Abstract
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a native warm-season grass and it is one of potential bioenergy crops. The objectives of this study were to: 1) assess the best performing switchgrass genotype suitable for Kansas soil and climatic condition in the USA, 2) determine the correlation between plant height or tiller numbers per plant and dry biomass of various switchgrass genotypes, and 3) assess a bioconversion efficiency of certain varieties of switchgrass. Twenty-two different genotypes of seedlings were allowed to grow in cones for 30 days under controlled environments. The genotype Cave-in-Rock was the shortest among the genotypes. Significant difference in number of tillers per plant was observed among the genotypes. The genotypes Alamo recorded the highest numbers of tiller plant-1 and the genotype Cave-in-Rock had the lowest numbers of tiller plant-1 compared with other genotypes. The genotypes Alamo, NL 94 C2-2, NL 94 C2-3, NSL 2009-1 and NSL 2009-2 had increased above ground biomass compared with other genotypes. The correlation study indicates that there was a significant positive correlation between number of tillers per plant and per plant dry weight (R2 = 0.93), number of tillers per plant and plant height (R2 = 0.94), and plant height and per plant dry weight (R2 = 0.82). Based on the biomass composition, the SWG 2007-2 genotype was the promising switchgrass line for the bioconversion through the sugar platform route due to high carbohydrate and low lignin content. On the other hand, the high biomass yield per unit area of field in NL 94 C2-1 led this genotype with the highest total carbohydrate yield per unit area of field despite the lowest total carbohydrate content in the genotype. These results are pertinent for crop breeders to develop the most promising switchgrass line with high biomass yield and high bioconversion efficiency to produce biofuel through the sugar platform route.
Highlights
Biomass is a term for all organic material that comes from plants such as trees and crops
The genotypes Alamo recorded the highest numbers of tiller plant−1 and the genotype Cave-in-Rock had the lowest numbers of tiller plant−1 compared with other genotypes
The genotypes Alamo recorded the highest numbers of tiller plant−1 and a genotype Cave-in-Rock had the lowest numbers of tiller plant−1
Summary
Biomass is a term for all organic material that comes from plants such as trees and crops. Due to increasing fuel costs and the uncertainty of fossil fuel supply on the planet, developing bioenergy crop from biomass such as switchgrass might play an important role in terms of diversifying energy sources and increasing energy sustainability. There are many potential bioenergy crops and switchgrass is one of them. Switchgrass is a warm-season perennial plant native to North America that has wide range of adaptation. As one of the main goals of the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program (BFDP), switchgrass was chosen as the main herbaceous plant because of its high biomass, perennial nature, its adaptability to poor soils and marginal cropland [2]. Switchgrass has been selected as model herbaceous crop for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Biofuels Feedstock Program [3]. The objectives of this study were to: 1) assess the best performing switchgrass genotype suitable for Kansas soil and climatic condition in the USA, 2) determine the correlation between plant height or tiller numbers per plant and dry biomass of various switchgrass genotypes, and 3) assess a bioconversion efficiency of certain varieties of switchgrass as a bioenergy crop
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