Open AccessHarvest management affects biomass composition responses of C4 perennial bioenergy grasses in the humid subtropical USA
Author(s) -
Na ChaeIn,
Fedenko Jeffrey R.,
Sollenberger Lynn E.,
Erickson John E.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
gcb bioenergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.378
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1757-1707
pISSN - 1757-1693
DOI - 10.1111/gcbb.12319
Subject(s) - pennisetum purpureum , biomass (ecology) , bioenergy , perennial plant , biofuel , raw material , agronomy , composition (language) , subtropics , biology , ratooning , panicum virgatum , horticulture , microbiology and biotechnology , crop yield , ecology , dry matter , linguistics , philosophy
Elephantgrass ( Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) and energycane ( Saccharum spp. hybrid) are high‐yielding C4 grasses that are attractive biofuel feedstocks in the humid subtropics. Determining appropriate harvest management practices for optimal feedstock chemical composition is an important precursor to their successful use in production systems. In this research, we have investigated the effects of harvest timing and frequency on biomass nutrient, carbohydrate and lignin composition of UF 1 and cv. Merkeron elephantgrasses and cv. L 79‐1002 energycane. Biomass properties under increased harvest frequency (twice per year) and delayed harvest (once per year after frost) were compared with a control (once per year prior to frost). There were no differences between elephantgrass entries in structural carbohydrates; however, elephantgrasses had greater structural hexose concentration than energycane for single‐harvest treatments (avg. 398 vs. 366 mg g −1 ), a trait that is preferred for biofuel production. Delayed harvest of energycane decreased structural hexose compared with the control (374 vs. 357 mg g −1 ) because nonstructural components accumulated in energycane stem as harvest was delayed. Frequent defoliation (2X) increased N, P, and ash concentrations (75% for N and P and 58% for ash) in harvested biomass compared with single‐harvest treatments. We conclude that multiple harvests per year increase the harvest period during which feedstock is available for processing, but they do not result in optimal feedstock composition. In contrast, extending the period of feedstock supply by delaying a single harvest to after first freeze did not negatively affect cell wall constituent properties, while it increased length of the harvest period by ~30 days in the southeast USA .