Progress 07/01/10 to 06/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience is the research community of plant biology at large, with special focus on the rising community of researchers working on plants and bioenergy. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This study included interdisciplinary training in field and laboratory work for undergrads, a graduate student and a technical assistant. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results of our study are currently been written for publication in a journal devoted to bioenergy feedstock production. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We completed a multi-year study to evaluate performance of sweet and biomass sorghum as an alternative lignocellulose feedstock for conversion to biofuels. Studies included an evaluation of nitrogen demand. The 2012 growing season provided an unexpected environmental challenge of severe drought to compare performance of the same genotypes to yields in years with normal rainfall. We established that all sorghum genotypes yielded equivalent biomass under drought conditions as in normal rainfall, whereas a tropical biomass maize suffered severe limitations of yield. We established that all biomass sources performed best on little or no added N, and that high N reduced yield of lignocellulosic biomass.
Publications
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Progress 07/01/11 to 06/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Our objective was to repeat a determination of the impact of nitrogen fertilizer rate on yield and composition of diverse lines of sorghum and control maize inbreds and hybrids. This was particularly interesting year due to the severe drought that plagued the Midwest for most of the summer. Results from the previous year and others from the literature resulted in a Perspective article that envisions how biomass sorghum is a logical choice for a dedicated energy crop in the Midwest. Several participants spoke of results at scientific meetings. PARTICIPANTS: The project involved two research technicians, Nick Babcock (Weil) and John Klimek (Carpita), and a graduate student, Baron Hewettson (Mosier). Several undergraduate interns also assisted in sampling and harvests. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences for our results are bioenergy, researchers, engineers and economists along the field to biofuel pipeline. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Several sweet sorghum cultivars, a photoperiod-sensitive biomass sorghum, and a tropical maize hybrid were grown, under conditions of 0, 60, and 180 lbs/acre additional nitrogen. Despite the severe drought, the sorghum cultivars yielded sugar and total biomass that equaled or in some cases exceed yields of 2010, a year of near average summer rainfall. In contrast, yields of the tropical maize hybrid, M81E, which was second highest in yield in 2010, exhibit drastic reductions in yield. As in 2010, highest yields were found with either 0 or 60 lbs/acre N, and in all cultivars, 180 lbs/acre led to biomass yield losses. A publication that summarizes the project results is in preparation.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 07/01/10 to 06/30/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Our objective was to repeat a determination of the impact of nitrogen fertilizer rate on yield and composition of diverse lines of sorghum and control maize inbreds and hybrids. However, early field flooding necessitated a replanting in late May, and in early August we were struck by a massive hailstorm that destroyed the entire experiment. Results from the previous year and others from the literature resulted in a Perspective article that envisions how biomass sorghum is a logical choice for a dedicated energy crop in the Midwest. PARTICIPANTS: The project involved two research technicians, Suzanne Cunningham (Volenec)and Nick Babcock (Weil), two graduate students, Isaac Emery and Baron Hewettson (Mosier). TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences for the Perspective article are researchers, engineers and economists along the field to biofuel pipeline. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Our plots were destroyed by hailstorm, and we need to repeat the field experiment in 2012 to validate the results from 2010.
Impacts
Personnel efforts were redistributed to other projects, and unexpended funds were held in reserve for a retrial for 2012. We will be requesting a no-cost extension to permit the retrial to validate results from the previous year.
Publications
- Dweikat, I., Weil, C.F., Moose, S.P., Kochian, L., Mosier, N.S., Ileleji, K.E., Brown, P.J., Peer, W.A., Murphy, A.S., Taheripour, F., McCann, M.C., Carpita, N.C. (2012) Envisioning the transition to a next-generation biofuels industry in the Midwest. BioFPR, In press.
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