Abstract
Lignocellulosic biomass has become an emerging feedstock for second-generation bioethanol production. Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids), a very efficient perennial C4 plant with a high polyploid level and complex genome, is considered a top-notch candidate for biomass production due to its salient features viz. fast growth rate and abilities for high tillering, ratooning, and photosynthesis. Energy cane, an ideal type of sugarcane, has been bred specifically as a biomass crop. In this review, we described (1) biomass potentials of sugarcane and its underlying genetics, (2) challenges associated with biomass improvement such as large and complex genome, narrow gene pool in existing commercial cultivars, long breeding cycle, and non-synchronous flowering, (3) available genetic resources such as germplasm resources, and genomic and cell wall-related databases that facilitate biomass improvement, and (4) mining candidate genes controlling biomass in genomic databases. We extensively reviewed databases for biomass-related genes and their usefulness in biofuel generation. This review provides valuable resources for sugarcane breeders, geneticists, and broad scientific communities involved in bioenergy production.
Highlights
Sugarcane Biomass PotentialsAn alternative source to fossil resources, offers a promising opportunity for renewable energy (Lynd et al, 2008)
Reviewed by: Yi-Hong Wang, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, United States Michael Butterfield, Monsanto UK Ltd., United Kingdom
Sugarcane has a significant potential as a biomass crop due to its highly efficient photosynthetic rate, high tillering, and ratooning abilities
Summary
An alternative source to fossil resources, offers a promising opportunity for renewable energy (Lynd et al, 2008). An ideal type of sugarcane showing high biomass yield, was selected for biofuel production (Knoll et al, 2013). Energy cane hybrids produced 138 and 235% more total biomass (green matter) and fiber, respectively (Matsuoka et al, 2012). With the availability of technologies that convert lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol, the cultivation of energy cane is recently widely increasing (Carvalho-Netto et al, 2014). This emerging biofuel crop is currently being expanded commercially to achieve an annual yield target of one million tons of cane in Florida State alone. These energy cane varieties can be expanded in geographical range beyond tropical and subtropical regions owing to its wider adaptation and cold tolerance characteristics (Knoll et al, 2013; van Antwerpen et al, 2013)
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