Improving sweet sorghum for enhanced juice traits and biomass

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) is a prospective bioethanol feedstock source. Four high-biomass and sweet sorghum male lines and three grain sorghum female lines were intercrossed using Design II mating. Parents and hybrids were evaluated to (a) identify genetic sources to improve biofuel traits, and (b) determine the inheritance of biofuel and morpho-agronomic traits. Total soluble sugars (TSS) per plant were determined using juice weight (JW) and Brix (°Bx). Plant height (PH), biomass (BM) and stalk diameter (SD) were also measured. Mean hybrid performance for PH, JW, TSS and BM was higher than the male parent means. Three male parents exhibited positive and significant general combining ability (GCA) for at least three traits. Among males, PI185672 showed the highest GCA for PH, °Bx and BM, while No. 08 exhibited the greatest GCA for JW and TSS. Most hybrids exhibited overdominance-driven high-parent heterosis for all traits except SD. Trait broad-sense heritability ranged from 0.71 (BM) to 0.93 (PH). Results revealed that biofuel traits could be substantially improved through breeding, which will contribute to enhanced bioethanol production.     

Comparative response of spring and winter triticale productivity and bioethanol yield to fertilisation intensity

Grains of triticale are one of the feedstocks suitable for bioethanol production because they are characterised by high starch and low protein contents. In the present study, spring and winter triticale were comparatively studied to evaluate the influence of N fertilisation intensity on the productivity and bioethanol yield, as well as to assess the relationship between the meteorological factors and ethanol yield. Six treatments of N – 0, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180?kg?ha^?1 were compared in spring triticale and in winter triticale crops. The analysis of variance showed that nitrogen level (factor A), year (factor B) and their interaction (A × B) significantly (P?≤?.01) influenced grain yield, starch yield and bioethanol yield of both spring and winter triticale. Fertilisation was the main factor explaining 47.6% and 41.0% of the total variability of bioethanol yield of spring and winter triticale, respectively. Nitrogen fertiliser rates 120–180?kg?ha^?1 resulted in maximum bioethanol yield of spring triticale (2417–2480?l?ha^?1) and winter triticale (4311–4420?l?ha^?1). Bioethanol conversion efficiency of nitrogen-fertilised spring and winter triticale was similar 492?l?t^?1 and 508?l?^?1, respectively. Meteorological factors had a greater impact on grain productivity and bioethanol yield for winter triticale than for spring triticale. Both seasonal types of triticale could be good feedstocks for bioethanol production in the areas with congenial weather conditions for their cultivation.     

木质纤维素类物质生产燃料乙醇的研究进展

受全球油价不断上涨的影响,用植物体制取的生物燃料越来越被世界各国看好。受世界粮食短缺和土地有限的限制,用粮食长期大量生产燃料乙醇不是长远之计,木质纤维素类物质是世界上最广泛的可利用生物材料,因此,用木质纤维素类物质生产生物燃料是解决今后燃料短缺的有效途径。本文从木质纤维素生产燃料乙醇的利用原理及技术等方面进行了全面阐述。     

碱性亚硫酸盐耦合低压蒸汽预处理慈竹及其纤维素酶解转化

慈竹作为一种富含纤维素、分布广泛的草类资源,是生产纤维素燃料乙醇的潜在原料。本文采用碱性亚硫酸盐法与低压蒸汽爆破相结合对慈竹原料进行预处理,在保留碳水化合物的同时能够有效脱除大量木质素进而提升后续的纤维素酶水解效率。通过正交试验确定最优工艺条件为反应温度140 ℃、亚硫酸盐用量40%、氢氧化钠用量15%。水解试验中加入质量分数5%的最优工艺条件预处理慈竹原料72 h,纤维素酶解生成葡萄糖得率达到88.54%。在此基础上将碱性亚硫酸盐与低压蒸汽爆破预处理相耦合,有效简化了预处理工艺并降低成本,可实现慈竹原料“一步法”高效预处理,纤维素保留率为89.25%,葡萄糖得率达87.25%。      

Zur Eignung des Kornguts unterschiedlich stickstoffgedüngter Getreidebestände als Rohstoff für die Bioethanolproduktion

The Suitability of Grains from Cereal Crops with Different N Supply for Bioethanol Production
The properties of grains of different small grain cereals, produced under increasing N-supply levels, for conversion into bioerhanol were investigated. Grain material of winterwheat, -rye and -triticale, two cultivars each, was used At two locations, field experiments comprising several N-fertilization levels between 0 and 180 kg N/ha were conducted. The main parameters analysed were the bioethanol output (1 bioethanol/dt grain dry matter) and the bioethanol yield (1 bioethanol/ha), both under addition and without addition of technical enzymes. Furthermore, the falling numbers, the protein content and die autoamylolytic quotient (AAQ) were determined. AAQ means the autoamylolytic bioethanol output related to die output under addition of technical enzymes. With a rising N-supply, yields/ha and die protein contents of grain increased differently. Combined with increasing protein contents, decreasing bioethanol outputs were measured, particularly with wheat, to a smaller extent with triticale, and to an even lesser extent with rye. Only with wheat were die AAQ-values significantly reduced as a consequence of rising N-supply levels. In interaction with growing conditions, cultivars and N-levels, the bioethanol yields/ha of rye and triticale equalled or even surpassed the yields of wheat, particularly under autoamylolytic-conversion processing conditions.