Sarath Gautam, Mitchell Robert B, Sattler Scott E, Funnell Deanna, Pedersen Jeffery F, Graybosch Robert A, Vogel Kenneth P
Grain, Forage and Bioenergy Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 314 Biochemistry Hall, University of Nebraska, East Campus, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0737, USA.
J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol. 2008 May;35(5):343-354. doi: 10.1007/s10295-007-0296-3. Epub 2008 Jan 18.
This review focuses on the potential advantages and disadvantages of forages such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and two small grains: sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and wheat (Triticum aesitvum), as feedstocks for biofuels. It highlights the synergy provided by applying what is known from forage digestibility and wheat and sorghum starch properties studies to the biofuels sector. Opportunities therefore, exist to improve biofuel qualities in these crops via genetics and agronomics. In contrast to cereal crops, switchgrass still retains tremendous exploitable genetic diversity, and can be specifically improved to fit a particular agronomic, management, and conversion platform. Combined with emerging studies on switchgrass genomics, conversion properties and management, the future for genetic modification of this species through conventional and molecular breeding strategies appear to be bright. The presence of brown-midrib mutations in sorghum that alter cell wall composition by reducing lignin and other attributes indicate that sorghum could serve as an important model species for C(4)-grasses. Utilization of the brown-midrib traits could lead to the development of forage and sweet sorghums as novel biomass crops. Additionally, wheat crop residue, and wheat and sorghum with improved starch content and composition represent alternate biofuel sources. However, the use of wheat starch as a biofuel is unlikely but its value as a model to study starch properties on biofuel yields holds significant promise.
本综述聚焦于柳枝稷（Panicum virgatum）以及两种小粒谷物：高粱（Sorghum bicolor）和小麦（Triticum aesitvum）等草料作为生物燃料原料的潜在优缺点。它强调了将草料消化率以及小麦和高粱淀粉特性研究中所了解到的知识应用于生物燃料领域所带来的协同效应。因此，存在通过遗传学和农艺学来提高这些作物生物燃料质量的机会。与谷类作物不同，柳枝稷仍保留着巨大的可利用遗传多样性，并且可以进行专门改良以适应特定的农艺、管理和转化平台。结合对柳枝稷基因组学、转化特性和管理的新兴研究，通过常规和分子育种策略对该物种进行基因改造的前景似乎很光明。高粱中存在褐色中脉突变，通过减少木质素和其他特性来改变细胞壁组成，这表明高粱可以作为C4禾本科植物的重要模式物种。利用褐色中脉性状可能会培育出草料高粱和甜高粱作为新型生物质作物。此外，小麦作物残茬以及淀粉含量和组成得到改善的小麦和高粱代表了替代生物燃料来源。然而，将小麦淀粉用作生物燃料不太可能，但其作为研究淀粉特性对生物燃料产量影响的模型具有重大前景。
