Sugar Yield Research Articles

Extraction and Fermentation of Sugars from Almond Hull to Produce Astaxanthin

Almond hull is one of major byproducts of almond industry. It is rich in fermentable sugars which can be extracted for value-added applications. This study optimized the fermentable sugar extraction from almond hull by using response surface methodology with Box-Behnken design to optimize the operating parameters, including temperature (30, 55, and 80°C), shaking speed (200, 400, and 600 rpm), and extraction time (10, 65, and 120 min). The results showed that temperature is the most significant factor and the maximum total fermentable sugar yield of 36 ± 0.1 g/L was achieved under the conditions of 120 min, 80°C and 600 rpm for at 10% (dry weight basis) almond hull loading. A second-degree polynomial model can accurately predict the TFS extraction (R2=0.71). The extracted sugars (i.e., almond hull extract - AHE) were fermented into a high-value antioxidant, astaxanthin by using a yeast, Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous while the effect of the type of nitrogen source on astaxanthin production was investigated, including yeast extract/peptone, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, and urea. Amongst, yeast extract/peptone with the synthetic AHE and ammonium chloride with the original AHE achieved the maximum astaxanthin concentration of 3.31 ± 0.22 mg/L and 2.05 ± 0.27 mg/L, respectively. Selecting proper nitrogen sources (e.g., ammonium chloride) could mitigate the inhibition on astaxanthin fermentation of the original AHE fermentation. Astaxanthin production is a potential value-added outlet for almond hulls and a profit opportunity for the almond industry.

Deep eutectic solvents assisted laccase pretreatment for improving enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover.

The efficient and eco-friendly removal of lignin is a critical challenge for bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. Herein, we report the integration of laccase with deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for the pretreatment of corn stover to enhance the production of reducing sugars. Three betaine-based DESs were prepared and tested for their effects on the activity and stability of a bacterial laccase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LC02. The aqueous solution of DESs showed no adverse influence on laccase activity, and the laccase thermostability was improved in the presence of DESs. More than 95% of the laccase activity was retained in the DESs solution during the first hour of incubation at 70°C. A red shift in the fluorescence spectra was observed for the laccase in the presence of DESs, indicating conformational changes. The laccase was able to degrade a dimeric lignin model compound by cleaving its β-O-4 bond. The transformation products were identified using LC-MS. The maximal lignin removal from corn stover was achieved by pretreatment using laccase in combination with the betaine-glycerol DES, which also resulted in a yield of fermentable sugar that was 130% higher than the control. This combination strategy provides guidance on the application of laccase and DESs in the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass.

Organic waste and beechwood cellulose blend saccharification and validation of hydrolysates by fermentation.

This study demonstrates the sustainable advancement of fermentation media by blending the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) with organosolv beechwood cellulose. Investigations examined the effects of enzyme dosages and OFMSW integration into organosolv beechwood cellulose on sugar yield. The findings indicate that OFMSW inclusion and Cellic® CTec3 dosage significantly influence hydrolysis across two different batches of beechwood cellulose. Experimental data showed that OFMSW inclusion levels of 35% and 45% (w/w) produced sugar levels comparable to pure beechwood cellulose, achieving 58% to 68% (w/w) saccharification with sugar concentrations of 44 to 46g/L. This highlights OFMSW's potential as a buffer substitute during the enzymatic conversion of organosolv cellulose. The resulting sugar-rich hydrolysates, derived from OFMSW-cellulose blends and pure cellulose, were evaluated for ethanol and cell biomass production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Mucor indicus, yielding 30g of ethanol/L hydrolysate. Furthermore, OFMSW inclusion in beechwood cellulose proved to be an excellent alternative to synthetic nitrogen agents for S. cerevisiae cell production, reaching 12.2g of biomass/L and surpassing the biomass concentration from cultivation on cellulose hydrolysate with nitrogen supplementation by threefold. However, M. indicus did not grow in the OFMSW-cellulose blend, suggesting that the inhibitory compounds of OFMSW may be a bottleneck in the proposed process. The present study demonstrates the benefits of incorporating OFMSW into cellulose material, as it enhances both cost-effectiveness and sustainability. This is attributed to the natural buffering properties and nitrogen content of OFMSW, which reduces the need for synthetic agents in fermentation-based lignocellulose biorefineries. KEY POINTS: • OFMSW inclusion significantly influences beechwood cellulose saccharification. • OFMSW could be an excellent alternative for synthetic agents in biorefinery. • S. cerevisiae achieved higher biomass growth on OFMSW/cellulose mix compared to YPD.

