Wind-Induced Sugar Production in Willows

A study led by researchers from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College, London found that natural genetic variations in willow's ability to form modified wood called reaction wood could explain why some strains of willow produce more biofuels than others.

Known as a physiological response by woody plants to counteract external stresses like strong wind, reaction wood or RW formation creates an excess of sugar molecules in the willow's stems to straighten the plant upwards. The high energy sugars released from the enzymatic breakdown of RW can be fermented into biofuels.  Results of the study published in the journal Biotechnology for Biofuels show that the RW response trait is responsible for the differences observed in willows with respect to sugar yield from enzymatic breakdown of stem biomass. When RW formation was induced in pot-grown trees by bending their stems, sugar yield from enzymatic breakdown was strongly correlated with that for mature field-grown trees. Field studies further revealed a five-fold increase in sugar yield from a willow variety exposed to windy condition when compared with the same variety grown in more sheltered condition. The researchers concluded that further work on RW response trait will be useful in breeding and genetic modification of willows and other woody crops for improved biofuel feedstocks.