Dual-Purpose Maize: Genetic Analysis of Traits Relevant to Food and Fuel Production
April 23, 2010| |
Maize stover is a good substitute for grain ethanol products used as biofuel because of its abundance and cellulose characteristics. Thus, improving the stover yield and quality is necessary in order to meet the goal of using biofuel to replace 30% liquid fuel usage by 2030. Hence, A. J. Lorenz and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin conducted a study entitled Genetic Analysis of Cell Wall Traits Relevant to Cellulosic Ethanol Production in Maize (Zea mays L.) to analyze the genetic associations among the characters needed for cellulosic biofuel production.
Based on the analysis of traits from maize inbreds and hybrids, there were no adverse associations between the characters that may affect concurrent improvement of maize quality and stover yield through breeding and selection. There is also no correlation between total structural carbohydrate concentration and cell wall digestibility, meaning it is feasible to increase the theoretical volume of ethanol produced per unit mass along with carbohydrate convertibility.
The abstract of this study is available at http://crop.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/50/3/842.
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