Evaluation of yield and stability of sugar beet (beta vulgaris L.) genotypes using GGE biplot and AMMI analysis

Rhizomania is the most destructive sugar beet disease in the world, and in recent years, it has widespread in most of the sugar beet growing areas in Iran. Since the control of this soil-borne disease is a difficult task, the use of resistant genotypes is known as the best measure against the disease. The ultimate goal of sugar beet breeders is to produce genotypes that can be used in both infected and non-infected fields without any reduction in terms of yield and quality. Twenty-one sugar beet genotypes along with four controls were evaluated in randomized complete block design with four replications in fields with natural infection to rhizomania in five research stations. Important sugar beet traits including root yield, sugar yield, sugar content, and white sugar yield were evaluated for two years (2021 and 2022). For all traits, location was the main source of variation that spanned 33 to 55% of the total sum of the square followed by the location×year×genotype accounted for 3–40% of the variation. Based on the results of analysis of variance, multivariate stability parameters were computed to evaluate the genotypes’ stability. The first two principal components (IPCA1 and IPCA2) generated by GGE biplot contributed for 31.3 and 17.5% difference in genotype×environment interaction for root yield, respectively. According to the GGE biplot, genotypes RM-11 and RM-12 were identified as the winning genotypes across environments for both root yield and white sugar yield traits whereas AMMI model identified RM-14 and RM-9 (for root yield) and RM-1 (for white sugar yield) as best genotypes. Based on the ideal genotype ranking, RM-11 and RM-10 were the best performer with a high mean yield as well as stability in the studied environments. The biplot rendered using the weighted average of absolute scores (WAASB) and root yield and white sugar yield identified RM-11 and RM-9 as superior genotypes in terms of yield and stability. The selected genotypes can be used in breeding programs to transfer the disease resistance and cultivar development.

Genome-Wide and Transcriptome Analysis of Autophagy-Related ATG Gene Family and Their Response to Low-Nitrogen Stress in Sugar Beet

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a significant global crop for sugar production, with nitrogen playing a crucial role in its growth, development, and sugar yield. Autophagy facilitates nutrient reabsorption and recycling under nutrient stress by degrading intracellular components, thereby enhancing plant nitrogen use efficiency. However, research on the autophagy response to low-nitrogen stress in sugar beet remains limited. In this study, 29 members of the ATG gene family were identified, with genes within the same subfamily displaying similar gene structures and conserved domains. These ATG genes in sugar beet contain various hormone and stress-response elements. Transcriptome data and qRT-PCR analysis further revealed that the expression levels of ATG4, ATG8b, ATG18a, TOR, NBR1, ATI, ATG8a, ATG12, and VTI12a were significantly upregulated under low-nitrogen stress, with most genes showing high expression levels across different tissues. These ATG genes are thus likely involved in regulating autophagy in response to low-nitrogen conditions. The observed increase in autophagosome numbers further supports the induction of autophagy by low-nitrogen stress. These nine genes can be considered key candidates for further research on nitrogen-sensitive autophagy in the sugar beet ATG gene family. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the structure and biological functions of ATG genes in sugar beet, offering genetic resources for future efforts to improve sugar beet varieties through genetic engineering. Such efforts could focus on regulating autophagy to enhance nitrogen use efficiency and develop new germplasm.

Bioaugmented ensiling pretreatment to improve bioconversion of sweet sorghum: Effect of bio-additives on enzymatic saccharification and biomethane potential

This study proposes a novel strategy to integrate ensiling preservation with pretreatment of sweet sorghum (SS) biomass. Bio-additives, including cellulase, xylanase, liquid anaerobic digestate (LD), and rumen fluid (RF) were applied in ensiling process to improve the silage quality, sugar production by enzymatic hydrolysis, and anaerobic biomethane production of SS. Compared with others additives, LD could alter microbial community compositions and reduce the crystallinity of SS, thus improving ensiling pretreatment performance and achieving the highest reducing sugar yield of 84.73%. The methane production of LD silages was increased by 32.84% compared with the un-ensiled SS, indicating that ensiling pretreatment with LD could be an effective strategy to achieve the trans-seasonal preservation and improving the methane production of SS. Furthermore, taking techno-economic factors into account (energy net income of 96.07 USD/ton), LD additive was recommended for the bioaugmented ensiling pretreatment and downstream methane production of SS, which also contribute to recirculate the liquid digestate from biogas plant.

