Jeswiet

“…Sugarcane wild relative E. arundinaceus is a potential donor for many genes related to biomass and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses 14 – 16 . Introgression of many genes from E. arundinaceus into sugarcane through conventional and biotechnological approaches has improved the agronomic performance of sugarcane varieties 17 , 18 .…”