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Biomass and Cellulosic Ethanol Production of Forage Sorghum Under Limited Water Conditions

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Abstract

This study presents results from a 2-year evaluation of biomass and cellulosic ethanol (EtOH) production potential of forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) cultivars differing in brown midrib trait (i.e., bmr12) under dryland (no irrigation) and limited irrigation (2.88 mm day−1; subsurface drip) in the semiarid Southern High Plains of the USA. Commercial cultivar Sorghum Partners 1990 (SP 1990, conventional non-bmr) produced significantly more biomass (29–62 %) than a bmr12 cultivar PaceSetter bmr (PS bmr) under irrigated and dryland conditions during both years of this study. However, PS bmr biomass had higher cellulosic EtOH conversion efficiency than SP 1990 in both years according to simultaneous saccharification and fermentation analysis. Irrigation resulted in 26–49 % more biomass and 28–72 % more cellulosic EtOH production during both growing seasons, indicating that limited irrigation had favorable effects on both biomass and biofuel production. In the first year, when precipitation was below average, both cultivars produced similar amounts of cellulosic EtOH. During the second year, when precipitation was above average, higher biomass production of SP 1990 resulted in 28 % higher cellulosic EtOH production than PS bmr when averaged across both irrigated and dryland conditions. The large range of cellulosic EtOH production (1,600 to 3,380 L ha−1) during the 2 years of this study was primarily driven by differences in water availability that resulted from precipitation and irrigation. Our findings indicates that chemical composition and biomass yield potential of sorghum cultivars are critical factors that affect biomass and biofuel production under limited water conditions.

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Abbreviations

EtOH:

Ethanol

SHP:

Southern High Plains

bmr :

Brown midrib trait

SP 1990:

Sorghum cultivar Sorghum Partners 1990

PS bmr :

Sorghum cultivar PaceSetter bmr

ET:

Evapotranspiration

ADF:

Acid detergent fiber

NDF:

Neutral detergent fiber

ADL:

Acid detergent lignin

SSF:

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation

Percent CCE:

Cellulosic ethanol conversion efficiency

TEY:

Theoretical cellulosic ethanol yield

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the USDA-ARS Ogallala Aquifer Initiative for providing funding for this project, Dr. David Wester for input in statistical analysis, and laboratory personnel at the USDA-ARS for assistance in field and lab data collection.

USDA Disclaimer

Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the US Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA-ARS Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, 3810 4th Street, 79415, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Jon Cotton, Gloria Burow & Veronica Acosta-Martinez

  2. Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Campus Box 42122, 79409, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Jon Cotton & Jennifer Moore-Kucera

Authors
  1. Jon Cotton
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  2. Gloria Burow
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  4. Jennifer Moore-Kucera
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Correspondence to Jon Cotton.

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Cotton, J., Burow, G., Acosta-Martinez, V. et al. Biomass and Cellulosic Ethanol Production of Forage Sorghum Under Limited Water Conditions. Bioenerg. Res. 6, 711–718 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-012-9285-0

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