Transforming Biomass Energy Waste into Innovative Fertilizer: Impact of Poultry Litter Incineration Ash-Based Fertilizer on Sugar Beet Nutrition, Yield, and Quality

Transforming Biomass Energy Waste into Innovative Fertilizer: Impact of Poultry Litter Incineration Ash-Based Fertilizer on Sugar Beet Nutrition, Yield, and Quality

Enhancing Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Rice Straw by Acid-Assisted Mechanocatalytic Depolymerization Pretreatment

The inherent complexity of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contributes to the recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass, resulting in a low conversion efficiency and high cost of bioethanol conversion. Pretreatment methods that disrupt the plant cell structure of lignocellulose, such as straw, can significantly enhance the conversion efficiency. In this study, we utilized an acid-assisted mechanocatalytic depolymerization technique to pretreat rice straw, and the results demonstrated a significant disruption of the cellulose structure of the straw. Compared to the untreated straw, the particle size of pretreated straw reduced from 279 μm to 11.8 μm, the crystallinity of cellulose decreased from 43.05% to 22.71%, the specific surface area increased by 177%, and the surface oxygen-to-carbon ratio (O/C) ratio was enhanced by 75%. The changes in microstructure enabled the pretreated straw to achieve a total sugar yield of over 95% within 12 h of enzymatic hydrolysis, significantly superior to the 36.24% yield from untreated straw, the 45.20% yield from acid impregnated straw, and the 73.25% yield from ball milled straw. Consequently, acid-assisted mechanocatalytic depolymerization emerges as a highly effective pretreatment strategy to enhance both the enzymatic hydrolysis and the overall conversion efficiency of rice straw.

Effects of NaOH and Na2CO3 pretreatment on the saccharification of sweet sorghum bagasse

In this work, the chemical composition, chemical structures, and sugar release were evaluated for sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) biomass in response to alkaline pretreatments and enzymatic hydrolysis. Five different ratios of 2 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) solutions were used for biomass fractionation along with two heat treatment conditions, 85°C and 150°C for 1 h. Sugar yields from enzymatic hydrolysis were measured at different durations up to 72 h. SSB samples pretreated at high temperature using alkaline solutions containing equal amounts of Na2CO3 and NaOH favored retaining cellulose content (up to 90%) while effectively removing hemicellulose (65%) and lignin (92%). The high-temperature pretreatment conditions resulted in improved delignification, higher sugar concentrations, and sugar yields. Pretreatment solutions consisting of 50% or more NaOH produced higher glucose yields (85%–90%) and total sugar concentrations. Moreover, pretreatment solutions containing Na2CO3 improved the hydrolysis rates allowing SSB samples reach maximum yields faster than those without it, 48 versus 72 h. Results showed pretreatment methods combining NaOH and Na2CO3 were effective at promoting SSB biomass conversion, increasing sugar recovery after hydrolysis, and reducing the hydrolysis duration, all of which are desirable and cost beneficial.

Cover crop characteristics modulate amount and timing of nitrogen supply of fertilized sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in temperate climate

For temperate climate, there is little information on the effects cover crops grown in fall (CCs) on the nitrogen (N) supply for next year’s sugar beet (SB). Four field trials were conducted on silty soils to establish the CC N effect (Neff) compared to bare fallow separately for the periods sowing-summer and summer-autumn harvest. Biomass characteristics of radish (Raphanus sativus L.), spring vetch (Vicia sativa L.), saia oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.), and winter rye (Secale cereale L.) CCs before winter, soil mineral nitrogen in spring (SMN), and SB N accumulation and sugar yield (SY) were measured. In the period sowing-summer, characterized by a high SB N demand, Neff of overwintering, high biomass yielding rye CC was negative up to -50 kg N ha-1 at three site/years and varied around zero for the other CCs except vetch, for which Neff was positive. At SB autumn-harvest, Neff was negative up to -100 kg N ha-1 except for vetch in one trial. SY was lowest after rye CC. Regression analyses indicated a negative impact of CC biomass, C:N ratio and the difference in SMN between fallow (high SMN) and CCs (low SMN) on Neff. To conclude, if CCs yield a high amount of biomass surviving until spring and thus remove SMN from the soil which otherwise remains available for SB, early season mineralization of CC biomass N can be too low to ensure a N supply sufficient for maximum SB yield. Choosing leguminous CCs or early termination of CCs might alleviate this constraint.

