Phenotyping and mapping quality traits for bioenergy in grasses

Iain Donnison, S. C. Thain, Edward Hodgson, C. Morris, John Clifton-Brown, Lesley Turner, Joseph Gallagher, Mervyn Owen Humphreys, Kerrie Farrar, Phillip Morris

Research output: Contribution to conferencePoster

Abstract

The potential of grasses, including Lolium species, for energy is limited because plant varieties have not been selected for this purpose. Genetics and breeding are necessary, to increase yield, provide resistance to disease and improve nutrient and water use efficiencies as for other uses. However there are also distinct challenges to determine and improve quality traits to increase the value and conversion efficiency of grasses as energy feedstocks. Perennial grasses offer the potential to be utilised through either thermal or biological conversion methods. The route chosen being largely determined by the calorific value, moisture content and the ratio of soluble to structural carbohydrates. However which ever way grasses are used the major determinates of energy content are lignins, cell wall (cross linking) phenolics and the soluble and cell wall carbohydrates. In addition to energy content, these components also have the potential to affect the efficiency of the energy conversion process and the end quality of some liquid fuels. Fuel specification is therefore a critical area and to assist in this, it is necessary to develop high throughput methods for phenotyping of for example the cell wall components. Infrared spectroscopy methods have therefore been developed to link phenotype, as determined by wet chemistry or infrared spectroscopy techniques, to genotype.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2007
EventPlant and Animal Genome XV Conference - Town and Country Convention Center, San Diego, California, United States of America
Duration: 13 Jan 200717 Jan 2007

Conference

ConferencePlant and Animal Genome XV Conference
Country/TerritoryUnited States of America
CitySan Diego, California
Period13 Jan 200717 Jan 2007

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