Dedicated Herbaceous Biomass Feedstock Genetics and Development

Authors

W. F. Anderson, USDA-ARS Crop Genetics and Breeding Research UnitFollow
G. Sarath, USDA-ARS Grain, Forage and Bioenergy Research, UNLFollow
S. Edme, USDA-ARS Grain, Forage and Bioenergy Research, UNLFollow
M. D. Casler, USDA-ARS US Dairy Forage Research CenterFollow
R. B. Mitchell, USDA-ARSFollow
C. M. Tobias, USDA-ARS Crop Improvement and Genetics ResearchFollow
A. L. Hale, USDA-ARS Sugarcane Research Unit
S. E. Sattler, USDA-ARS Grain, Forage and Bioenergy Research, UNLFollow
J. E. Knoll, USDA-ARS Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit

ORCID IDs

G. Sarath

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2016

Citation

Bioenerg. Res. (2016) 9:399–411

DOI 10.1007/s12155-015-9709-8

Comments

Copyright The Author(s) 2016. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com

Abstract

Biofuels and bio-based products can be produced from a wide variety of herbaceous feedstocks. To supply enough biomass to meet the needs of a new bio-based economy, a suite of dedicated biomass species must be developed to accommodate a range of growing environments throughout the USA. Researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and collaborators associated with the USDA Regional Biomass Research Centers have made major progress in understanding the genetics of switchgrass, sorghum, and other grass species and have begun to use this knowledge to develop new cultivars with high yields and appropriate traits for efficient conversion to bio-based products. Plant geneticists and breeders have discovered genes that reduce recalcitrance for biochemical conversion to ethanol and drop-in fuels. Progress has also been made in finding genes that improve production under biotic and abiotic stress from diseases, pests, and climatic variations.