Systematic optimization of cellulases production and extraction by Sporotrichum thermophile mutant strain TH3-9 and application in enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose generally occurs at 40–50 ℃, which can result in slow hydrolysis rate, low sugar yield with incomplete hydrolysis and easy microbial contamination. The limitations can be resolved by adopting cellulases from thermophilic microorganisms. In this work, response surface methodology was used for optimizing cellulases production and extraction by Sporotrichum thermophile mutant strain TH3–9 in solid state fermentation. Results indicated that ammonium sulphate, initial pH and inoculum amount had significant effects on cellulases production. Maximal cellulases activities (endoglucanase activity, 718.03 U/g; filter paper activity, 126.51 U/g; β-glucosidase activity, 444.33 U/g) could be obtained by adopting corn stover (10.0 g) and wheat bran (5.0 g) as substrates, ammonium sulphate 1.63 g, initial pH 5.1 and inoculum amount 13.8 % (v/w). Compared with cellulases activities in the initial conditions, optimization resulted in 5.86-fold, 4.29-fold and 6.06-fold increase for endoglucanase activity, filter paper activity and β-glucosidase activity, respectively. During optimization of cellulases extraction, filter paper activity (FPA) was used as the response and results indicated that variables including volume of solvent, rotation speed and time had significant effects on FPA of the crude cellulases solution. Maximal FPA (24.53 U/mL) could be obtained while extraction was performed at 30 ℃, 135 rpm for 38 min with the use of distill water as solvent. In addition, the crude cellulases solution was primarily applied in hydrolysis of alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreated corn stover and the reducing sugar yield (418.47 mg/g) could be obtained during hydrolysis at 50 ℃ for 48 h.

Correlation among Yield, Quality and Mechanization Amicable Traits in Sugarcane Clones

The objective of this study was to identify superior clones suitable for mechanical harvesting, which is essential to improve the production efficiency, cost effectiveness, cane loading efficiency infield losses and also to investigate the relationships among the yield and quality parameters with cane yield and sugar yield in sugarcane. This experiment was conducted at Regional sugarcane and Rice Research Station, Rudrur, Nizamabad district, Telangana state in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences among genotypes for fifteen yield, quality and mechanization amicable characters. Correlation coefficient results indicated that cane yield was positively correlated with commercial cane sugar, number of tillers at 120 days after planting, cane height, cane girth, single cane weight. So, selection for cane yield alone will also increase the other characters because these traits are positively correlated with cane yield. The Angle of inclination is negatively correlated with cane yield and positively correlated with ratio of crown weight to cane weight, brix%, sucrose%, purity% and CCS%. Results indicate that the genotypes should be selected on the basis of number of millable canes, cane length, cane girth and single cane weight for getting higher sugarcane yield. Furthermore, mechanization amicable genotypes can be selected which are near to erect nature and also having less crown weight.

Characterization of Novel Exopolysaccharides from Weissella cibaria and Lactococcus lactis Strains and Their Potential Application as Bio-Hydrocolloid Agents in Emulsion Stability

