Environment Has Little Effect on Biomass Biochemical Composition of Miscanthus × giganteus Across Soil Types, Nitrogen Fertilization, and Times of Harvest

Abstract

Efficient conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks to ethanol will benefit from a consistent composition of supplied biomass. While composition or quality for a given feedstock is known to vary, the influence of environment, rather than genotype, has rarely been separated for mature fieldgrown material. Replicated trials of a single sterile hybrid clone of Miscanthus×giganteus across Illinois provided a unique opportunity to test the influence of environmental, rather than genetic control over biomass composition, under US Midwest conditions. Given the interest in M. x giganteus cv. BIllinois^as a lignocellulosic feedstock, it is valuable to understand the variation in composition of this crop that would need to be dealt with by processors. This study examined the effect of seven sites spanning nearly 5°in latitude and contrasting soil types from sands to clays with land capability classes ranging from 1 to 4. Four levels of nitrogen fertilization (0, 67, 135, and 202 kg N ha −1 ) were applied on these mature, genetically identical, clonally propagated stands of M.×giganteus which were harvested both pre-and post-senescence. Despite the wide range of environmental differences, there was minimal variation in the composition across all locations, sampling times, and fertilization treatments. Composition varied from 39-45 % for cellulose, 19-24 % for hemicellulose, to 19-24 % for lignin. Nitrogen fertilization, while having a small effect, decreased the proportion of hemicellulose, acetyl groups, and ash and increased cellulose and lignin at statistically significant levels. Delaying harvest from October to December increased the proportion of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin and decreased the proportion of ash and extractables at statistically significant levels. The findings show that in the absence of genetic variation, composition varies minimally with environment or timing of harvest, which has important implications for costs of processing in a given location.

Yield Potential and Nitrogen Requirements of Miscanthus × giganteus on Eroded Soil

“…Maximum yield of Miscanthus across five states (Kentucky, Illinois, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Virginia) ranged from 9 to 17, 11 to 27, and 10 to 31 Mg ha -1 for 1-, 2-, and 3-yr-old stands, respectively, (Davis et al, 2015) and was 24 Mg ha -1 across two sites with 3-yr-old stands in the Piedmont and Mountain regions of North Carolina (Haines et al, 2014). Therefore, eroded claypan soils may not negatively impact Miscanthus establishment or yield (Arundale et al, 2014;Randall et al, 2016).…”

Dynamics of biomass partitioning, stem gene expression, cell wall biosynthesis, and sucrose accumulation during development of Sorghum bicolor

“…Therefore, genes involved in the synthesis of sorghum stem LC‐biomass were identified to enable LC‐composition optimization for various conversion processes through directed engineering. Della's stem cell wall composition varied during development from approximately 47–50% cellulose, approximately 22–29% glucuronoarabinoxylan (GAX) and approximately 21–25% lignin, an overall composition similar to other grasses (Arundale et al ., ; Pauly and Keegstra, ). A previous comprehensive study of genes involved in grass cell wall biology identified and annotated approximately 750 genes in maize and their homologs in sorghum (Penning et al ., ).…”

Samenstelling van blad, stengel en rhizomen in relatie tot optimaal oogst-tijdstip van Miscanthus x giganteus

“…Arundale et al (2015) [22] noemen het lagere aandeel bladeren als verklaring van een lager aandeel geëxtraheerde inhoudsstoffen bij een latere oogst (oogst december t.o.v. oktober), waarbij bladeren en stengels niet gescheiden geoogst zijn.…”

“…oktober), waarbij bladeren en stengels niet gescheiden geoogst zijn. De cuticula (= waslaag) op de epidermiscellen van het blad vormt namelijk de grootste component van de inhoudsstoffen [22]. In het huidige onderzoek kan het lagere aandeel inhoudsstoffen van het blad niet het argument zijn, omdat blad en stengel apart geoogst zijn.…”