36 research outputs found
Breeding progress and preparedness for massâscale deployment of perennial lignocellulosic biomass crops switchgrass, miscanthus, willow and poplar
UK: The UKâled miscanthus research and breeding was mainly supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the BBSRC CSP strategic funding grant BB/CSP1730/1, Innovate UK/BBSRC âMUSTâ BB/N016149/1, CERES Inc. and Terravesta Ltd. through the GIANTâLINK project (LK0863). Genomic selection and genomewide association study activities were supported by BBSRC grant BB/K01711X/1, the BBSRC strategic programme grant on Energy Grasses & Bioârefining BBS/E/W/10963A01. The UKâled willow R&D work reported here was supported by BBSRC (BBS/E/C/00005199, BBS/E/C/00005201, BB/G016216/1, BB/E006833/1, BB/G00580X/1 and BBS/E/C/000I0410), Defra (NF0424) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) (B/W6/00599/00/00). IT: The Brain Gain Program (Rientro dei cervelli) of the Italian Ministry of Education, University, and Research supports Antoine Harfouche. US: Contributions by Gerald Tuskan to this manuscript were supported by the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, a US Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Center supported by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research in the DOE Office of Science, under contract number DEâAC05â00OR22725. Willow breeding efforts at Cornell University have been supported by grants from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Contributions by the University of Illinois were supported primarily by the DOE Office of Science; Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER); grant nos. DEâSC0006634, DEâSC0012379 and DEâSC0018420 (Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation); and the Energy Biosciences Institute. EU: We would like to further acknowledge contributions from the EU projects âOPTIMISCâ FP7â289159 on miscanthus and âWATBIOâ FP7â311929 on poplar and miscanthus as well as âGRACEâ H2020âEU.3.2.6. Bioâbased Industries Joint Technology Initiative (BBIâJTI) Project ID 745012 on miscanthus.Peer reviewedPostprintPublisher PD
Breeding progress and preparedness for mass-scale deployment of perennial lignocellulosic biomass crops switchgrass, miscanthus, willow and poplar
Genetic improvement through breeding is one of the key approaches to increasing biomass supply. This paper documents the breeding progress to date for four perennial biomass crops (PBCs) that have high outputâinput energy ratios: namely Panicum virgatum (switchgrass), species of the genera Miscanthus (miscanthus), Salix (willow) and Populus (poplar). For each crop, we report on the size of germplasm collections, the efforts to date to phenotype and genotype, the diversity available for breeding and on the scale of breeding work as indicated by number of attempted crosses. We also report on the development of faster and more precise breeding using molecular breeding techniques. Poplar is the model tree for genetic studies and is furthest ahead in terms of biological knowledge and genetic resources. Linkage maps, transgenesis and genome editing methods are now being used in commercially focused poplar breeding. These are in development in switchgrass, miscanthus and willow generating large genetic and phenotypic data sets requiring concomitant efforts in informatics to create summaries that can be accessed and used by practical breeders. Cultivars of switchgrass and miscanthus can be seed-based synthetic populations, semihybrids or clones. Willow and poplar cultivars are commercially deployed as clones. At local and regional level, the most advanced cultivars in each crop are at technology readiness levels which could be scaled to planting rates of thousands of hectares per year in about 5Â years with existing commercial developers. Investment in further development of better cultivars is subject to current market failure and the long breeding cycles. We conclude that sustained public investment in breeding plays a key role in delivering future mass-scale deployment of PBCs
New integrative sustainable system from C4 photosyntetic miscanthus to biological synthesis of valuable C4 compounds (BioC4)
CT2 ; DĂ©partement BAPNew integrative sustainable system from C4 photosyntetic miscanthus to biological synthesis of valuable C4 compounds (BioC4). Kick-off meeting and Biorefining Workshop 13th September 2016 FACCE SURPLU
Indirect versus Direct Selection of Winter Wheat for LowâInput or HighâInput Levels
International audienc
A Comparative Study of Maize and Miscanthus Regarding Cell-Wall Composition and Stem Anatomy for Conversion into Bioethanol and Polymer Composites
International audienceDue to an increasing demand for environmentally sustainable products, miscanthus and maize stover represent interesting lignocellulosic resources for conversion into biofuels and biomaterials. The overall purpose was to compare miscanthus and maize regarding cell-wall composition and stem anatomy for conversion into bioethanol and polymer composites using partial least squares regressions. For each of the two crops, six contrasted genotypes were cultivated in complete block design, and harvested. Internodes below the main cob for maize, and on the first aboveground internode for miscanthus, were analyzed for biochemistry and anatomy. Their digestibility was predicted using crop-specific near infrared calibrations, and the mechanical properties were evaluated in stem-based composites. On average, the internode cross-section of miscanthus anatomy was characterized by a thick rind (26.2 %) and few but dense pith-bundles (3.5 nb/mmÂČ), while cell-wall constituted 95.2 % of the dry matter with high lignin (243.2 mg/g) and cellulose concentrations (439.7 mg/g). Maize internode-anatomy showed large cross-sections (397.5 mmÂČ), pith with the presence of numerous bundles and non-lignified-pith fractions (22.3 % of the section). Its cellwall biochemistry displayed high concentrations of hemicelluloses, galactose, arabinose, xylose and ferulic acid. Cell-wall, lignin and cellulose concentrations were positively correlated with rind-fraction and pith-bundle-density, which explained strong mechanical properties as shown in miscanthus. Hemicelluloses, galactose, arabinose and ferulic acid concentrations were positively correlated with pith fraction and stem cross-section, revealing high digestibility as shown in maize. This underlines interesting traits for further comparative genetic studies, as maize represents a good model for digestibility and miscanthus for composites