The aim of the present study was the isolation of high exopolysaccharide (EPS) producers, Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) strains, from three types of milk: goat, sheep, and camel milk. Among 112 LAB isolates tested for their ability to produce EPS on MRS-sucrose agar, only 11 strains were able to produce EPS and only three higher producers’ strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing as two strains of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (SP255, SP257) isolated from camel milk and one strain of Weissella cibaria (SP213) isolated from goat milk. The physicochemical characterization of the purified EPSs revealed a significant sugar yield, with concentrations ranging from 2.17 to 2.77 g/L, while the protein content remained relatively low (0.03 g/L). The UV-visible spectrum showed high Ultra Violet (UV) absorption at 240–280 nm and the Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra showed the presence of a large number of functional groups, including hydroxyl (-OH), carbonyl (-C=O), and methyl groups (-CH3). The EPS solubility indicated their hydrophilic properties and the investigation of interfacial properties indicated that these EPSs could be used as natural emulsifiers and stabilizers in both acidic and neutral emulsions. Moreover, a new type of emulsion system was developed by the utilization of EPSs in the formation of multilayer interfaces in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions stabilized by sodium caseinate (CAS). Thus, the impact of an EPS addition on the particle size distribution and electrical charge has been studied. At pH 3, the studied EPSs adhered to the surfaces of caseinate-coated droplets and the stability of O/W emulsions was improved by adding certain concentrations of EPSs. The minimum concentration required to stabilize multilayer emulsions for EPSs SP255, EPS SP257, and EPS SP213 was 1.5, 1.5, and 1.7 g/L, respectively. These findings reveal a new EPS with significant potential for industrial use, particularly as an emulsion stabilizer.

Multi-functional PGPR Serratia liquefaciens confers enhanced resistance to lead stress and bacterial blight in soybean (Glycine max L.)

Lead toxicity and bacterial blight disease caused by Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. glycinea have destructive impacts on soybean growth and productivity. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have been used as an eco-friendly approach for augmenting crop growth and stress resistance. The current study investigated the efficacy of Serratia liquefaciens ZM6 strain in enhancing soybean resistance to lead (Pb) stress and bacterial blight. Two pot experiments were performed. In the first pot experiment, soybean plants were inoculated with S. liquefaciens ZM6 and grown under variable Pb stress levels (0, 200 and 400 µM of Pb(NO3)2). In the second experiment, S. liquefaciens-inoculated soybean plants were infected with P. savastanoi pv. glycinea, and disease severity was assessed two weeks post infection. The results revealed that S. liquefaciens strain resisted Pb stress up to 400 µM Pb(NO3)2 and exhibited the highest levels of solubilized phosphate, solubilized zinc, siderophore, indole acetic acid, exopolysaccharide, trehalose and antioxidant enzymes at 400 µM Pb compared to the other treatments. Moreover, Pb stress (200 and 400 µM) significantly decreased the growth, yield, nutrient uptake, gas exchange, and contents of chlorophyll, soluble proteins, sugars, and phenolics of soybean plants. Pb stress also induced the levels of proline, glycine betaine, Pb, oxidative stress markers, antioxidant enzymes, ascorbate, glutathione and expression of stress-responsive genes (CAT, APX, POD, Fe-SOD, CHS7, CHI1A, PAL, IFS2, P5CS and WRKY54) in soybean plants. On the other hand, S. liquefaciens application markedly boosted the growth, yield and levels of nutrients, gas-exchange, chlorophyll, osmolytes, antioxidant enzymes and expression of stress-tolerant genes of Pb-stressed soybean plants. The bacterial inoculation significantly diminished oxidative stress indicators and Pb content in stressed plants. Inoculation of soybean plants with S. liquefaciens also caused significant reductions in blight disease symptoms in P. savastanoi pv. glycinea-infected plants, indicating the efficiency of this strain in controlling harmful blight disease. Overall, this study demonstrated S. liquefaciens ZM6 effectiveness in enhancing soybean resistance to Pb stress and bacterial blight.

Effects of different ratios of nitrogen base fertilizer to topdressing on soil nitrogen form and enzyme activity in sugar beet under shallow drip irrigation

Sugar beets account for 30% of global sugar production each year, and their byproducts are an important source of bioethanol and animal feed. Sugar beet is an important cash crop in Inner Mongolia, China. To achieve high yields and sugar content, it is essential to supply nitrogen fertilizer in accordance with the growth characteristics of sugar beet, thereby enhancing the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer utilization. A two-year experiment was carried out in the experimental field of the Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences. The impact of varying ratios of nitrogen-based fertilizer to topdressing on nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen levels in the 20–60 cm soil layer, as well as the activities of protease, urease, catalase, and sucrose in the 20–40 cm soil layer were investigated during the rapid leaf growth period and root and sugar growth period. Results indicated that different ratios of nitrogen-based fertilizer to topdressing significantly influenced the levels of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen, and the activities of protease and urease in the 0–20 cm soil layer, with these effects diminishing as soil depth increased. The activities of catalase and sucrose were minimally impacted. Nitrogen was applied at 150 kg/ha during the growth period of sugar beet, according to the growth characteristics of sugar beet to maximize nitrogen utilization efficiency. Topdressing was completed with irrigation at the rapid growth stage. The nitrogen-based fertilizer to topdressing ratio of 6:4 resulted in optimal crop yield and sugar yield of sugar beet under shallow drip irrigation. Additionally, the activities of protease and urease in different soil treatments were significantly different, and the activities of protease and urease in the 0–40 cm soil layer were identified as useful soil physiological indicators for nitrogen utilization in sugar beet.

