Abstract
Biofuels and bio-based products can be produced from a wide variety of herbaceous feedstocks. To supply enough biomass to meet the needs of a new bio-based economy, a suite of dedicated biomass species must be developed to accommodate a range of growing environments throughout the USA. Researchers from the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and collaborators associated with the USDA Regional Biomass Research Centers have made major progress in understanding the genetics of switchgrass, sorghum, and other grass species and have begun to use this knowledge to develop new cultivars with high yields and appropriate traits for efficient conversion to bio-based products. Plant geneticists and breeders have discovered genes that reduce recalcitrance for biochemical conversion to ethanol and drop-in fuels. Progress has also been made in finding genes that improve production under biotic and abiotic stress from diseases, pests, and climatic variations.
Highlights
A number of dedicated herbaceous biomass feedstocks have been proposed to help achieve US energy independence goals [58]
In the southern USA, the highest yielding perennial biomass energy crops are energycane (Saccharum hyb.) and napiergrass (Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone; formerly Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.). These two grasses are sub-tropical in nature and are more photoperiod sensitive allowing vegetative production to continue until late fall or until frost kills the aboveground portion of the plant
This review summarizes much of the work in these areas that has been performed within the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regional Biomass Research Centers that were established in 2010
Summary
A number of dedicated herbaceous biomass feedstocks have been proposed to help achieve US energy independence goals [58]. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) was the first perennial grass identified as a biomass feedstock because it has high yield potential, is native to the USA, needs relatively low inputs, and can be grown in most climates of the eastern USA [83, 113]. In the southern USA, the highest yielding perennial biomass energy crops are energycane (Saccharum hyb.) and napiergrass (Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone; formerly Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.). These two grasses are sub-tropical in nature and are more photoperiod sensitive allowing vegetative production to continue until late fall or until frost kills the aboveground portion of the plant.
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