A miniaturized feedstocks-to-fuels pipeline for screening the efficiency of deconstruction and microbial conversion of lignocellulosic biomass.

Sustainably grown biomass is a promising alternative to produce fuels and chemicals and reduce the dependency on fossil energy sources. However, the efficient conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels and bioproducts often requires extensive testing of components and reaction conditions used in the pretreatment, saccharification, and bioconversion steps. This restriction can result in a significant and unwieldy number of combinations of biomass types, solvents, microbial strains, and operational parameters that need to be characterized, turning these efforts into a daunting and time-consuming task. Here we developed a high-throughput feedstocks-to-fuels screening platform to address these challenges. The result is a miniaturized semi-automated platform that leverages the capabilities of a solid handling robot, a liquid handling robot, analytical instruments, and a centralized data repository, adapted to operate as an ionic-liquid-based biomass conversion pipeline. The pipeline was tested by using sorghum as feedstock, the biocompatible ionic liquid cholinium phosphate as pretreatment solvent, a "one-pot" process configuration that does not require ionic liquid removal after pretreatment, and an engineered strain of the yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides that produces the jet-fuel precursor bisabolene as a conversion microbe. By the simultaneous processing of 48 samples, we show that this configuration and reaction conditions result in sugar yields (~70%) and bisabolene titers (~1500 mg/L) that are comparable to the efficiencies observed at larger scales but require only a fraction of the time. We expect that this Feedstocks-to-Fuels pipeline will become an effective tool to screen thousands of bioenergy crop and feedstock samples and assist process optimization efforts and the development of predictive deconstruction approaches.

Yield and Quality of Some Sugarcane Varieties as Affected by Row and Hill Spacing of Seedlings

The study was conducted in 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons at Shandaweel Agricultural Research Station (latitude of 26 33° N and longitude of 31 41°E), Sohag Governorate, Egypt on a plant-cane grown and its 1st ratoon seasons. The main objective was to assess the advantage of growing some sugarcane varieties, using seedlings instead of cane cuttings, on their yield and quality. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a split-plot arrangement with three replications (r=3). Analysis was carried out using the computer "MSTAT-c", Eighteen treatments were applied, comprising combinations of three sugarcane varieties: Giza 2004-27 (commercially called G-4), Giza 2003-47, (G-3) and the commercial cultivar G.T.54-9 (C9 as a chek], These varieties were assigned to the main plots, while nine combinations of two row spaces (100 and 120 cm) and three hill spaces for cane transplants (30, 40, and 50 cm) were randomly allocated in the sub plots. Results showed that the tested sugarcane varieties varied significantly in stalk height, diameter and number of millable canes/fed, stalk weight kg/plant, cane and sugar yields (tons/fed), brix, sucrose, purity and sugar recovery percentages in both seasons. Sugarcane G.2004-27 variety exhibited the superiority in stalk weight (kg/plant) and cane yield while, sugarcane G.2003-47 showed a significant superiority in the brix, sucrose, and purity and sugar recovery percentages in both seasons. Data show that increasing row spacing from 100 to 120 and hill space 30, 40 to 50 cm significantly on stalk height, diameter and number of millable canes/fed, stalk weight kg/plant, cane and sugar yields (tons/fed), brix, sucrose, purity and sugar recovery percentages in both seasons. Under conditions of the present work, growing promising sugarcane variety G. 2004-27 in rows of 100 cm apart with 30 cm seedlings can be recommended to get the maximum cane yield/fed, this is due to its superiority over the other two varieties in number of millable canes/fed and stalk weight kg/plant under Sohag Governorate.

Life cycle assessment of biochar and cattle manure application in sugar beet cultivation – Insights into root yields, white sugar quality, environmental aspects in field and factory phases

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a well-known sugar crop essential for supplying the global demand for sugar. Examining how different farming techniques affect the environment may help produce a high-quality crop with the least negative environmental effects. To this, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of biochar (B) and cattle manure (CM) applications at three different rates (5, 10, and 15 tons ha−1) compared with conventional chemical fertilization (CH) in the autumn and spring sugar beet crops has been studied. The system boundaries for LCA analysis were set from the cradle to the sugar factory gate. Based on the results, the highest amounts of root yield were obtained under CM10 and CM15 treatments with 24.5% and 23.2% increase in autumn cultivation and 34.8%, and 33.9% increase in spring cultivation, compared to CH. However, CM15 resulted in significantly lower sugar content (10.9%) than B5 (17%). Also, B utilization significantly reduced molasses content in sugar beet rather than CM in both cultivation periods. Further, biochar treatments (B5, B10, B15) significantly increased the white sugar yield in both cultivation times by 43.7%, 39.2%, and 36.1%, on average. Generally, the highest and the lowest global warming potential (GWP) were obtained from CM15 and B15 with 638.5 and 437.2 CO2-eq ton−1 root/sugar yields, respectively. These findings validate the hypothesis that using biochar in sugar beet production could reduce greenhouse gas emissions while increasing the amount of white sugar produced.

CoC 25–An early maturing high-yielding and red rot-resistant sugarcane variety suitable for the East Coast Zone of India

Aim: To develop early duration high-yielding sugarcane variety coupled with resistance or tolerant to major disease (red rot) and insect pests (borer complex). Methodology: CoC 25 was developed from two parents (Co 85002 and HR 83-144) and evaluated in station trials, state multi-location trials (five locations) and zonal varietal trials of AICRP (S) trials (IVT, AVT-I, AVT-II and AVT ratoon in five locations). Simultaneously, this clone was screened for major pest and diseases. Results: Based on the superiority performance of CoC 25 in cane yield (21.50% higher) and sugar yield (22.72% higher), it was observed in AICRP trials over the national check variety CoC 01061. Cane yield superiority was 12.75% compared to check variety observed in state multi-location trials. The CoC 25 was found moderately resistant (3.6%) to red rot disease and less susceptible to early shoot borer (9.42%) and inter-node borers. Interpretation: The results of this study revealed that CoC 25 is superior in terms of cane yield, CCS yield and resistance to red rot disease and it is less susceptible to borers. It was released by SVRC and notified for commercial cultivation in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Key words: Cane yield, CCS yield, Red rot resistance, Sugarcane

Enhanced production of bioethanol through supercritical carbon dioxide-mediated pretreatment and saccharification of dewaxed bagasse

The pretreatment and saccharification of dewaxed bagasse (DWB) has been investigated under various reaction conditions ranging 2000 to 3200 psi, at 70 ± 1 °C in supercritical carbon dioxide (SCC). This has been in attempt to transform the DWB into fermentable sugar and bioethanol in high yields. The effect of SCC mediated pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis on structural and morphological alterations in DWB has been ascertained through diverse analytical methods. The sugar has been released through cellulase (40 FPU/mL) mediated enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated DWB in sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.7) within 1 h at SCC 2800 psi, 70 ± 1 °C. The released sugar was subsequently fermented in the presence of yeast (Saccharomyces crevices, 135 CFU) at 28 ± 1 °C over 72 h to afford the bioethanol. The SCC mediated process conducted in acetic acid:water media (1:1) at 2800 psi, 70 ± 1 °C over 6 h has afforded the pretreated DWB with maximum yield towards the production of fermentable sugar and bioethanol. The production of fermentable sugar and bioethanol has been electrochemically estimated through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) over glassy carbon electrode in KOH (0.1 M). The electrochemical methods were found selective and in close agreement for estimation of the yields (%) of fermentable sugars and bioethanol. The yield (%) of fermentable sugar estimated from CV and SWV were 80.10 ± 5.34 and 79.00 ± 5.09 respectively. Whereas the yield (%) of bioethanol estimated from CV and SWV were 81.30 ± 2.78% and 78.6 ± 1.25% respectively. Present investigation delivers a SCC mediated green and sustainable method of pretreatment of DWB to afford the enhanced saccharification, to produce bioethanol in high yields.